Australia’s smoother path to permanent residence for skilled workers
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Australia is taking significant steps to streamline the pathway to permanent residence (PR) for temporary skilled workers, ensuring that skilled workers have a clear route to PR, making it more accessible and straightforward.
Key changes
The Department of Home Affairs is actively working on these changes, which will impact two major visa categories:
Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa (subclass 482): The government aims to expand and improve the PR pathway for temporary skilled workers, making it more efficient and practical.
Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream of the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) (subclass 186) and Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) (subclass 187) visa subclasses: The government is introducing modifications to simplify the PR process in these streams.
These changes are expected to come into effect on November 25, 2023, pending regulatory approvals.
Why the changes?
The motivation behind these changes is to address the limitations in the current pathways to PR for temporary skilled visa holders. These limitations have led to a growing number of individuals labelled as 'permanently temporary' visa holders in Australia. To attract and retain the skilled workers Australia needs, the government aims to create clear and accessible PR pathways for all TSS visa streams. This initiative not only provides greater assurance for employers and TSS visa holders but also streamlines the nomination process.
These changes represent the first phase of a broader plan to offer more equitable access to PR for all TSS visa holders. The government will continue working on additional reforms to the skilled visa programs, building on the development of the outline of the Migration Strategy and in response to the Review of the Migration System in 2023.
Who will be affected?
The changes to the TSS visa will apply to new applications submitted on or after November 25, 2023. Similarly, modifications to the Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream nomination requirements will apply to new ENS/RSMS nomination applications and any pending applications as of the same date.
It's important to note that while these changes increase access to PR for temporary skilled workers, the overall migration program planning levels will remain consistent.
In conclusion, Australia is actively working towards providing a more straightforward and accessible path to permanent residence for skilled workers. These changes, scheduled for November 25, 2023, are part of a broader effort to improve the immigration system and create opportunities for a diverse range of skilled workers.
