Australia’s skilled migration intake is now 10,000 spots fewer due to the Government’s decision to merge a new skilled visa for New Zealanders with the existing skilled migration program without increasing the placements offered.
New Zealanders who are already living and working in Australia on a Subclass 444 Visa will now have access to the 44,000 places available to migrate to Australia permanently through the General Skilled Migration program.
The decision has been met with criticism as the merge effectively reduces Australia’s intake of skilled migrants from overseas without a formal submission being made through the Cabinet.
The Minister for the Department of Home Affairs, Peter Dutton reportedly claimed he had discussed reducing migration figures with the Cabinet, however Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull confirmed a formal submission was not received.
Australia’s migration intake has been controversially discussed in the media over the past week with The Australian newspaper reporting that Mr Dutton proposed cutting Australia’s annual migration intake from 190,000 to 170,000. However, Mr Turnbull later described the report as untrue.
With the impact of the effective visa merge decreasing the number of skilled visa placements available to overseas skilled migrants, we encourage those who are eligible to apply for a skilled permanent residence visa to do so without delay.
To understand if you are eligible for a skilled visa, contact our registered migration agents for a free visa assessment on (08) 9221 3388 or email visas@interstaff.com
Source: ABC News
