Australia’s migration agenda is being reshaped with a suite of reforms aimed at lowering net overseas migration (NOM) and tightening visa conditions across several streams.
NOM target reduction
- The government plans to cut the current NOM of 292,000 to 245,000 for the current financial year.
- Detailed regulations are still pending, but a media release outlines the policy direction.
Compliance resources and overstayers
- Additional resources will be allocated to identify and repatriate unlawful non‑citizens.
- A recent Freedom of Information request shows ≈77,000 unlawful non‑citizens, with ≈1/3 having overstayed 10 years or more.
- A proposed change to work rights for protection‑visa applicants was abandoned pending parliamentary approval.
Visitor visas – “no further stay” condition
- All visitor visas will carry a no‑further‑stay condition to prevent onshore partner‑visa applicants from using a bridging visa while offshore applicants do not face the same restriction.
- It is unclear whether this applies only to subclass 600 (Visitor) or also to subclasses 651 (eVisitor) and 601 (Electronic Travel Authority).
International student and graduate visas
- Family members (partners and dependent children) will generally not be able to be included in new student visa applications or join later, except for:
- Applicants from Pacific and ASEAN nations, and
- Certain courses such as doctoral degrees.
- “Student‑visa hopping” – downgrading to a lower AQF level on a new visa – will be prohibited.
- Changing courses at the same AQF level, or applying for a new visa due to illness or other legitimate reasons, remains permissible.
- Graduates must enrol in a higher‑level AQF course for any subsequent student visa.
Working Holiday Maker (WHM) visas – ballot system
- A ballot will be introduced for the second and third year WHM visas (subclasses 417 and 462) where regional work is required.
- United Kingdom applicants are exempt from the regional‑work requirement.
- Second‑year visas: 45,000 places offered; 57,000 qualified last year, leaving ≈12,000 without a place.
- Third‑year visas: 5,000 places initially allocated; 31,000 qualified last year.
- Processing times for WHM visas will be capped at three months.
Skilled visa priorities (Ministerial Direction 119)
- Updated priorities will focus on occupations in:
- Healthcare, construction, education, law enforcement, defence, resources, agriculture, aquaculture, and fishing.
Points‑test reforms for General Skilled Migration (GSM) visas
- Points awarded to tradespeople will be aligned with those given to degree holders for the 491, 189, and 190 visas.
- The reforms do not lower the minimum 65‑point threshold; invitations will still be managed by the government, which can adjust the number of invitations per occupation.
These measures are expected to influence individual migration decisions and affect sectors that rely on overseas labour.
Source article: www.peakmigration.com.au
