Over the past few years, the visa system has been under considerable scrutiny due to a sharp increase in demand. With the incoming new Government, what we have seen immediate action by speeding up visa processing time and offering new applications across a range of visas. The country has also implemented a number of changes to streamline immigration procedures.
On 7 December 2022, the Minister for Immigration gave a good speech to parliament where he outlined what they have done and what they aim to achieve.
Immigration minister Andrew Giles provided statistics, noting that the backlog of visas had decreased to 740,000 from million visa applications waiting to be processed.
“… fixing this mess everyone should be clear is an urgent task of this government. And I’m pleased to advise the backlog is now under 740,000. Because we have engaged more than 300 new staff working in roles supporting visa processing, more staff are being onboarded.”
The Immigration minister also made it clear that this won’t be an overnight success in clearing visa backlogs but he forecasted that by the end of the year, it would be down to 600,000.
“Now I’m going to be clear, we can’t clear this backlog overnight. But we are seeing results. We have seen 3.4 million visas processed since the first of June.”
“And we are on track to hit our target of 600,000 applications on hand by the end of the year, creating certainty for businesses and certainly for families because this government understands how important family connections are in our country where one in two Australians are born overseas or have a parent born overseas,” he said.
Mr. Giles also said they will replace Ministerial Direction 80 with a simpler system of prioritizing applications for family visas.
“Now since being elected, we’ve made a series of changes to make sure that loved ones can once again spend time together in this country in, our country.”
“We’ve streamlined processing policies whilst keeping integrity mechanisms in check. And we will replace ministerial direction 80, simplifying the prioritization system for family visa applications,” he said.
Previously, the government has also released a list of Skilled Visas that will be given priority in visa processing, it intends to offer more support to Australian businesses and encourage new investment.
The new list would give priority to applications for teaching and healthcare as well as offshore permanent and provisional applications. All other skilled visa applications outside of these regions will be evaluated according to the date they were submitted.
https://mirandamigration.com.au/updated-skilled-visa-processing-priorities/
For years, Australia has welcomed people from all over the world. And it’s kept this promise alive by creating a streamlined process for obtaining a visa. Hopefully, the changes and additions described above will help Australian clients who are looking to immigrate and make this country their home.
There can never be a perfect system, but the Department is doing everything it reasonably can to continually improve this important area of government administration.
We’re a team of Australian Migration Specialists who advise daily on visa applications and pathways to residency. Are you unsure of how to proceed? Visit our home page and make sure you book a consultation where we can answer any questions you might have directly relevant to your situation.
Please note that the above information is general and not exhaustive or specific to your case. We always advise that you first speak to a migration agent or lawyer before making any migration-related decision.
