(Please note: text which appears in bold in the ‘Details’
column below is intended to highlight a key point in précis form and does not
necessarily replicate the text of the original source document.)
Milestone |
Details |
Source Documents |
5 August 1997 |
The Minister for Immigration announces that visa
grants for overseas students coming to Australia rose by 9 per cent in 1996.
This included a 21 per cent increase in students from China and Indonesia, 17
per cent increase in students from Korea, 15 per cent increase in students
from India and 10 per cent increase in students from Hong Kong.
However, Taiwan and Singapore recorded full year
declines after several years of strong growth. The Minister notes that one of
the reasons for declined growth in international student numbers from some
countries could be attributable to the fact that other countries, including
the US, Canada and UK have been heavily promoting their own education systems
in Asia and there is strong competition for international students. Australia
is still seen as a desirable destination for overseas students. |
P Ruddock (Minister for
Immigration and Multicultural Affairs), media release,
Student visa numbers continue to grow |
18 March 1998 |
The Immigration Minister announces
that as part of a review of the points test used in selecting skilled
migrants, the Government is looking to provide bonus points for people who
have studied in Australia. The Minister also states:
We are also looking closely at the Student
visa program to ensure the controlled, sustainable growth of Australia's
international education and training industry.
Among options I am considering is visa
assessment streamlining for students from emerging markets such as China and
India by introducing an effective partnership with education institutions to
ensure that we receive bona-fide students, and not those wanting to jump the
queue and achieve a migration outcome. |
P Ruddock (Minister for
Immigration), media release,
Immigration reform: the unfinished agenda: speech
presented at the National Press Club, Canberra |
11 May 1998 |
Launch of major international marketing campaign to
promote Australian education
The Minister for Education announces
the provision of $21 million over the next four years for a major
international marketing campaign to promote Australia’s education and
training services industry overseas.
The Government estimates that the
total number of overseas students studying in Australia is expected to rise
by 19.55 per cent from 151,464 in 1997 to 181,000 in 2001. There is expected
to be a 39 per cent, or $1.27 million, increase in revenue from the export of
Australia’s education and training industry. |
D Kemp (Minister for
Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs), media release,
$1.2 billion growth in education export industry |
27 August 1998 |
Former overseas students granted additional points
Effective 1 July 1999, the points test used to select
skilled migrants is modified to grant five additional points where an applicant
has obtained their diploma, trade certificate or degree from an Australian
educational institution. |
P Ruddock (Minister for
Immigration and Multicultural Affairs), media release,
Skilled migration changes to boost economy |
1 December 1998 |
Changes to the overseas students program to support
the overseas educational services sector in attracting more overseas
fee-paying students to Australia, and measures to ensure compliance with the
system are to take effect from 1 December 1998. The changes are designed to
ensure that there is a balance between the need to attract genuine students
and to maintain the integrity and effectiveness of the program.
In 1997–98 the Department of Immigration and
Multicultural Affairs (DIMA), supported by an External Reference Group,
undertook a review of the overseas student program’s legislation, policy and
perspective. Following the review the Minister for Immigration and the
Minister for Education announced the introduction of changes to the overseas
students program. Key changes include:
- Temporary visa holders from gazetted countries will be able to
apply for their first student visa in Australia
- Students will no longer be automatically granted work rights,
but will be required to make a separate application to obtain work rights in
Australia. Students are required to produce evidence that they have commenced
studying at their institution and pay a $50 charge.
- Students must remain enrolled with the education provider that
they originally enrolled with for at least the first 12 months of the course
(or the duration of their course if less than 12 months), unless they obtain
permission to transfer from DIMA. Transfers will only be granted in
exceptional circumstances and students must pay a fee of $120 to apply for a
transfer.
- Students must notify DIMA of a change of address.
- Student visas must be cancelled where the visa holder has not
satisfied course requirements.
- Prospective students from non-gazetted countries are required
to undergo a ‘genuineness assessment’ before confirming their enrolment or
paying any tuition fees to education providers.
|
P Ruddock (Minister for
Immigration and Multicultural Affairs) and D Kemp (Minister for Employment,
Education, Training and Youth Affairs), media release,
Changes to overseas student visas See also, P Ruddock
(Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs) and D Kemp (Minister for
Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs), media release,
New measures to attract more overseas fee-paying
students and improve immigration controls |
9 March 1999 |
Introduction of Migration Occupations in Demand
List (MODL)
The Minister for Immigration comments on the release
of the Report on the review of Australia’s independent and
skilled-Australia linked categories, the first thorough review of the
skilled migration categories in ten years.
