With all the media attention to the recent changes to Australia's Migration Program, it would be easy for intending migrants to Australia to be discouraged about their chances of obtaining a visa.  The media's doom and gloom and dire warnings have been made worse by some migration advisors exploting the situation by coercing people into rushing to apply for visas in case they miss out.

Well, we can all relax and put out the fire.

Yes, there have been changes.  No, they are not going to make or break most visa applicants' chances of obtaining a visa grant.  And now that the changes have been announced, rushing to apply will not affect your processing priority.  If you are applying for general skilled migration and have obtained state or employer sponsorship, your application will be priority processed.  If you have no sponsorship but your application is on Australia's Critical Skills List, your application will have second priority.  All other GSM applications will be placed in the queue until the first two priorities have been processed.  

The real story is this:

The government is- and always will be - conscious of maintaining its popularity in the eyes of Australian voters.  Australia, just like every other country, has been impacted by the global economic downturn.  Business have folded and people have lost their jobs.

In response, in order to be seen to be doing something to protect Australians' jobs,  the Government has reduced the skilled migration program's cap from 133,000 to 115,000 and removed most trades occupations off its new critical skills list.  

FACT!

While this is quite a significant drop, what the media - and the Government - have failed to say is that during 2007-08, the program was increased by 31,500 places - so Australia is still welcoming more skilled migrants than it did two years ago.

FACT!

People who obtain state or employer sponsorship for a permanent visa will go to the top of the list for processing.  Each state has a different list of occupations it will sponsor; many include trades and occupations that are not on the critical skills list.  Because certain states have been beseiged with applications for sponsorship since the changes were announced, some are taking no more applications this program year; some still are accepting applications.

FACT!

The new changes only affect permanent visas.  Temporary 457 visas have not been affected at all; and are an excellent basis for a long term strategy to obtain permanent residence. 

FACT!

Even if you don't have employer or state sponsorship, or an occupation on the Critical Skills List, you can still apply for General Skilled Migration.  YOu will have to wait significantly longer for your application to be processed. 

FACT!

Temporary visas, family visas, partner visas, refugee and humanitarian visas, other permanent visas, resident return visas, working holiday visas and other visitor visas have not been affected by the changes.

Here's a link to the information sheet put out by DIAC about the changes:

http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/pdf/faq.pdf

Obtaining an Australian visa under the General Skilled Migration Program has always been subject to caps and has always involved long waiting times - the recent changes are merely an announcement of new processing priorities, rather than a cause for alarm for most applicants.

Sincerely

Susan