DIAC Break Silence Over Sept Changes

Australian High Commission in London was to be a focus of the protests.

Finally some news of hope for all those affected by the September 23 changes to priority processing of Australian visas.

Members of the forum Poms in Oz met with David Wilden, the Minister-Counsellor for Immigration of the Australian High Commission in London to outline their fears and voice opinions of all those affected by the changes.

The September 23 changes meant that those applying for state sponsored visas, including those already in the process, were told that they no longer qualified for priority processing and may have to wait a further three to four years for their visas to be finalised.

Many visa applicants were furious as a large number of them had paid thousands of pounds, been allocated case officers and sold their houses in anticipation of receiving their visas within months.

Five representatives from Poms in Oz were finally granted an audience with Mr Wilden after a protest was planned outside the Australian High Commission.

Mr Wilden told the five that all applications from Categories 1 to 4 were now under control. For Category 5 applicants, he estimated that there were around 3,500 applications where the occupation was not on the Critical Skills List (CSL) but who had received state sponsorship. These applications, he assured the five, were now beginning to be processed.

The applications would be processed in order of the dates they were lodged. A first come, first served basis.

Mr Wilder said that the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) would not say how long the processing would take, as applications which come under the CSL would still have to be processed as a priority, but it is thought that applicants will not now have to wait as long as previously thought.

No doubt the government are trying to smooth over the bad press it has received both in Australia and the UK over the controversial changes in which applicants were also told that no refunds would be issued should they withdraw their applications.

The news, whilst not offering anything definite, does seem to hold a glimmer of hope for state sponsorship applicants. Potential migrants to Australia are now hoping for more good news when the DIAC reveals the new Future Skills List later this month.

For members reactions to the news and to debate this topic yourself, please have a look in our Australian Forum.

Love Australia? Let us keep you informed...

• Join the Embrace Australia community today. Have your questions answered by our experts, start your own blog, get vital migration information and gain valuable insight from those who have already made the journey.
• Subscribe to our RSS Feed and have all our daily news and features delivered straight to your news reader.
• Join our mailing list -