AIDE

Global talent migrants cut, skilled migrants up as calls grow for reform

2022-02-28 14:45:38

More employer-sponsored migrants and those destined for regional areas will be brought into the country under the federal government’s skilled visa program amid calls for it to overhaul the system to deliver billions of extra dollars to the budget.

While boosting employer-linked visas, the overall number of skilled migrants will remain the same with the government cutting the number of people on its global talent and business investment schemes as businesses continue to raise concerns about a shortage of skilled workers.

Employer sponsored visas will be lifted to 23,500 from 22,000, the regional visa will be expanded by 17 per cent to 13,150 positions while an extra thousand will be available through the skilled independent visa.

The number of business innovation visas almost doubled from 6862 in 2019-20 to 13,500 for this financial year. But it will be cut to 11,000 in 2021-22 and follows a review in recent months.

The global talent category, which had 15,000 places this year, will be sliced by more than a quarter to 11,000.

These changes to the various skilled visa programs are being made as the country faces its biggest net exodus of people since World War I. Net overseas migration is expected to be minus 96,600 this financial year with another 77,400 net departures in 2020-21.

A “normal” level of migration is not expected until 2024-25.

Immigration Minister Alex Hawke said he was able to vary the make-up of the skilled migration scheme to deal with economic issues.

“This flexibility allows recalibration of the composition of skilled visa places in response to health, border and economic conditions arising from the pandemic and it ensures Australia’s migration program supports our planning for the safe reopening of Australian borders to international travel,” he said.

Source:https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/global-talent-migrants-cut-skilled-migrants-up-as-calls-grow-for-reform-20210528-p57w0c.html

In the previous：Skills Assessing Authorities - Subclass 186 Visas - Changes for several occupations The next article：2021 VCE examination timetable

BACK

爱德教育