There is no proficiency test or language requirement for family migration as there is for skilled migrants, but applicants must meet the necessary health and character requirements. Although the figures of the migration programme are at similar levels as twenty or thirty years ago, the approach is now very different. It has been argued that the main determinant of migration policy since the 1980s has been to focus on migrant labour market outcomes.
Unlike permanent migration, temporary migration is not subject to government-set limits, but fluctuates depending on demand levels, both from those wishing to enter Australia on a temporary basis and from employers seeking to sponsor temporary workers. For example, the decline of 457 visas between 2007-08 and 2007-09 has largely been attributed to the GFC, leading to a decline in demand for temporary workers in the Australian labour market. These reforms were the result of a review of permanent skilled migration to Australia from Bangladesh, skilled migration by the Rudd government for 2008-09 in the wake of the economic challenges posed by the GFC. The evaluation identified the need for a shift of focus from independent “supply-driven” skilled migration to “demand-driven” outcomes, in the form of employer- and government-sponsored skilled migration. The aim is to enable the programme to better focus on the skills needed in the economy and to ensure that skilled migrants are employed in industries that are most in need.
The criteria for a visa application include requirements “at the time of submission”, “at the time of the decision” or a combination of both. Visa applications may be rejected if an applicant does not demonstrate at the appropriate time that they meet the criteria. All visa subclasses include the requirement to meet certain criteria of health, character and public interest.
Most applicants with temporary primary permits can easily obtain permanent residency in Australia. In addition, dependents on skilled sponsored workers with a permanent residence permit also enjoy unlimited labor rights. The country does not impose any restrictions on the number of visas offered to qualified professionals and other trained visitors. The Australian visa application process is highly structured and is based on laws, regulations, policies and legal instruments. The immigration service has a priority processing level where visa applications that provide the greatest benefit to the country are assessed faster than those with the least benefits.
The migration programme’s family flow provides for the migration of immediate family members of eligible Australian citizens, permanent residents or New Zealand citizens. Family members included under this stream include partners or fiancées, dependent children, parents, orphan relatives, elderly dependent relatives, and caregivers. Family migrants must be sponsored by an eligible Australian citizen, permanent resident or New Zealand citizen.
However, permanent visa holders who are already in Australia with an expired travel facility can stay in Australia indefinitely. New Zealand citizens can enter Australia to live and work indefinitely under the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement, without applying for a visa, but instead automatically receive a special category visa on arrival. Although they can stay without a time limit, SCV holders are not considered permanent residents and the SCV is a temporary visa. Since 2001, SCV holders who wish to become Australian citizens must first apply for and obtain a permanent visa under one of the migration programmes.
In 2009, following the global financial crisis, the Australian government lowered its immigration target by 14% and reduced the permanent migration programme for skilled migrants to 115,000 people for that financial year. In 2010-2011, the immigration permit was adjusted so that 67.5% of the permanent migration program would be for highly skilled migrants and 113,725 visas were granted. Recent policy changes in the skilled flow of the migration programme further highlight the relationship between the migration programme and the labour market needs of the Australian economy. In the wake of the GFC, australia’s migration programme was not only scaled back, but also reformed to ensure that migrants to Australia meet the specific needs of the economy and fill the gaps in the labour market where they currently exist. It remains to be seen whether these reforms will have the desired effect to fill the critical deficit in the Australian labour market, and whether temporary migration will serve to fill these needs.
The applicant cannot apply for permanent residence in the country without an assessment of his skills. Qualified nominated visa: This visa allows skilled workers who have been nominated to live and work in Australia as permanent residents. It enables nominated skilled workers to live anywhere in the nominated state/territory in Australia, work/study as permanent residents.
The NOM’s contribution to population growth has increased significantly in recent years, doubling since 2005-06, largely due to the growth of long-term temporary migration. This shift in policy focus is reflected in an important set of reforms, which will take effect on January 1, 2009, in which skilled employer-sponsored migrants have a higher processing priority than independent migrants. Priority processing has also been introduced for people with skills that are considered a critical shortage in Australia, such as medical professionals and some IT professionals, engineers and construction workers. This is intended to ensure that the skilled migration programme meets the areas with the greatest critical needs in the Australian labour market. Since the skilled migration flow has the largest number of places, this should be your option when applying for a PR visa. You’ll have better chances under this stream, as long as you meet the eligibility requirements and get the required points.