Australia Adds 35,000 New Spots to Its Migration Program!

The Australian government announced on Friday, September 2, that it will immediately increase the 2022–23 Migration Program intakes by 35,000 slots to 195,000.

At the Jobs and Skills Summit on September 1 and 2, several resolutions were issued in addition to that one.

The Summit, which brought together corporations, unions, and industry to confront common economic concerns, was organized to reach a consensus on measures that would help create a stronger economy and a stronger Australia.

We’ll list all the initiatives and plans the Australian government did in relation to immigration in the sections that follow

The Jobs and Skills Summit’s immediate actions

During its Jobs and Skills Summit, the Australian Government pledged to taking steps to develop a larger, better-trained, and more productive workforce. Priorities for additional work and upcoming action were also established at the summit.

To address skill shortages and fortify the migration system, the government promised to take the following immediate initiatives in the area of immigration:

In 2022–2023, the permanent migration planning level will rise to 195,000, which will aid in addressing the severe, global skills shortage.

committing an additional $36.1 million to speed up visa processing and clear the backlog.

To boost Australia’s pipeline of qualified workers, the post-study work rights period should be extended by two more years for recent graduates with certain degrees in fields where there is a real skills shortage.

To aid with skill and labor shortages, extending the removal of employment restrictions for those with student and trainee visas until 30 June 2023

extending the National Housing Infrastructure Facility’s purview, adding AUD$575 million to the pool of funds available for investments in social and affordable housing. The money can be used to work with various levels of social housing and public housing providers, as well as to draw in private funding.

The areas in which the government has to work more

The Australian Government committed to evaluating Australia’s migration system’s purpose, structure, and aims in addition to the urgent changes decided upon during the Skills and Job Summit to make sure it can handle the demands of the ensuing ten years.

In addition, the government will advance work on:

Examine the viability of the lists of skilled occupations for immigration

For sponsored temporary skilled workers, widen the doors to permanent residence.

After engaging in discussions about fairly determining the income threshold and the adjustment process, raise the income threshold for temporary skilled migration.

After consulting with unions and industry, change the current labor market testing procedure

During 2023, present a set of policies to address the exploitation of migrant workers.

Examine the possibility of skilled migration being sponsored by industry.

Include Jobs and Skills Australia’s assessments of skill shortages in determining the program’s priorities for skilled immigration.

Think about regional labor scarcity strategies and how to make it easier for small businesses to hire qualified immigrants.

Additionally, all governmental levels will collaborate to make sure that social services, housing, and infrastructure are effectively designed to fulfill the demands of a growing population.

In order to fight migrant worker exploitation, the Government has also committed to putting the Migrant Workers’ Taskforce’s recommendations into action.

To sum up

The Australian Government is committed to taking initiatives and developing long-term plans to strengthen the nation’s economy and labor market for the good of all Australians.

That entails tackling the skills gap and improving the immigration system.

The first phase involved raising the planning levels for the migration program by 35,000, bringing the total number of slots for the migration program year 2022–2023 to 195,00.