Latest news with #skilledvisas
SBS Australia
10 hours ago
- Business
- SBS Australia
Planning to migrate or study in Australia? Here are the visa rule changes taking effect from 1 July
Here's a breakdown of the key visa changes you need to know. The Department of Home Affairs has announced that income thresholds for skilled visas will increase by 4.6 per cent. The indexation changes will raise the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) and the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) from $73,150 to $76,515. The Department of Home Affairs has announced that income thresholds for skilled visas will increase by 4.6 per cent. Source: Moment RF / AlexanderThis will impact nomination applications visa Subclass 482 , the Employer Nomination Scheme visa ( Subclass 186 ), Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (SESR) ( Subclass 494 ) and the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) ( Subclass 187 ) visas. The Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT) will also increase from $135,000 to $141,210, impacting nomination applications for the Specialist Skills stream of the Skills in Demand visa (Subclass 482). This change will not apply to existing visa holders and nominations lodged before 1 July 2025. Student visa In line with the Labor government's election commitment, the Visa Application Charge (VAC) for primary Student visa applicants will be increased from $1,600 to $2,000. Every year, thousands of Indian students apply for visas to study in Australia. Credit:Humanitarian visas Those applying for a Subclass 202 visa under the Special Humanitarian Program (SHP) or a Refugee visa under split family provisions, must lodge their application online via ImmiAccount. These applications include both a Form 681 – Refugee and Special Humanitarian Proposal and Form 842 - Application for an Offshore Humanitarian Visa. Pacific Engagement visa – Treaty stream The inaugural Pacific Engagement ( Subclass 192 ) visa - Treaty stream ballot opened to registrations on 16 June 2025 and will close on 18 July 2025 before random ballot selections are made on 25 July 2025. LISTEN TO SBS Hindi 10/06/2025 09:18 Hindi Those selected in the ballot will be provided with instructions on how to apply for the Pacific Engagement (Subclass 192) visa - Treaty stream and the deadline to apply. [Disclaimer: This information is intended as a general guide and is accurate as of the date of publication. Migration laws and policies may change over time. For advice tailored to your situation, please consult a qualified migration or legal professional.] Find all our podcasts here at: SBS Hindi Podcast Collection
SBS Australia
11 hours ago
- Business
- SBS Australia
Planning to migrate or study in Australia? Here are the changes coming to Australian visas from 1 July
Here's a breakdown of the key visa changes you need to know. The Department of Home Affairs has announced that income thresholds for skilled visas will increase by 4.6 per cent. The indexation changes will raise the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) and the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) from $73,150 to $76,515. The Department of Home Affairs has announced that income thresholds for skilled visas will increase by 4.6 per cent. Source: Moment RF / AlexanderThis will impact nomination applications visa Subclass 482 , the Employer Nomination Scheme visa ( Subclass 186 ), Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (SESR) ( Subclass 494 ) and the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) ( Subclass 187 ) visas. The Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT) will also increase from $135,000 to $141,210, impacting nomination applications for the Specialist Skills stream of the Skills in Demand visa (Subclass 482). This change will not apply to existing visa holders and nominations lodged before 1 July 2025. Student visa In line with the Labor government's election commitment, the Visa Application Charge (VAC) for primary Student visa applicants will be increased from $1,600 to $2,000. Every year, thousands of Indian students apply for visas to study in Australia. Credit:Humanitarian visas Those applying for a Subclass 202 visa under the Special Humanitarian Program (SHP) or a Refugee visa under split family provisions, must lodge their application online via ImmiAccount. These applications include both a Form 681 – Refugee and Special Humanitarian Proposal and Form 842 - Application for an Offshore Humanitarian Visa. Pacific Engagement visa – Treaty stream The inaugural Pacific Engagement ( Subclass 192 ) visa - Treaty stream ballot opened to registrations on 16 June 2025 and will close on 18 July 2025 before random ballot selections are made on 25 July 2025. LISTEN TO SBS Hindi 10/06/2025 09:18 Hindi Those selected in the ballot will be provided with instructions on how to apply for the Pacific Engagement (Subclass 192) visa - Treaty stream and the deadline to apply. [Disclaimer: This information is intended as a general guide and is accurate as of the date of publication. Migration laws and policies may change over time. For advice tailored to your situation, please consult a qualified migration or legal professional.] Find all our podcasts here at: SBS Hindi Podcast Collection
The Guardian
12-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Skilled visa rules, deportations and higher fees: what's in the immigration white paper
The Home Ofice has released its much-trailed policy paper on immigration, which Keir Starmer has promised will lead to the numbers of people arriving in the UK falling 'significantly' by the end of this parliament. Here is what it sets out and the measures the government is taking. For a departmental policy document, there is quite a lot of politics, including forewords from Starmer and Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, both of whom make the argument for reducing numbers – though without setting out any specifics for this reduction. Starmer castigated what he called 'a one-nation experiment in open borders' under the Conservatives, with net migration peaking above 900,000 a year in 2023. He and Cooper both said this had placed pressure on public services without helping economic growth. One of the key changes is to tighten up the rules on which qualifications people need to get a skilled work visa. Currently, these need to be at least at the level of what is known as regulated qualifications framework (RQF) 3, roughly equivalent to A-levels. This will be changed to RQF6, which is degree level. Skilled worker visas will still be issued for jobs assessed at RQF3-5 but only on a time-limited basis and if the government's migration advisory committee deems that there is a shortage of domestic staff. Industries that do this must demonstrate that they are taking steps to try to plug the recruitment gap. These would already be affected by the changes to skilled visas, but more specifically the white paper promises to end all overseas recruitment for social care work – although there will be a 'transition period' until 2028 where visas can be extended and overseas nationals already in the country can switch to a social care job. While this is being promised alongside separate pledges to overhaul social care and make it a more attractive option for UK workers, some groups in the sector are worried this could cause further staff shortages, which could affect the care available to people. One of the other major drivers in rising net numbers in recent years has been students, and while this area is economically hugely important – the white paper cites an estimated £20bn annual contribution to the economy – ministers are planning quite significant changes. Given what the paper cites as worries that too many students are arriving to study at lower-ranked institutions, and often staying in the UK beyond their course, what is known as the basic compliance assessment for sponsoring institutions is being tightened up, with tougher targets for the percentage of visas grants and the proportion of students who enrol and then complete their course. There is a parallel pledge to review another route for overseas students: those who arrive to take a shorter-duration language course. These will be made generally more rigorous and there will be new requirements for people to show progression in their English proficiency over time if they apply for visa extensions or settlement. As part of this, all adult dependants who come with arriving workers or students will need to show at least basic English skills, and to progress. Under the changed rules, people will need to have been in the UK for at least 10 years, rather than the current five, before they can seek settlement, also known as indefinite leave to remain. This has been criticised by some as making it harder for arrivals to fully integrate into UK life. A number of measures in the paper relate to making it easier to remove arrivals who have committed crimes, particularly if they are on short-term visas. Currently, only those who are jailed for a year or more are considered for deportation. This will now be an option for all offences, particularly sexual offences. Part of this will involve seeking to 'clarify' how article 8 of the European convention on human rights, which allows people to appeal on the basis of their right to a family life, is applied to immigration cases in the UK. One specific in the document is a 32% increase in the so-called immigration skills charge, paid by employers (barring certain professions such as research scientists) when they take on someone from overseas via a skilled visa or similar route. The paper says this has not been increased since 2017, so the rise is in line with inflation. To better monitor arrivals and have improved measuring of numbers, a new electronic identity system for overseas nationals will replace the current system of biometric residence permit cards.
