Skilled visas expose cracks in Government immigration policy

AN EXPLOSION IN PROCESSING TIMES Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482 and formerly lower class 457) is reported by Australian, with concerns It comes from the Australian Migration Institute (MIA) and Australian Industry Group (AIG).

Average processing The period, which was 16 days in the six months until December 2023, increased to 48 days in the six months until December 2024. This was inevitable for many reasons.

By the way To the Ministry of Internal Affairs (DHA):

‘In 2023-24, applications from primary visa applicants increased by 36 percent compared to 2022-23. ‘The 45,941 applications in the first half of the 2024-25 program year, accounting for 72 per cent of all applications in 2023-24, show that this high level of demand for skilled overseas workers continues.’

In other words, before the ambitious processing times of the new version of this visa were announced, the application rate was already booming. Current processing times are reaching levels under former Opposition Leader Peter DuttonWhile he was Minister of Internal Affairs, he foolishly tried to make the use of this visa as difficult as possible.

DHA should never have agreed to the ambitious processing times for this visa without a much larger increase in resources and advising the Government of the pressure this would put on the permanent migration program and net migration. Given the massive and rapidly growing backlog of applications for these and other visas, target processing times were never achieved with the resources available to DHA.

The size of the backlog of qualified temporary visa applicants is highlighted by the number of land applicants for this visa in the bridging visa backlog; this number increased from 3,038 in September 2023 to 24,003 in December 2024.

The strong onshore application rate will continue for the following reasons:

• reduction necessity for two to one year of skilled work experience;
• a number of others concessions to various industries and regional Australia; And
• lots of temporary graduates in Australia (more than 200,000) to lengthen their accommodation.

There are currently a record number of skilled temporary entrants in Australia, rising from 90,737 at the end of 2021 to 204,812 at the end of March 2025. This increase is contrary to the Government’s 2023 regulation. Migration Strategy, This aims to reduce dependence on temporary migrants in favor of permanent migrants.

Record numbers of skilled temporary entrants are contributing to increased pressure on employer-sponsored permanent visas. While quotas for this visa will increase significantly in 2024-25, the Government will be under pressure to increase this figure further in 2025-26. This will be very difficult given the increasing demand for partner visas. Immigration Law It should be delivered in a demand-oriented manner.

Skilled temporary visas contribute to high levels of net migration. Skilled temporary migrants contributed a record 43,620 to net migration in 2022-23 and a record 41,950 in 2023-24. At a time when the government is trying to reduce net migration, faster processing of skilled temporary migrants will put upward pressure on net migration. Note that skilled temporary visitors tend to come with their families and are looking for larger homes than students and working holidaymakers.

While the effective processing of skilled temporary entrants is vitally important, it is unlikely that MIA and AIG will meet their wishes in this regard any time soon.

Another problem that arises when the number of skilled temporary entries increases rapidly is the risk of exploitation of workers. New regulations The measure the government has introduced to reduce the risk of exploitation of migrant workers will now be put to the test.

Dr Abul Rizvi Independent Australian columnist and a former Deputy Secretary of the Immigration Service. You can follow Abul on Twitter @RizviAbul.

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