The Department of Home Affairs announced the following changes to the Migration Program:
- The Migration Program ceiling for 2019-2020 has been reduced to 160,000 (https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/what-we-do/migration-program-planning-levels)
- Two new skilled regional provisional visas will be introduced in November 2019.
- Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa will have approximately 700 eligible occupations
- Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa will have over 500 eligible occupations
A new permanent visa pathway will be introduced for holders of the above visas in November 2022 (https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/what-we-do/skilled-migration-program/skilled-visa-newsletters)
Other Changes
On 1 March 2019 the Department announced that sponsorship applications for the five year Subclass 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa will be open from 17 April 2019. Applications for visas are intended to open on 1 July 2019. More information can be found at: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/bringing-someone/bringing-partner-or-family/five-year-temporary-sponsored-parents-visa
On 10 December 2018 the Migration Amendment (Family Violence and Other Measures) Act 2018 received Royal Assent. This Act establishes a sponsorship framework for the sponsorship family visa program. We expect that they will eventually apply this to partner visas and parent visas. However, at this stage it is only relevant for Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visas. If you are looking to lodge an onshore partner visa (820/801) in the foreseeable future, please contact us to discuss whether the impending changes are likely to affect you.