Australia's immigration system is getting a makeover after a 186-page evaluation warned it is "not fit for purpose" and exposes temporary workers to exploitation. Two statements were made in response to it by the minister of home affairs, Clare O'Neil, and other announcements were included in the federal budget, which was released on May 9 and included money to speed up visa processing as well as an increase in application fees. Later, the government said that Australia's reciprocal working holiday scheme with the UK would be growing.
What adjustments to visa policies have already been made for 2023–2024?
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New Zealanders' path to citizenship
New Zealanders who have lived in Australia for four years or longer will be qualified to apply immediately for Australian citizenship starting on July 1, 2023 (the beginning of the Australian fiscal year). They won't have to wait to apply for and receive a permanent visa. New Zealand nationals who entered after February 26, 2001 and have a Special Category (subclass 444) visa (SCV) are affected by the changes. Long-term residents will be eligible to have their period of permanent residence retroactively applied to them. The New Zealand stream of the Skilled Independent (subclass 189) visa is currently closed to new applications and will permanently close on 1 July.
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New visa for migrants from Pacific
A new visa will be made available, offering 3,000 spots for qualified immigrants from the Pacific region and Timor Leste. Each year, ballots will be used to assign spots for the Pacific Engagement visa (PEV), and those chosen will be eligible to seek for permanent residency in Australia. From July, applications can be submitted online.
Work restrictions on student visas were loosened throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and then eliminated in January of last year in an effort to solve labor shortages. This let those with primary and secondary student visas to work more than the typical 40 hours per two weeks. However, starting on July 1, the time limit for student visa labor will climb to 48 hours every two weeks. The federal budget, which Treasurer Jim Chalmers presented, confirmed this by stating that overseas students employed in the elderly care industry will be exempt from the cap until December 31, 2023.
Also from this date, some holders of subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visas will be able to stay in Australia for a longer period. The extension results in a stay duration of four years (up from two years) for bachelor's degree graduates, five years (up from three), and six years (up from four) for master's degree graduates.
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Changes to the Australia-UK working holiday program
In light of the Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement (A-UKFTA), which went into effect on May 31, the government stated on May 31 that the maximum age for Australians traveling to the UK on working vacation visas would increase. Those who are eligible for the UK's Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) must be between the ages of 18 and 30 inclusive, including Australian citizens. The free trade agreement will increase this age restriction by five years, to 35, as of January 31, 2024.
Under the YMS, Australians between the ages of 18 and 35 will also be given the option to extend their working holiday from two to three years. From 1 July 2023, the age limit for UK citizens applying for working holidays in Australia will also rise to 35.
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Changes for Working Holiday Makers
On July 1, a provision that allowed Working Holiday Makers (WHMs) to continue working for the same company or organization after six months without obtaining permission would likewise come to an end. In order to solve labor shortages during the epidemic, the six-month employment restriction was temporarily removed in January 2022. The six-month limitation period will not apply to any work completed prior to July 1. As a result, WHMs may continue to work with any employer for up to an additional six months, even if their employment began before to July 1.