The Federal Government plans to increase the skilled migration cap in Australia. It will expand the permanent migration cap by 35,000. Migrant workers and all the visa applicants have appreciated this step. Despite these efforts, there’re some concerns about visa backlogs and protections against workers exploitation.
Minister of Home Affairs, Clare O’Neil announced that Australia would raise the cap to 195,000 this fiscal year. The purpose is to address the skills shortages in Australia.
On the day 2 of the jobs and skills summit, Clare O’Neil stated:
This could mean thousands more nurses settling in the country this year, thousands more engineers.
For the first time in our history, Australia is not the destination of choice for many of our skilled migrants.
She added:
Those best and brightest minds, who are on the move around the world, they are looking to live in countries like Canada, Germany and UK, and those countries are rolling out a red carpet to welcome them in.
The government has also announced that Australia’s immigration system will be reviewed.
So, let’s dig into the news to find out the feedback from visa applicants on this!
Feedback from an Electrical Engineer from China!
Zhang Wenjun is a 35 year old electrical engineer in the field of renewable energy in China. He applied for his visa in 2019.
According to him:
I think the increase in immigration quota is definitely good news, which shows that the new government understands the great importance of skilled immigrants.
He said renewable energy was in high demand in Australia. He worked in China’s solar and wind power industries for more than 10 years.
He said:
An Australian company told me last year that they would hire me if I had a proper visa.
Zhang hopes the government will prioritize processing visas under the new policy.
As he given his statement:
The three-year waiting period is quite long.
We have never received any contact from the case officer, making us very frustrated and disappointed.
Skilled Migration Cap – Feedback from Indonesia!
Isak Siagian from Indonesia switched from a Working Holiday Visa to a Student Visa after 3 years. He supported the increase in the skilled migration cap. However, he had some concerns.
According to him:
If the process is just going to be same, including collecting points, then it’s just going to be hard to get.
According to the Australian immigration point system, visa applicants receive certain points for their English proficiency, age, Australian and foreign experience, and other factors.
Mr. Isak Siagian said:
It may also not as easy as it’s said because we have to go through another skill assessment by the industry bodies.
Additionally, he mentioned that long visa processing times were making the situation worse.
He said:
So why doesn’t the government consider us, who were already here under the WHV program, to make it easy getting a proper working visa.
We already have those Australian skills so maybe the government can help us to stay and work instead of making us switch to other visas when it has expired.
Julie Williams on Skilled Migration Cap!
Julie Williams, national president of the Migration Institute of Australia, told the ABC that organization was pleased with the changes. She believed that it’ll provide a sense of security to workers if they move to skilled permanent pathways from temporary pathways. In addition, it will be a source of stability for employers.
She stated:
This is overdue as various sectors and industries are crying out for skilled workers to boost business activities.
It was pleasing to her that the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold of Government was also under review.
As she explained:
That will help to limit the exploitation of migration workers by making certain they are being employed and paid comparable to an Australian employee.
The Migrant Workers Centre also welcomed the increased skilled migration cap. Despite that, it expressed a wish for better visa processes and improved protections for all migrants.
The head of Migrant Workers Centre, Matt Kunkel said:
All workers must feel confident to raise issues of workplace exploitation.
Whistleblower protections are essential to ensure migrants are not forced to choose between defending their workplace rights and their ability to remain in the country.
Our migration system is more than just adjusting intake numbers. We must centre and support the people coming to our shores and provide the certainty to build their lives and be full partners in our communities.
Watch this Video!
Australian Immigration Latest News 2022 | Seats Allocation for General Skilled Migration 2022-2023
Backlogs May Increase!
A Chinese mental health carer has worked in a care home in Melbourne since April 2021. In her opinion, raising the skilled immigration cap is a wise step. She was also concerned that the policy would delay people’s visa approvals.
She said:
There are so many backlogs of visa assessments now.
I don’t think it can be solved well by increasing the cap. If more people apply for visas there may be more backlogs.
She said she knew nursing students who received their visas very quickly. Some had been waiting for a long time without any progress.
She added:
Although the cap increase is good, we still hope that the efficiency of visa assessment can be improved.
Skilled Migration Cap – Final Words!
An increase to 195,000 skilled migrants has been announced by the Australian Government. Anthony Albanese believes Australia needs to shift its focus from temporary labor to permanent migrants. Many international visa applicants have responded to this decision.
If you want to know more about skilled migration cap, you can book a consultation with us!
Related Articles!
- NSW Skilled Migration Update for 2022-23 Program!
- Tasmania Skilled Migration Program – Latest Updates 2022!
- Victoria’s Skilled Migration Program – Latest Updates of August 11, 2022!
I’m Nasir Nawaz. I’m a registered migration consultant in Australia. I am based in Sydney. I’ve studied Master of Laws at the University of New South Wales. I’m providing immigration services for several years.
Consult with me for legal advice on Australian visas to permanently live, study, and work in Australia.
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Nasir Nawazhttps://themigration.com.au/staging/author/ehsanthemigration-com-au/
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Nasir Nawazhttps://themigration.com.au/staging/author/ehsanthemigration-com-au/
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Nasir Nawazhttps://themigration.com.au/staging/author/ehsanthemigration-com-au/
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Nasir Nawazhttps://themigration.com.au/staging/author/ehsanthemigration-com-au/
