Australian Visa opportunities and changes for 2023

If you want to move to Australia, 2023 is off to a good start. This year, the Labor Administration made a number of reforms to Australia's immigration procedures. For an Australian work visa, contact Swis Immigration. Here are the top 10 chances and modifications to Australian visas for 2023.

1. A new Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV) program that offers up to 3,000 spots to eligible immigrants from Pacific Island nations and Timor Leste

A new visa will be introduced in July 2023, offering up to 3,000 spots for qualified immigrants from the Pacific region and Timor Leste. The new visa will encourage Pacific people to migrate permanently to Australia and strengthen the Pacific family. For a work visa in Australia, you can click here. Here is an overview of what we now know:

- Voting will be used to choose the applicants.

- Candidates must be between the ages of 18 and 45.

- Applicants must have a documented work offer in Australia, and they may include their partners and legally dependent children in their application.

- Candidates must adhere to the requirements for health, character, language, and English.

- Further program settings and details, including voting and visa eligibility restrictions, will be informed by government consultations.

- Prior to July 2023, more details on the visa application process will be made public.

2. The "6-month employment limitation" imposed by clause 8547 of the Working Holiday Maker Visa has been relaxed until 30 June 2023.

The Department has announced an extension of the temporary easing of the "6-month work limitation" condition, which was originally set to expire on December 31, 2022. This basically means that Working Holidays are allowed to work for any one employer throughout the life of their visa without having to ask permission and any work done prior to July 1, 2023, will not be included in the six-month limitation period. Working in Australia is an amazing opportunity for all professionals.

This means that starting on July 1, 2023, WHMs may continue working for any employer for up to an extra six months, even if they did so previously. Anyone in Australia with a WHM visa of any sort, regardless of when they come, or a Bridging visa with condition 8547 imposed is subject to this.

3. Special treatment for some eligible New Zealanders

Priority processing of Skilled Independent (subclass 189) visa applications in the New Zealand stream will be given to New Zealanders living in Australia. An Australian working visa is the right option for you. For applications that are still pending, the following requirements have been eliminated:

Health-related PIC 4007 Taxable Income Threshold

Until July 1, 2023, the New Zealand feed will likewise be unavailable. This means that from 10 December 2022 to 1 July 2023, no new applications may be submitted. The processing of the current New Zealand stream caseload will be given priority by the Department of Home Affairs at this time. Future alternatives for New Zealanders living in Australia will also be taken into account. 

These choices will be created in a way that better captures the close relationships between Australia and New Zealand. If New Zealand stream visas are granted in the 2022–23 program year, visa holders will have quicker access to the advantages of permanent residency, including immediate eligibility for the National Disability Insurance Scheme and automatic citizenship acquisition for their Australian-born children at birth. Additionally, starting on January 1, 2023, persons who receive a category 189 visa under the New Zealand stream will have a quicker route to citizenship in Australia.

4. Priority processing for educators and healthcare professionals

Directions 96 and 97, which from April 2022 determined the order of priority for certain skilled and employer-sponsored visas, are revoked by the new Ministerial Direction 100. In order to ensure the proper allocation of resources for examining and deciding on applications, and that particular cohorts of applications are given priority, the order of consideration for applications is stated in this Direction. The Australian government has changed the order in which it prioritizes applications for skilled visas, placing healthcare and educational professionals at the top of the list.

In conclusion, the Directive specifies the priority order in which skilled visa applications are processed:

- applications for visas related to the fields of medicine or education 

- Visa requests in all fields where the applicant is put forth by an accredited sponsor with approved status are accepted for employer-sponsored visas.

- applications for visas related to jobs that must be performed in a specific region

Applications for visas that count toward the migration programme, excluding the Subclass 188 (Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional)) visa, are accepted for both permanent and provisional visa subclasses. Priority will be given to people with valid passports in all categories. Priority is given to visa applicants outside of Australia for both temporary and permanent skilled visas within each individual category.

5. Relaxed requirements for visas sponsored by the NSW state

Due to the expanded accessibility of the Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) by the Department of Home Affairs, previously released points scores and work experience guides for the NSW nominated Skilled nominated visa (subclass 190) have been withdrawn.

