Australia’s New Migration Strategy
5 mins reading time
Earlier this week, the Federal Government announced a more detailed Migration Strategy and Action Plan. The 99-page document intends to make significant changes to Australia’s Migration system over the coming year. These reforms follow on from the suite of changes already announced throughout the second half of this year, including the increase of the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold, tighter compliance measures and providing more pathways for temporary residents currently in Australia to obtain permanent residence.
The Strategy intends to provide workers with stronger protections, businesses with the skills they require in the areas they are needed and an improvement of living standards for the Australian community. It focuses on 8 key areas including:
- Targeting temporary skilled migration to address skills needs and promote worker mobility
- Reshaping permanent skilled migration to drive long-term prosperity
- Strengthening the integrity and quality of international education
- Tackling worker exploitation and the misuse of the visa system
- Planning migration to get the right skills in the right places
- Tailoring regional visas and the Working Holiday Maker Program to support regional Australia and it’s workers
- Deepening our people-to-people ties in the Indo-Pacific
- Simplifying the migration system to improve the experience for migrants and employers.
Some of the key changes that are intended to benefit our clients include the introduction of a new Skills in Demand visa which will replace the current Temporary Skill Shortage visa and provide a three stream approach – Specialist Skills, Core Skills and Essential Skills with different occupation lists, income levels and faster processing.
Labour Market testing will be streamlined by removing the requirement to advertise on the Workforce Australia website. This is the one change that has already been made with the removal of this requirement on 14 December 2023.
Priority will be given to visas in regional areas and the government will work with stakeholders to determine population needs and skill requirements.
Significant changes have also been announced in the International student space, including an increase in the English requirement for admission, a reduction in age for the temporary graduate visa and the introduction of a genuine student test.
Most of the announcements made are only in the policy stage for now – Macpherson Kelley will run briefing sessions in the new year once the relevant legislation has been released.
We’re here to help
If you have any questions about the new Migration Strategy, the Employment, Safety and Migration team at Macpherson Kelley are well placed to assist. Please do not hesitate to contact us.
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Australia’s New Migration Strategy
Earlier this week, the Federal Government announced a more detailed Migration Strategy and Action Plan. The 99-page document intends to make significant changes to Australia’s Migration system over the coming year. These reforms follow on from the suite of changes already announced throughout the second half of this year, including the increase of the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold, tighter compliance measures and providing more pathways for temporary residents currently in Australia to obtain permanent residence.
The Strategy intends to provide workers with stronger protections, businesses with the skills they require in the areas they are needed and an improvement of living standards for the Australian community. It focuses on 8 key areas including:
- Targeting temporary skilled migration to address skills needs and promote worker mobility
- Reshaping permanent skilled migration to drive long-term prosperity
- Strengthening the integrity and quality of international education
- Tackling worker exploitation and the misuse of the visa system
- Planning migration to get the right skills in the right places
- Tailoring regional visas and the Working Holiday Maker Program to support regional Australia and it’s workers
- Deepening our people-to-people ties in the Indo-Pacific
- Simplifying the migration system to improve the experience for migrants and employers.
Some of the key changes that are intended to benefit our clients include the introduction of a new Skills in Demand visa which will replace the current Temporary Skill Shortage visa and provide a three stream approach – Specialist Skills, Core Skills and Essential Skills with different occupation lists, income levels and faster processing.
Labour Market testing will be streamlined by removing the requirement to advertise on the Workforce Australia website. This is the one change that has already been made with the removal of this requirement on 14 December 2023.
Priority will be given to visas in regional areas and the government will work with stakeholders to determine population needs and skill requirements.
Significant changes have also been announced in the International student space, including an increase in the English requirement for admission, a reduction in age for the temporary graduate visa and the introduction of a genuine student test.
Most of the announcements made are only in the policy stage for now – Macpherson Kelley will run briefing sessions in the new year once the relevant legislation has been released.
We’re here to help
If you have any questions about the new Migration Strategy, the Employment, Safety and Migration team at Macpherson Kelley are well placed to assist. Please do not hesitate to contact us.