The Government today revealed Australia’s permanent migration intake would be reduced by 30,000 people as details of the new population policy were released. Under the policy changes, Australia’s annual permanent migration intake will be set at 160,000 places for the next four years, formally reducing the number of permanent residence visas available to migrants by 30,000 places each year.
The reduction aligns with the Government’s recent practices to reduce permanent migration figures and brings permanent migration planning levels close to recent levels of intake, as seen in last year’s figures when only 162,417 permanent residence visas were granted.
According to Immigration Minister, David Coleman, policy changes for 2019/20 will result in:
- An additional 3,000 placements for employer-sponsored permanent visas
- An additional 23,000 placements for regional skilled visas
Permanent migration | Australia’s new regional skilled visas
The Government will broaden the regional skilled migration program in 2019/20 by introducing new regional visas. Details are being finalised, however here’s a summary of what has been announced:
- It is anticipated the new visas will be provisional and require migrants to work for three years in regional areas before becoming eligible to apply for permanent residence. Applicants will have access to faster government processing and more options to migrate to Australia through an expanded list of eligible occupations.
- International students will also be incentivised to study regionally. 1,000 scholarships will become available to encourage both local and international students to study at regional universities, and international students that choose to study regionally may be able to access an extra year in Australia on their post-study work visa.
- Visa conditions will be imposed on a fixed number of General Skilled Migration Visa holders to settle in cities other than Sydney and Melbourne for a minimum of five years.
The changes align with the Government’s new population planning approach to spread the permanent migration distribution of migrants and prevent congestion in major capital cities after it was revealed 87 per cent of skilled migrants in 2017-18 had permanently settled in either Sydney or Melbourne. Discussions with migration intake levels for each state are still ongoing.
Interstaff | Over 30 years of visa experience since 1988
Our team of migration agents can help you understand the impact of the permanent migration intake reduction on your visa options. To find out your permanent migration options, or to discuss permanent residence options for your employees, we encourage you to contact our team of Registered Migration Agents on +61 8 9221 3388 (or National Free Call 1800 449 858) or [email protected]
Source:
Interstaff’s Registered Migration Agents