The NSW government published its skills list in September 2022 and added additional specifications for subclasses 190 and 491 in terms of minimum point totals and years of work experience. These prerequisites for the category 190 visa have now been dropped by NSW. You must now possess skills in a profession that both: Appear within an ANZSCO unit group identified on the NSW Skills List (see here) and is qualified for the relevant visa in order to be eligible for NSW nomination. It's important to note that not all ANZSCO unit group vocations qualify for the particular visa.

6. There is no longer a cap on partner and kid visas.

In order to encourage family reunions, partner and child visas will be issued for the years 2022–2023 based on demand. This indicates that there is no cap on the quantity of these visas that can be given. This fiscal year, the Department of Home Affairs anticipates issuing about 40,500 partner visas and 3,000 kid visas.

7. Work hours for student visas are presently lowered till 30 June 2023.

The limitations on student visa work hours have been temporarily eased until 30 June 2023 in an effort to solve labor shortages. All current students, as well as new student arrivals and secondary candidates, are permitted to work more than 40 hours per fortnight in any sector of the economy and to do so before the start of their course of study until June 30, 2023.

Employers must keep up with Australian workplace regulations. Importantly, international students and workers have equal rights under Australian labor laws. The Department of Home Affairs and the Australian Border Force will: exercise their discretion under section 116(1)(b) of the Migration Act 1958 whilst these temporary restrictions are in place. This is to prevent the cancellation of student visas for those who work more than 40 hours a week to support your organization, as well as to prevent the investigation of student visa holders for any potential violations of Section 235 of the Migration Act of 1958. 

As an employer, you may be referred for investigation of any potential offense under Section 245AC of the Migration Act 1958 due to the hours a student visa holder worked in violation of the terms of their visa. Allowing a person with a student visa to work in violation of their visa may be related to this. Working in Australia could be very well executed with Swis Immigration.

8. Increase the number of slots for the permanent migration program in 2022–2023 from 160,00 to 196,000.

The planning level for the 2022–23 permanent migration program would rise from 160,000 to 195,000 slots, the Australian government said on September 2, 2022. This opens the door to an additional 35,000 migrants, who will increase the economy's capacity for production and fill skill gaps in the labor market. The permanent migration program for 2022–2023 is made up of the following:

- Skill: 142,000 positions

- Family: 52,500 spots

- 100 Special Eligibility spots

At the Jobs and Skills Summit, Minister O'Neil reaffirmed that "immigration is one of the major levers we have to propel our country ahead, and it is rapid and powerful." The Minister has also named three distinguished individuals to lead a review of Australia's immigration system. Early in 2023, the three reviewers are expected to provide a report outlining their thorough analysis of Australia's immigration system.

9. Indian citizens now have more visa and job options

On December 29, 2022, the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (AIECTA) went into effect. In accordance with promises established in earlier free trade agreements and the terms of the current visa, Australia has undertaken to provide India with mobility outcomes.

In conclusion, the AIECTA's migration results include:

- Each year, Indian nationals between the ages of 18 and 31 are granted 1,000 Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visas.

- The long-standing commercial relationship between Australia and India has reached a crucial turning point with the AIECTA.

10. For some skilled visas, IELTS One Skill Retake will be allowed

For visas relating to study or employment in Australia, English language requirements are typically applicable. Depending on the visa subclass for which the applicant is applying, a certain level of English is necessary. IELTS One Skill Retake is now available for some test participants as of December 14, 2022.

One Skill Retake is a new feature that the International English Testing System (IELTS), one of the recognized English language examinations for immigration, has created (OSR). If a test-taker needs to improve only in one of the four abilities, IELTS OSR enables them to retake that skill. 

In other words, candidates can now retake the Listening, Reading, Writing, or Speaking portions of the IELTS test. If test takers did not receive the necessary scores for migration, they had to retake the full test for all four modules. In early 2023, IELTS OSR will be made available at additional Australian test centers in addition to the IDP Melbourne test center.

The Department will accept IELTS test results that include OSR for Australian visa applications, with the exception of those for subclasses 476, 482, and 485. IELTS test scores from a single sitting or attempt are still required for these three subclasses. It is crucial to consult the Department's website to see which visa subclasses accept IELTS OSR for candidates.

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