NEW YEAR NEW RULES

So, fellow Globetrotters. The Department of Home Affairs has dropped the bomb and announced their Immigration Strategy for 2024, and while some of it sounds like a wild ride (aka a game-changing plan) do bear in mind that – at this stage – it’s just talk and no action. So do not, I repeat, do NOT panic just yet.

Skilled Temporary Visa – TSS, s/c 482

This visa is going to be replaced by a new three-tiered program: an essential, core and specialist skill tier. Details of each program are not yet known. The idea is that it will become easier for Australian employers to hire overseas workers in key sectors. Have we heard that before? Absolutely! Will it make a significant difference to the ever-growing red tape jungle? Probably not.

General Skilled Migration - Points Tests

Naturally, the points test is going to be reviewed too. Again! The new points test will be better suited to identify those candidates that are most likely to make a great contribution. And it will bring on faster outcomes (Now, stop laughing everyone!). How this is going to be achieved nobody knows yet, because the Department is yet to consult with specialists who can tell them how to achieve all of those shiny new results. Well, at least this government is consulting with specialists and doesn’t just ask the marketing guy!

Temporary Graduate Visas

Here are big changes ahead. In fact, this is one of the areas that sound already more thought through than some of the others. Strap yourselves in! Envisaged changes include to reduce the validity time, prevent visa holders to go back and forth between student and temporary graduate visas, increase English language levels, reduce the age limit and cut down on available occupations.

Student visas

Another area with big changes coming but rest assured: numbers will not be capped. However, there are still some changes that could make your life significantly more difficult. Highlights are: higher English language levels, limiting student visas to tertiary (University) courses, no more course hopping, and stricter entry requirements.

Global Talent and Business Skills

The Global Talent program has gotten too big and bloated and is starting a lot like a cheap and cheerful alternative pathway for candidates who cannot apply in the general skilled stream. This is going to stop. Instead, it will be more focused on a relatively small number of top-of-the-crop candidates who can make a significant contribution to Australia. Remember the ‘best and brightest’ slogan from the beginning? That’s where we’re heading back to.

Business/Investor Program

The current Business Innovation and Investment Program suffers from very similar ailments. So, for the future the Departments goal can be summarized with: Retail & hospitality = meh! Instead, we want key sectors that can drive innovation and productivity. What they are? We don’t know yet. That’s why we need them, because we have no clue what’s going on in the shiny new world of AI. So, until we can work out a more detailed plan… we pause the program! That’s right. For this financial year, there are no places in this program. So don’t bother applying.