The Australian Federal Government has unveiled a forward-looking 10-year migration strategy aimed at addressing significant challenges and making essential changes in response to the evolving landscape post-COVID-19.
Key Components of the Migration Strategy
Reforming Visa Streams
The introduction of a new ‘Skills in Demand’ visa to supersede the existing Temporary Skill Shortage Visa is a major highlight of the migration strategy. This revamped visa will encompass three streams—’Specialist Skills’, ‘Core Skills’, and ‘Essential Skills’, tailored to match the economy’s shifting needs across various employment sectors. Under this visa, holders can count their employment period toward eligibility for permanent residency, promoting flexibility and preventing worker exploitation commonly associated with being tied to a single employer for an extended period.
Employment Flexibility and Visa Holder Rights
The migration strategy aims to empower visa holders by allowing them up to 180 days to find new employment without risking visa cancellation, a significant increase from the current 60-day allowance. This change is designed to give visa holders more flexibility and security in the job market.
Shift in Cost Management for Employers
Exploration of potential incremental payment models post-employment commencement is another aspect of the Forward-Looking 10 Year migration strategy. This approach aims to ease the financial burden on employers who sponsor temporary visa holders, making it more feasible for businesses to hire skilled migrants.
Reforming Education Visa
Acknowledging misuse of the student visa system, the Government plans to overhaul the current program under the Forward-Looking 10 Year migration strategy. This includes raising English language proficiency requirements for both student and graduate visas, with proposed increases to IELTS 6.5 and 6.0 respectively.
Additionally, the ‘Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE)‘ requirement will be replaced with a ‘Genuine Student’ mandate to ensure applicants showcase how their chosen courses align with their career prospects.
The strategy also seeks to prevent ‘visa hopping’ among graduate visa holders and imposes age limitations (up to 35) to attract early-career professionals for sustained economic contributions.
Combatting Worker Exploitation
A critical component of the migration strategy is focusing on curbing worker exploitation by employers through enhanced penalties, public transparency, and stricter compliance checks for sponsored workers. This includes establishing higher standards for employers to become sponsors and introducing a public register of approved sponsors for transparency and authenticity verification.
The strategy also explores avenues for monitoring migrant payments through the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) to prevent exploitation.
Migration Program Evolution and Impact
The migration strategy reflects a transformative shift in the migration program, emphasizing skill alignment, preventing exploitation, and ensuring a more robust and equitable migration landscape. These measures aim to address issues of ‘permanent visa temporariness,’ misuse of student visas, and worker exploitation.
The Australian Federal Government’s forward-looking 10-year migration strategy represents a comprehensive approach to addressing the challenges and opportunities in the post-COVID-19 era. By focusing on reforming visa streams, enhancing employment flexibility, and combatting worker exploitation, the strategy aims to create a more equitable and sustainable migration system.
You can read the full strategy here: Marketing Strategy.
For personalised advice on how these changes might impact you, contact us for guidance.
