Sydney Migration Group

Streamlined requirements for temporary visa applicants in Australia

The Australian Government is streamlining requirements for temporary visa applicants in Australia.
Temporary visa applicants in Australia will not be required to undertake medical examinations and chest x-rays, based on their nationality, previous residence and proposed length of stay, in order to meet the health requirement.
Temporary visa applicants in Australia will still be required to undertake relevant medical examinations and/or chest x-rays if they:
• have applied for a medical treatment, temporary protection or a provisional visa
• expect to incur medical costs or require medical treatment
• intend to work as (or study to be) a doctor, dentist, nurse or paramedic
• will enter a hospital, aged or disability care facility (if higher tuberculosis risk)
• are pregnant and intending to have the baby in Australia
• will work or train at an Australian childcare centre
• are aged over 75 years (if applying for a visitor visa)
• have had previous household contact with tuberculosis or
• are requested to do so by the Department.
Applicants must complete questions on their form truthfully. If the Department is made aware of false declarations, the applicant's visa may be subject to cancellation.
This is temporary measure and applies to all eligible temporary visa applications currently with the Department and new applications made in Australia. The Government will review these arrangements in early 2023.
What visa subclasses do these arrangements apply to
These arrangements apply to:
• 401 Temporary Work (Long Stay Activity)
• 403 Temporary Work (International Relations)
• 405 Investor Retirement
• 407 Training
• 408 Temporary Activity
• 410 Retirement
• 417 and 462 Working Holiday
• 461 New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (Temporary)
• 476 Skilled - Recognised Graduate
• 482 Temporary Skill Shortage
• 485 Temporary Graduate
• 500 Students
• 590 Student Guardian
• 600 Visitor
• 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary)
• 995 Diplomatic (Temporary

What does this mean for existing medical appointments
The Department’s contracted service provider will be in touch with you soon to cancel appointments where they are no longer required and provide refunds.

Are refunds available for recently completed medical examinations
No – medicals already completed will be considered by the Department in the normal way.

From visas to jobs: Australia's migrant intake is increasing. Here's what it means for workers

The Australian government has announced it will increase its annual migration intake by 35,000 places and invest $36 million into addressing lengthy visa backlogs.

The announcement came on day two of the government's Jobs and Skills Summit, which has been dominated by Australia's labour shortage and the potential for migrant workers, who have largely left or avoided the country due to the pandemic, to help fill needed jobs.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia's reliance on workers with temporary visas had made the workforce "vulnerable" and there was a "general consensus" to promote permanent migration pathways for workers.

Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil relayed those comments in a formal announcement, pledging the migration cap will rise from 160,000 to 195,000 places

Who will this affect?

The focus is on changing the make-up of the workforce to consist of more permanent migrant workers, rather than temporary ones. This means the government will make pathways for workers on temporary visas to stay longer, or transition to permanent visas.

Temporary working visa holders will also have eased restrictions, allowing them to work in the country for longer.

People waiting for their visas to be processed, or who have loved ones who are, will also be affected by the announcement, with Immigration Minister Andrew Giles committing $36 million to help better resource visa processing.

Mr. Giles said there are 900,000 visas in the current backlog, but the government's "repair work is well underway".

When will it come into effect?

The increased migration cap is an amendment to the 2022/23 financial year, and will come into effect immediately.

The increased investment into visa processing resources will be included in the October budget papers.

Australia's skills shortage: Jobs and visa opportunities

Last month, the federal government announced construction managers, nurses and chefs are among just some of the top 10 jobs most in need of workers over the next five years in Australia.

Next year, more than two-thirds of the migrants expected to arrive in Australia will be from seven of the various skilled visas available.

The government will shift permanent visa allocations from an even split between family and skilled migrants, to a greater focus on workers.

The government's Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List lists 44 occupations, including:
• Construction managers
• Civil engineering professionals
• General Practitioners
• Registered nurses
• ICT (information and communications technology) business and systems analysts
• Software and applications programmers
• Electrical engineers
• Chefs
• Midwives
• Veterinarians
• Surveyors

From 1 July 2022, holders of subclass 482 Visa (Short Term Skill Shortage Stream) and subclass 457 (Temporary Work Skilled) may be able to transition to the permanent residency pathway, which has become available via the subclass 186 visa Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream.
In order for sponsored subclass 457/482 visa holders to access this permanent residency pathway, the following requirements must be met:
- They held or had applied for a 457 visa pre 18 April 2017
OR
- They were in Australia for at least 12 months (cumulatively) between 1 Feb 2020 and 14 Dec 2021.

Other key criteria to be met include:
- being under 45 years old unless an exemption applies.
- Competent Level English language ability + (see attached) or holding a passport from the UK, USA, Ireland, Canada, or New Zealand.
- having worked for their nominating employer for at least 3 years in the 4 years before applying (or 2 years in the 3 years before applying for subclass 457 visa holders).
- having a job offer from your sponsoring employer for a position that is available for at least 2 years following PR approval.
- all family members meet health and character criteria.

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) has cancelled all exams in the Russian Federation, with reference to letters received by those who planned to take the test.
According to the letter, the exams have been suspended “as a result of the aggravated foreign political situation” by decision of the owners of IELTS – the British Council and Cambridge Assessment English. Applicants were offered to transfer the funds paid for the exam to pay for courses to prepare for it. Otherwise, the money will be frozen until the resumption of examination sessions in Russia, the publication clarifies.
At the same time, the letters emphasize that the party taking the exam “does not have information on the exact dates for the appearance of new available dates for registration, but will make every effort to organize the exam as soon as possible.”
IELTS is the most requested English language test for study and immigration to English-speaking countries, including the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.