Insights
From early December last year to late January this year — less than two months — the government received a total of 559 budget-related submissions. Many think tanks may not have formally lodged a submission, but have put together carefully crafted reports with their recommendations.
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With borders reopening, the Department of Home Affairs has been clearing the backlog of visa applications from late 2019 to early 2020 over recent months. Our clients and community members have shared that during that period, both onshore and offshore Subclass 189/491/190 applicants received requests for further information, or completed their submissions and were subsequently granted.
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With less than a week until the 2022–23 federal budget announcement, a number of details are beginning to surface.
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Large numbers of onshore temporary residents gain 6/12-month visa extension opportunities. Australia introduced the Subclass 408 visa COVID-19 pandemic event stream during the pandemic, and eligibility was significantly broadened in recent months — meaning that essentially any temporary resident with employment onshore is eligible to apply for a Subclass 408 visa with full-time work rights: one year for those in critical industries, six months for other sectors.
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On 17 March, the Department of Home Affairs released a new employer-sponsored migration policy, fulfilling a previous commitment. In short, it opens a pathway for applicants with occupations on the short-term list to apply for Subclass 186 TRT (PR). Some Subclass 457 visa holders who do not meet the transitional requirements may also be eligible to apply for Subclass 186 TRT.
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Since Australia reopened its borders, many of our Malaysian friends have been applying for the Australian Subclass 601 ETA (Electronic Travel Authority) — the electronic travel authorisation widely discussed in the community. Previously, ETA approval rates were very high; out of ten applicants, nine would typically be granted a one-year visa, with only one being unsuccessful.
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Yesterday, at a public event, the Minister for Immigration — in addition to revealing news about next financial year’s PR quota (see: Minister Reveals: Skilled PR Quota Could Return to Two-Thirds Next Financial Year!? State Nomination Quota Increases — Core Logic Analysis!) — also stated that if the Coalition wins re-election in the May federal election, his first post-election priority would be to review the migration occupation list and add more occupations to the MLTSSL.
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After attending an event with the Minister for Immigration on 15 March, the CEO of the Migration Institute of Australia revealed details about the federal government's PR quota for the next financial year. The Minister said he cannot yet disclose the total number or the exact allocation breakdown for next financial year's migration quota (expected to be known after the 29 March budget announcement). He indicated it is unlikely that the total will return to pre-COVID levels, but the overall allocation could shift to two-thirds for skilled migration and one-third for family migration (this financial year has been roughly a 50/50 split, with the skilled stream only about 2,000 places ahead of family). Additionally, once the federal election is over, his top priority will be to review the migration occupation list and add more occupations to the MLTSSL.
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Millions battling for postgraduate places — 4.57 million applicants? On 11 March 2022, China's national postgraduate admission score lines were released. In 2022, the number of postgraduate applicants reached 4.57 million. Universities plan to enrol approximately 1.1 million students this year, meaning more than 3 million candidates will miss out — an admission rate of just 24%.
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It's that time of year again — 15 March and 21 March, the busiest week for migration agents. Why? Because these are the big renewal dates. For most students on a student visa, these are the exact expiry dates printed on their visa grant letters.
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