A new points test will incorporate a number of changes
recommended by the review, including, the introduction of minimum
requirements, namely, the core criteria of skill, age and English language
ability.
The new points test also takes account of other attributes, such as
relevant work experience, occupations in demand in Australia, spouse skills,
Australian qualifications, work experience in Australia, and fluency in
certain languages other than English.
The new points test includes the introduction of the
Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL) of occupations which are deemed
to be in national shortage. Applicants with occupations on the MODL receive
extra points in the new selection test from May 1999. |
P Ruddock (Minister for
Immigration and Multicultural Affairs), media release,
Skilled migration changes contribute $2.4 billion
boost Department of
Immigration and Citizenship (DIMA), Annual report 1998–99 DIMA, Review of
Australia’s independent and skilled-Australian linked categories’, (1999) |
29 April 1999 |
The Minister announces that skilled migration will
comprise 50 per cent (35,000 places) of the Migration Program for 1999–2000.
The Government also introduced a new ‘contingency reserve’ of 5,000 further
places in the skilled stream of the Migration Program, in light of the excellent performance of skilled migrants, and calls from
industry and some State and Territory governments for an expansion in the
intake. |
P Ruddock (Minister for
Immigration and Multicultural Affairs), media release,
1999-2000 Migration (non-humanitarian) program |
3 April 2000 |
The Minister for Immigration announces a 5,000 place
increase in the skilled stream of the Migration Program, made possible by the
success of a new points test in attracting young migrants with strong English
skills and qualifications in high demand occupations such as IT and
accounting.
About 50 per cent of the of the people assessed under
the new points test are former overseas students to Australia, who are seen
as having the advantage of having qualifications easily recognised in
Australia and having prior experience of life and work in Australia.
The Minister also notes that the introduction of the
Migrant Occupations in Demand list (MODL) to target migrants in occupations
that are in demand nationally has been a success.
Applicants for migration under one of the skilled
migration points-tested categories, whose occupation is on the MODL, obtain
up to an additional 10 points in their migration application. The MODL is
reviewed annually to take into consideration existing and emerging skills
shortages, identified by the Department of Employment, Workplace Relations
and Small Business. |
P Ruddock (Minister for
Immigration and Multicultural Affairs), media releases,
2000-2001 Migration (non-Humanitarian) program to
further increase focus on skills Migration Occupations in Demand List |
4 July 2000
3 August 2000 |
The Minister for Immigration announces a review of
temporary residence visas and highlights the growing importance of temporary
residents in the Australian economy, with the globalisation of the labour
market and the increasing movement of people for short-term business, work
and personal purposes. The Minister notes that there has been an increase in
highly skilled temporary migration: 28 per cent increase in visas to people
from India; 22 per cent increase to people from the Netherlands; 18 per cent
increase from Ireland. In the face of rapid changes in internationally
competitive industries it is essential that temporary residence visas
mechanisms keep up. |
P Ruddock (Minister for
Immigration and Multicultural Affairs), media releases,
Review of temporary residence visas Skilled temporary residents visas increase for 1999–2000 |
23 November 2000 |
The Minister for Immigration notes key developments in
the international migration context and changes to immigration policy under
the Howard Government. Claims and observations articulated by the Minister
include:
- The skilled stream has increased from 29 per cent of the
Migration Program in 1995–1996 to over 50 per cent in 2000.
- Long temporary migration is set to become the touchstone for
migration’s international future as increasing numbers of young, highly
skilled people move temporarily around the world in pursuit of opportunities
presented by increased international trade and investment.
- The Government is expanding Australia’s ability to attract ‘a
highly mobile and lucrative workforce’ of skilled migrants through long–term
temporary entry provisions. The number of skilled temporary entrants has been
steadily rising over recent years and long‑term temporary movements now
make up around 50 per cent of net overseas migration. These individuals are
seen as making a major contribution to Australia’s international
competitiveness.
- The Government has effected a ‘critical shift’ in the way
greater numbers of successful overseas students are able to migrate to
Australia after completing their studies. This gives Australia a significant
advantage over competing countries in terms of Australia’s ability to attract
more overseas students and more skilled migrants.
|
P Ruddock (Minister for
Immigration and Multicultural Affairs), media release,
Australian immigration: grasping the new reality |
Milestone |
Details |
Source Documents |
31 March 2001 |
Overseas students who are successful in key skill
areas are seen as the ‘ideal migrants’ and since 1998 the Government has been
pursuing a policy of encouraging such students to migrate to Australia.
