In these challenging times, many visa applicants may be wondering how Government visa processing times have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Government has provided the Migration Institute of Australia (MIA) with an update on the status of skilled visas applied from offshore. Here’s a summary.
Skilled Visa Processing
- Government processing in various skilled programs is focused on applicants onshore in Australia as well as high-value critical workers who can support Australia’s COVID-19 response.
- The Government is otherwise monitoring migration and visa settings to ensure the migration program is flexible to the economic impacts of COVID-19 and does not displace job opportunities for Australians.
- Visa processing has been considerably impacted by the pandemic while the Government has had to relocate resources to supporting urgent travel by Australian Citizens, Permanent Residents and their immediate family, and critical workers.
- Delays have been experienced in offshore processing due to substantial global disruption and unavailability of key health/biometrics, English and police clearance assessment services abroad. This is also a factor for visa processing delays onshore.
What This Means for Visa Applicants | Australian Visa Processing COVID19 Period
The updates indicate the Government is assessing both the impact of COVID-19 on the Australian job market and Australia’s capability to respond to critical needs, and is considering whether policy settings, such as migration intake levels and legislation, will need to be adjusted accordingly.
In the interim, it is still possible to apply for an Australian visa from either overseas or onshore. If you are interested in doing so, we recommend that you apply without delay if eligible.
The Government is still processing visa applications, however delays are being experienced across the migration program.
Getting Advice
It can help to seek professional migration advice to understand your visa options.
Please get in touch if you have any visa or migration concerns – you can reach our Registered Migration Agents at [email protected] or +61 8 9221 3388 (or National Free Call 1800 449 858).
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