Australian immigration updates 1 july 2023
Upcoming Changes for Visa Holders from 1 July 2023
13 May 2023
From new eligibility criteria to fee adjustments, these changes might affect you directly if you hold a temporary skilled worker visa, are a New Zealand citizen, student visa holder, or a working holiday maker, and if your business employs people on the following visas.
If you are a temporary skilled worker (subclass 482) primary visa holder,
If you intend to apply for a further subclass 482 visa, your minimum salary offer must meet the increased Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) of $70,000(excl. superannuation) and the Annual Market Salary Rate (AMSR). Your application charges will increase by 6%.
If you intend to apply for a subclass 186 Permanent visa, your nomination application must also meet the TSMIT requirement and the AMSR. Your application charges will also increase by 6%.
Please note the above changes do not affect existing visa holders and nomination applications lodged before 1 July.
Before the end of 2023, if you are a temporary skilled worker as a subclass 482 primary visa holder in the short-term stream,
You may be eligible to apply for a PR visa under subclass 186 ENS Temporary Residence Transition stream (TRT).
Your required employment period in the same occupation with the sponsored employer will be reduced to 2 years (from 3) in this 186 TRT stream.
You may be eligible to renew your 3rd subclass 482 visa onshore.
If you are a New Zealand citizen,
You may be eligible to apply for Australian Citizenship by Conferral directly, bypassing the permanent residency requirements.
You must have lived in Australia for at least 4 years on a special category visa and meet all other residence and character criteria
If you are a student visa holder
Your working hours cap will be 48 hours per fortnight.
You will continue to be exempt from the working hours cap until 31 December 2023 if you work in the aged care sector.
You may be eligible to apply for up to 4 years of post-study work rights upon graduation under the Temporary Graduate subclass 485 visa if you hold select degrees.
Your visa application charge for the subclass 485 visa will increase by 6%.
If you are a working holiday visa holder,
The relaxation of the work limitation will end when the 6-month restrictions are reinstated. To be clear, the time spent working with an employer before 1 July 2023 will not count towards the 6-month threshold. This means that working holiday visa holders may work for their existing employer until 31 December 2023 during their visa validity.
Any new working holiday visa applications will attract a 15% increase in application fees.
Upcoming Australian-UK free trade agreement indicates the regional work requirements will be removed for UK working holiday visa holders within an agreed timeline.
Other visa holders or applicants,
Visa charges will increase by 6%, except for business innovation and investment visa applicants, who will see a 40% increase.
Certain visa categories - subclass 400, training, Temporary Activities, Visitor, and Working Holiday visas- will see a 15% increase.
If your current visa with work entitlement expires in less than 90 days, please reach out to our team so we can assist in assessing any available visa options to extend your work rights.
The forthcoming change marks a significant shift towards increased flexibility and accessibility. Temporary skilled workers can anticipate a more feasible route to permanent residency and a reduction in the required employment period. This makes the transition to permanent residence quicker and more accessible for many. Certain student visa holders have the potential to gain extended post-study work rights for certain degrees, opening up exciting opportunities for longer-term employment in Australia. This can lead to a smoother transition from study to a professional career within the country. New Zealand citizens now have a more streamlined pathway towards Australian citizenship, which eases the immigration process for this cohort considerably.
The Australian immigration system is complex and constantly changing; if you would like to discuss how you may take advantage of these opportunities in the immigration space, please do not hesitate to reach out to our team.