Following the change of government resulting from the federal election on 21 May 2022, it seems likely there will be changes to visa programs, visa requirements, as well as visa application charges.
This could be the best time, therefore, to apply for your Australian visa or Australian citizenship before changes come into effect, possibly making the application process more expensive or even affecting your potential eligibility for an Australian visa or Australian citizenship.
Changes that may be made to visa programs could include employer sponsored visas, visas for regional Australia, skilled migration visas, student visas, parent visas, or business and investment visas.
For example, the age requirements or minimum income levels could be amended for employer sponsored visas. Other potential changes could be made to the visa application charge payable by parent visa applicants or required assets and investment amounts for business and investment visas.
Capping and queuing arrangements might also be implemented for certain visas.
Moreover, there are flagged changes to the partner visa program that would entail a more onerous application process. It is anticipated that the government will first assess whether or not to approve the Australian partner as a sponsor before an application can be made for the partner visa. The changes may result in stricter eligibility requirements and possibly a prolonged application process for both onshore and offshore applicants.
New partner visa applicants and permanent resident sponsors are likely to be required to provide evidence of functional level English or demonstrate that they have made reasonable efforts to learn English. These changes may also result in potentially higher costs.
It is worth noting that the policy of States and Territories may also be amended with regard to nomination criteria as well as occupations that are available to be sponsored for skilled nominated visas.
We continuously monitor the legal and policy environment pertaining to Australian visas and citizenship and can provide advice on changes that may be implemented by the government, including if or when the abovementioned possible changes come into effect.
Please reach out to us for information about migration to Australia, visa requirements, and a confidential discussion regarding your eligibility for temporary or permanent residence or Australian citizenship.
At The Migration Place, our experienced Migration Lawyers have a strong record of achieving favourable visa outcomes for our clients including with respect to applications that involve complex issues.
The Migration Place is a division of Irish Bentley Lawyers, based in Brisbane, Australia. We are lawyers, which gives you peace of mind knowing that you are dealing with highly trained legal professionals assisting with your migration matter. This also means that we can provide legal services beyond your visa application.
We pride ourselves on our diligent work ethics, as well as thorough and conscientious work, which enables us to achieve positive outcomes for our clients, meaning that you can take comfort in knowing that your application will be handled professionally with a view of achieving maximum prospects of success.