Australia’s government will implement tighter visa rules, restricting the entry of international students and low-skilled workers, to reduce immigration.
The government plans to halve its migrant intake over the next two years as the government looks to overhaul what it says is Australia’s “broken” temporary migration program.
This means the annual intake will shrink to 250,000 from a record 510,000 in 2022-23. Australia’s net migration will be halved within two years in a dramatic move to slash the annual intake by imposing tougher tests on overseas students and discouraging workers with low skills.
“The new strategy we’ll announce will bring immigration back to sustainable levels,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters in Sydney. “We need to have a migration system that enables Australia to get the skills that we need, but make sure the system is working in the interests of all Australians.”
Australian Labor government’s new 10-year immigration strategy comes as the opposition has been continually blaming the government for record levels of migration putting pressure on housing and infrastructure.
The influx of foreign workers and students has exacerbated pressure on an already tight rental market. Rental prices in some areas of Sydney and Melbourne have risen about 25% in the last year, according to Australian media.
“Our strategy will bring migration numbers back to normal,” Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil said on Monday.
Today I launched the Albanese Government’s Migration Strategy with @andrewjgiles, along with @unionsaustralia and the @BCAcomau.
— Clare O'Neil MP (@ClareONeilMP) December 11, 2023
This is a major step forward in reforming Australia’s broken migration system with the biggest reforms to migration in a generation. pic.twitter.com/4rlXqkoGZ7
“But it’s not just about numbers. It’s not just about this moment and the experience of migration our country is having at this time. This is about Australia’s future.”
Australia to impose tougher English tests on foreign students
Under the new changes, international students and people entering Australia will face tougher minimum English-language requirements in line with those for skilled visa applicants.
Those applying for a graduate visa will need to score 6.5 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) up from 6.0, and those applying for a student visa will need to score 6.0 up from 5.5. They will still be able to work part-time.
The Australian government says their new strategy will improve the quality of their education experience, and boost the reputation of the education sector.
About 25,000 fewer people are expected to be granted entry to the country over 12 months under the new changes. This applies to the middle tier skilled worker visa, for people earning upwards of $70,000.
Graduate visas will also be shortened to stop people from “visa hopping” while in Australia. The eligible age for these visas will be reduced from 50 to 35. Around 108,000 international students have been in Australia for over five years, by shifting to another visa type. The current system currently allows graduates to stay in Australia for up to eight years by applying for various visas and waiting for processing.
Specialist skills pathway
A new “specialist skills pathway” will be set up visa for highly skilled workers who will earn over $135,000 a year. The processing time of this special visa category will be one week, helping businesses recruit top migrants amid tough competition with other developed economies. The intake is 3,000 annually.
Australia migration facts
- A record number of 510,000 people migrated to Australia in the 12 months leading up to June 2023.
- 514,000 visas were approved for enrolling in an Australian institution in 2023, compared with 315,000 in 2022.
- An estimated 1 million people are in Australia either on a student visa or a graduate work visa.