Key reform—ability to make permanent residence visa
applications onshore
From 1 July 2001 certain groups of successful
Australian-educated overseas students with key skills, particularly ICT
qualifications, will be able to apply and be granted permanent residence
visas under the Skilled-Independent and related categories without leaving
Australia. Australia will aim to maintain a competitive edge over other
countries to attract overseas ICT workers through streamlined procedures and
priority processing.
The policy is helping to attract more overseas students
and an increasing portion of overseas students are undertaking courses in
areas that are experiencing a skills shortage such as accountancy,
engineering and nursing.
Around 50 per cent of principal applications in the
Skilled Independent category are successful overseas students, with the
number expected to rise in coming years. |
P
Ruddock (Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs), speech,
The Economic Impact of Immigration Seminar |
1 July 2001 |
Measures announced to make the application process for
student visas more transparent. Information for overseas students will be more
precisely targeted based on an applicant’s country of origin and the
education sector in which they want to study. This would allow potential
students to more easily determine their likelihood of success before applying
and ‘place Australia at the forefront of student visa processing arrangements
in this highly competitive and growing industry’. |
P
Ruddock (Minister for Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
New Visa Processes to help business, overseas
students and skilled migration from 1 July 2001 |
18 July
2001 |
Record numbers of student visas were granted to
citizens of China for 2000–01—the largest source of overseas students in
Australia. The number of visas granted to students from China went up from 1,934
in 1996–97 to 8,886 in 2000–2001, representing an increase of 360 per cent.
The Minister acknowledged that processing times remain
lengthy due to high levels of fraud amongst student applications from China,
but the Government is looking for ways to address this. |
P
Ruddock (Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs), media release,
Record tourists and students from China |
22 October 2001 |
The Minister notes that there are employment gains to
be made from temporary migration, and the Coalition’s temporary entry,
visitor and student policies resulted in a record number of temporary visas
(more than 160,000) being delivered in 2000–01.
The increased global mobility of goods, people and
services is acknowledged as playing an important role in government
decisions. As at June 2000, there were 440,000 people across all categories
in Australia on temporary visas.
There were 146,577 student visas granted in
2000–01—this accounts for a 23 per cent increase on the 1999–2000 figure of
119,103. The major source countries for offshore student applications were:
China (8,886—up 46 per cent); USA (7,426—up 16 per cent); Malaysia (6,236 —up
6 per cent); Indonesia (6,070—up 12 per cent); and Hong Kong (5,740—up 26 per
cent).
The undergraduate sector showed particularly strong
growth with an increase in offshore visa grants of 47 per cent from 26,233 to
38,555. Part of the reforms introduced in July 2001 included seven new visa subclasses
for overseas students, including a vocational education and training sector
subclass.
The Government states that it is committed to
encouraging sustainable growth in the international education sector by
facilitating entry arrangements where there is a low risk that students will
overstay or otherwise abuse their visa conditions. |
P
Ruddock (Minister for Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
Immigration – playing its role in Australia’s future |
7 January 2002 |
The Minister for Immigration states:
- the record number of temporary entrants to Australia in
2000–2001 have contributed significantly to Australia’s economy Offshore
student visas reached 86,000 compared with 55,000 in 1994–95, and
- the direct links now made between the overseas student program
and skilled permanent entry have attracted strong growth in demand from
young, English-speaking, skilled migrants trained to Australian standards.
|
P
Ruddock (Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs), media
release,
Record temporary entrants contribute to economy |
7 May 2002 |
GSM pass mark increased
The Migration Program for 2002–03 will be increased,
with the skilled stream comprising 60,700 places, or 58 per cent of the total
program.
The Minister notes that there is continuing growth in
overseas student numbers. Overseas students will remain an important source
of long-term and permanent movement to Australia.
Due to the high demand for migration, particularly
from overseas students who have completed tertiary education in Australia,
the Government has decided to increase the pass mark from 110 to 115 points
for all independent skilled applications received from 8 May 2002.
