Australian Skilled Visa Changes Imminent

Overseas students are expected to lose out over the changes.

Reports coming in today suggest that changes to the skilled worker visas are imminent – and could spell disaster for many would-be immigrants to Australia.

The Age newspaper in Melbourne claim that around 20,000 Australian visa applicants will have their visa applications cancelled in a radical shake-up of the visa migration programme and an effort to reduce the backlog of applicants.

Those affected are expected to be applicants for Australian visas who lodged their migration claims before September 2007, although they will now be refunded their costs, at a huge expense to the tax-payer.

The most severe change will affect overseas students who will find the skilled list scrapped in favour of a more highly-skilled list. Previously students could study for courses such as hairdressing and then apply for permanent residency. This so-called “back door” scheme is expected to be scrapped in just one of many changes that are bound to incense overseas students who see this as the only way they can legitimately remain in Australia.

Overseas students who are not studying for an occupation on the skilled list could find themselves sent back to their home countries unless they are able to find employers who will sponsor them. However as a temporary respite the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) will grant students an extra 18 months to either change their courses or seek an employer.

Senator Chris Evans, the Australian Minister for Immigration, stated: “We’ve found that a lot of highly-skilled people with higher education degrees or a lot of overseas experience aren’t passing the points test where people with a lower-level qualification and some education in Australia were. So we want to make sure we’re getting the high-end applicants.”

The priority processing system is also said to undergo a reassessment and state governments are expected to be asked to develop their own migration plans. A limit will also be placed on the number of visas granted for a single occupation.

The long-awaited Future Skills List is also expected to be announced today or tomorrow and has the backing of the Australian Industry Group for favouring skilled occupations such as doctors and teachers instead of caterers and hairdressers.

The changes will not come into effect overnight however, the DIAC is expected to introduce a transitional arrangement until the changes can be fully implemented by the year 2012.

Senator Evans is expected to give a full speech today explaining the changes and acknowledging that the old system did not benefit states who had their own critical skills list. It remains to be seen if the new Future Skills List will fully incorporate the states needs as well as Australia’s economic needs as a whole. Senator Evans is expected to say that skilled migrants are still welcomed in Australia from a broad range of countries and to blame unscrupulous immigration agencies who took advantage of overseas students and gave them false promises and hopes about a permanent life in Australia.

Many visa applicants will now be waiting anxiously for the announcement expected within hours but where there may be relief and joy for some, there is bound to be heartache and disappointment for others.

Other related articles:

• Australian Students Fears Over Visa Changes - Australian immigration deny changes to visas will affect international students....
• Changes To Australian Skilled Migration As Predicted. - Australian immigration faces shake-up in changes to MODL and CSL....
• Responses to Australian Skilled Visa Changes - Responses from those involved in the Australian immigration changes....
• Australian Immigration Visa Changes Explained - Explanation of how the changes to the skilled Australian visas...

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