Breaking: Get Your Skilled Visa of Australia in Just 7 Days

The government plans to speed up the process for people applying for a new skilled visa in Australia. They want to make the country more appealing to IT professionals. The goal is to finish reviewing applications within just 7 days. This is part of some big changes to how people move to Australia.

If you’re coming to work in a job that pays at least $135,000 per year, your application will get special treatment. This is called the ‘specialist skills pathway’ in the new Skills in Demand visa. This pathway makes it easier for you to become a permanent resident.

The government calls this a “streamlined approach.” It means they want to quickly and easily bring in highly skilled specialists. This is to help Australia get the top talent it needs in areas where there is a demand for skilled workers. This is all part of the Migration Strategy, and many people have been waiting for these changes for a long time.

The government believes that by speeding up the visa application process to just 7 days, they can attract highly skilled workers to Australia. These workers might include engineering managers developing electrolyzers for our move to a net-zero economy, cyber specialists helping banks deal with cyber attacks, and software engineers contributing to Australia’s artificial intelligence advancements.

Australia Easing Migration and Ensuring Fair Opportunities for Skilled Workers

The goal is to make Australia more appealing for these in-demand professionals. The government acknowledges that long processing times in the past may have discouraged skilled workers from choosing Australia for their next career move.

Workers can enter the streamlined pathway for any job except trades, machinery operation, and labor. They need to earn at least $135,000, a figure that will be adjusted each year. Their earnings must also be comparable to what Australian workers in the same occupation make.

According to Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil, these changes in the migration strategy aim to make migration work well for everyone in Australia.

The strategy is designed to bring in the skills that Australia needs, especially in healthcare, for our shift to a net-zero economy, and in our digital economy, according to Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil. She emphasized the need to prevent the exploitation of migrant workers, aiming to safeguard wages and conditions for both migrants and locals.

However, opposition spokesperson Dan Tehan criticized the government, claiming that it is allowing a surge in immigration at a time when Australians are facing housing shortages and a rental crisis. Tehan also expressed concern that the government is neglecting the needs of regional Australia.

Reforms in the Australian Migration System

In addition to the new Skills in Demand visa and faster application processes, the government is taking steps to prevent worker exploitation by making it simpler for migrants to change employers. They plan to establish a public register of approved temporary migrant sponsors to facilitate finding new employers.

Jobs and Skills Australia will have a more defined role in ensuring that migration effectively addresses skills shortages. This involves using an evidence-based approach to identify the needs of the labor market, to make the process more streamlined.

To enhance the quality of international students, there will be an increase in English language requirements, and there will be closer scrutiny of international education providers.

Outgoing ACS CEO Chris Vein expressed that the strategy’s focus on reshaping permanent skilled migration for long-term prosperity and targeting temporary skilled migration to address workforce shortages aligns with the organization’s policies.

The efforts to establish a ‘skills in demand’ visa category, along with specialist and core skills pathways, are praised as positive steps towards making Australia more appealing to global talent. According to a statement, these moves are seen as welcoming in the effort to attract skilled professionals from around the world.

Streamlined Processes to Attract Global IT Talent

The Tech Council of Australia, an industry group, also expressed their approval of the new strategy. They believe that the reduction in bureaucratic hurdles and faster processing times will simplify the process for businesses seeking to hire individuals with crucial IT skills. Comparing Australia to countries like Canada and the UK, Tech Council CEO Kate Pounder highlighted the advantage these nations have with 5-10 day service standards and clearer paths to permanent residency.

Pounder stated that Australia was at a disadvantage globally in attracting top talent, but with these changes, Australia is now considered on par with any nation in attracting skilled workers in high demand.

Since taking office in 2022, the government has been vocal about addressing issues in Australia’s migration system. This system had faced an $875 million budget shortfall, and visa approval wait times had been extended to 15 months due to a substantial backlog of applications.

Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil shared that her department has taken steps to prioritize 60,000 skilled migrant applications, aiming to clear the existing backlog. This effort is part of a broader plan for a significant overhaul of the migration system. The initial set of changes, which included visa extensions for international IT graduates, became effective on July 1 of this year.

Strategies for Fair Skills Assessment and Local Worker Opportunities

However, the Labor government is currently facing a political challenge as high levels of migration have become a focal point of public discussion amid concerns about the high cost of living.

Liam O’Brien, the Assistant Secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), expressed support for the strategy’s approach of using evidence to assess skills shortages. He pointed out that employers have often claimed a ‘skills shortage’ to bring in temporary migrant labor inexpensively, avoiding their responsibility to train and provide opportunities for local workers. The union welcomes measures to address this issue.