As part of the Government’s state-specific and
regional migration strategies the Government is looking to attract more
overseas students, who are considered a ‘very important skill stream feeder
group’, to regional universities and TAFEs. Adjustments to the bonus points
regime for successful overseas students applying to remain permanently could
encourage a greater proportion of them to consider studying and eventually
settling in regional Australia. |
P
Ruddock (Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs), media
releases,
Migration: benefiting Australia (conference, opening speech)
Minister announces 2002-03 migration
(non-humanitarian) program |
24 July 2002 |
The Minister for Immigration announces that the
2001–02 Migration Program was the largest and most highly skilled in a decade—the
outcome was a total of 93,080 and contained the largest skill stream on
record at 53,520, constituting 58 per cent of the program. |
P
Ruddock (Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs), media
release,
Migration program highly skilled and largest in
decade |
11 November 2002 |
The Minister for Immigration announces the launch of
eVisa—an initiative that allows people to apply and pay for commonly sought
Australian visas via the Internet. Online lodgement of eVisa applications and
permission to work applications covers prospective overseas students from low
immigration-risk countries applying to enter Australia for the first time,
and overseas students who are already in Australia intending to continue
their studies, including permission to work applications. |
P
Ruddock (Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs), media
release,
Australian visa applications online |
13 March 2003 |
The MODL is updated to reduce the numbers of ICT
specialisations listed, remove accountants and include health professionals. |
T
Abbot (Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) and P Ruddock
(Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs), media
release,
Government responds to changing ICT labour market |
31 March 2003 |
Two–year in–country study requirement for GSM applicants
The Minister for Immigration states that Australia is
continuing to achieve a ‘brain gain’ from skilled migrants quickly
establishing themselves in the labour market and applying their skills and
qualifications.
Given the successful labour market performance of
migrants with Australian qualifications, a number of measures will target the
upper end of the overseas student market.
- Graduating overseas students applying for general skilled
migration on or after 1 July will be required to have completed a minimum of
two years study physically in Australia before they qualify for bonus points
or the work experience exemption (currently only one year is required).
- The points awarded for completion of an Australian upper second
Class Honours (or higher) or Masters qualification following completion of an
Australian bachelor level qualification, both obtained while studying in
Australia, will increase from five to ten.
- The points awarded for completion of an Australian PhD with a
minimum of two consecutive years of full time study physically in Australia
will increase from 10 to 15.
|
P
Ruddock (Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs), media
release,
2003–04 migration program will increase benefits to
Australia |
14 May 2003 |
The Minister for Immigration announces transitional
arrangements for overseas students wanting to remain in Australia after
completing their studies. Overseas students studying in Australia on or
before 31 March 2003 can have their application to remain in Australia
considered under the current one year study requirement. They have until 1
April 2004 to lodge an application to remain in Australia under the General
Skilled Migration category.
In future the period of Australian study required to
take advantage of the work experience exemption for the General Skilled
Migration category will increase from one to two years. The main aim of this
increase is to ensure that overseas students have the right level of skills
to obtain skilled employment in Australia. These changes are scheduled to
commence on 1 July 2003. |
P
Ruddock (Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs), media
release,
Transitional arrangements for skilled migration study
requirements |
10 July 2003 |
The Minister for Immigration announces that a record
number of 66,050 skill stream visas were issued in 2002–03, forming 61 per
cent of the total Migration Program outcome of 108,070. |
P
Ruddock (Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs), media
release,
Record numbers of migrants to boost economy |
19
September 2003 |
Since the introduction of student visa reforms on 1
July 2001 there has been an overall increase in offshore student visa grants
of 27 per cent. In the first year of reforms (2001–02) there was a 13 per
cent increase to 97,650 offshore visas, and in 2002–03 there was a 12 per
cent increase to 109,610 offshore student visa grants.
The major source countries for offshore visa grants
were China (14,215), USA (10,477), Malaysia (8,032), Republic of Korea
(7,323), Hong Kong (6,576) and Japan (6,319).
Protection visa applications from students declined by
46 per cent and the total number of students unlawfully in Australia
decreased by 19 per cent. Increasing and more effective compliance measures
resulted in increases in the identification and location of students not
complying with visa conditions, most notably due to non-attendance and failure
to meet course requirements. |
P
Ruddock (Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs), media
release,
Student visa numbers increase to record high |
29
November 2003 |
Greater flexibility on financial and English
language requirements
The Minister for Immigration announces that Australia
is a world leader in international education and international student
numbers will continue to grow due to changes to come into effect on 1
December 2003. Changes include:
- The introduction of a new student guardian visa on 1 December
2003 to allow parents and other relatives to care for young students in
Australia.
- Greater flexibility on financial requirements for student visa
applicants from higher risk countries, which will allow for the range of
acceptable financial evidence to be extended and made more transparent across
education sectors.
- Changes to the English language proficiency requirements,
including provisions to accommodate students who have previously studied
outside Australia in certain English-speaking countries, and allowing some
students to undertake foundation courses before commencing undergraduate
studies.
|
A
Vanstone (Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs),
media release,
Student visa numbers continue to grow |
1 April 2004 |
GSM pass mark increased
A number of changes are made to the skilled migration
stream of the Migration Program:
- The skills of migrants coming to Australia will be increased by
increasing the pass mark for those applying for permanent residence under
general skilled independent visa categories from 115 points to 120 points.
However, the new pass mark will not apply to international students studying
in Australia who apply before April 2005.
- 5,000 additional places on the new 2 stage skilled independent
visa, available to those who can’t meet the new pass mark but do meet the
2002 standard, provided they commit to living and working in regional
Australia.
- 1,000 extra places for doctors.
The Minister announces that the Government expects to
deliver the largest skill stream in Australia’s history at around 77,000
people. |
A
Vanstone (Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs),
media release,
Australia’s skills and migrants to increase |
1 September 2004 |
Changes are made to skilled migration:
- Skilled migration applicants must have an occupation on the
Skilled Occupations List (SOL), which now includes a list of agricultural
occupations.
- The more specific MODL has been extended to include accountants
and a number of traditional trade occupations which have been in short
supply. The MODL now contains 28 occupations, compared with 14
occupations in February 2003, 15 occupations in February 2002, and 22 in
February 2001.
|
A
Vanstone (Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs),
media release,
Changes to skilled migration program boost range of
skilled workers in Australia |
Milestone |
Details |
Source Documents |
12 January 2005 |
Student visa assessment levels lowered
The Minister for Immigration announces that changes to
the student visa program since 2001 have been a success. Visa approval rates
continued to rise—with a record number of 171,616 student visas being granted
in 2003–04, while at the same time non-compliance levels have fallen.
As a result student visa assessment levels, English
language requirements and financial tests for student visa applications from
certain countries and education sectors will be lowered from April 2005. |
A
Vanstone (Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs),
media release,
Student visa reform success |
20 January 2005 |
The Minister for Immigration announces that there has
been a ‘profound shift in the way people migrate to Australia’, with almost
one third (36,000 permanent visas) of the places in the skilled stream going
to people who were already in Australia on a temporary visa.
The change is being driven by skilled workers and
students. The majority of these permanent visa recipients are coming from the
UK, China and India.
In 2003–04 over 13,000 permanent skilled migration
visas were granted to students in Australia, a 50 per cent increase on
2002–03. |
A
Vanstone (Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs),
media release,
Thousands of temporary entrants chose to call
Australia home |
14 April 2005 |
The skilled migration program for 2005–06 will be
increased for the fifth successive year providing up to 20,000 additional places.
The increase will target employer sponsored migration, state/regional
sponsored migration, or migrants who have an occupation on an expanded and
more responsive MODL.
Addition of more trades to MODL
Changes to be made to the skilled migration program to
make Australia more competitive internationally include:
- The addition of more trades and engineering related occupations
to MODL.
- Occupational trainee visa holders will be allowed to obtain a
Skilled Independent Regional (SIR) visa without having to leave
Australia—like overseas students.
- A pilot program will be introduced to allow overseas students
to undertake traditional trade apprenticeships in regional Australia on a
full time fee paying basis and on completion of these to be able apply for
migration under one of the regional migration visas.
|
A
Vanstone (Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs),
media release,
2005-06 Migration (non-humanitarian) program |
27 July 2005 |
The overall Migration Program for 2004–05 was the
largest since the late 1980s, at 120,060 places. The 77,880 skilled stream
migrants accounted for about 65 per cent of the total program. Improved
targeting in the skilled stream has resulted in increases over the previous
year’s numbers of doctors (294 per cent), nurses (40 per cent), accountants
(48 per cent) and tradespersons, such as mechanical, electrical, construction
and automotive tradespersons (38 per cent).
The number of overseas students migrating to Australia
directly after completing their studies was also the largest ever, with some
16,490 visas granted to former overseas students in 2004–05. |
A
Vanstone (Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs),
media release,
Record number of skilled stream migrants in 2004–05 |
31 October 2005 |
Changes to the Migration Regulations introduce a range
of new options for overseas students:
- New Trade Skills Training Visa will give employers the
opportunity to recruit young people from overseas to undertake an
apprenticeship that combines both on-the-job training and classroom-based
learning in regional areas of Australia
- From 1 November, overseas students will also be able to apply,
on completion of their studies in Australia, for an Occupational Trainee Visa
to undertake up to 12 months of supervised on-the-job training in their area
of expertise. Employers will also be able to offer overseas students
practical employment experience on an occupational trainee visa where this
leads to registration in their chosen profession in Australia.
- Professional Development Visa—provides tailored training to
overseas professionals and executives.
Student visa assessment levels lowered
As a result of rising numbers of student visa
approvals and declining levels of non-compliance with student visa conditions
the student visa assessment levels (including the English language and
financial tests) for a number of countries and education sectors will be
reduced from 1 November 2005, providing for more streamlined visa processing.
Overseas education is one of Australia’s largest
export industries, estimated to provide revenue in the vicinity of $7.5
billion. These changes are seen as encouraging the growth of the industry and
its diversification into new regions. |
A
Vanstone (Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs),
media releases,
Employers and students to gain from changes to visas
Student visa reforms an outstanding success |
5 November 2005 |
The initial findings of the Third Longitudinal Survey
of Immigrants to Australia reveal that 93 per cent of business and
employer-sponsored migrants and 82 per cent of skilled independent migrants
are working within six months of migrating to Australia.
Employment outcomes of former overseas students
However, the Minister notes that while former overseas
students are also achieving good employment rates, there are signs that they
may not all be finding jobs commensurate with their skills and training. |
A
Vanstone (Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs),
media release,
New migrants entering the workforce faster
DIAC, New migrant outcomes: results from the third
longitudinal survey of immigrants to Australia |
6 March 2006 |
Announcement that skilled migrants and overseas
students will be able to list same-sex partners on their visa applications,
as people have been able to do with their heterosexual partners. The Minister
said that this change would keep Australia competitive in an increasingly
intense global market for skilled migrants. |
A
Vanstone (Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs), media release,
Recognition for same sex partners of skilled migrants
and students |
1 May 2006 |
The total Migration Program for 2006–2007 will be in
the range of 134,000 to 144,000 places, including 97,500 places in the
Skilled Stream.
Employer-sponsored migration is up 22 per cent from
the same period in the previous year, putting it at record levels in 2005–06.
Growth in state-sponsored and regional migration visas was also up 50 per
cent over the same period. |
A Vanstone (Minister for
Immigration and Multicultural Affairs), media release,
Budget
2006: Government successfully matching skilled workers to employers |
8 May 2006 |
The Minister for Immigration and the Minister for
Education comment on an independent evaluation of GSM categories conducted by
Dr Bob Birrell, Associate Professor Lesleyanne Hawthorne and Professor Sue
Richardson. The study reveals that good English and relevant work experience
are essential to achieving good employment outcomes.
Changes to GSM eligibility criteria (including skilled
work experience)
The Government will introduce a number of changes to
maximise migrant success in the workplace, including:
- increasing the base level of English language proficiency which
must be demonstrated by applicants for GSM visas
- increasing the allocation of bonus points to applicants who
achieve English language scores at above the base level
- placing greater emphasis on skilled work experience as a factor
in the points test.
Many former overseas students, who are currently
exempt from work experience requirements when applying for general skilled
migration, will require some skilled work experience in order to qualify for
skilled migration. The Australian Government will provide temporary visa
mechanisms which will enable such students to gain work experience in
Australia.
The Minister for Immigration reiterates that former
overseas students are a very welcome part of Australia’s skilled migration
program.
The Minister for Education welcomes the new
initiatives to enable international students to succeed in the Australian
labour market. |
A
Vanstone, (Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs), media release,
Evaluation of general skilled migration categories
B
Birrell, L Hawthorne, S Richardson,
Evaluation of the General Skilled Migration
categories, report prepared for the
Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (DIMA), Canberra, 2006 |
25 July 2006 |
More than 68 per cent of visas under the 2005–06
Migration Program were issued to people in the skilled stream.
Employer-sponsored migration was up 17 per cent and State and Territory sponsored
visas were up 94 per cent. Eight thousand three hundred and eighty
tradespeople were also admitted under the 2005–06 Migration Program. |
A
Vanstone (Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs), media release,
Migration programme attracts needed skills |
20 September 2006 |
The MODL has been revised to include 35 managerial and
professional occupations, one associate professional occupation, nine
computing specialisations and 41 trade occupations. |
A
Vanstone (Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs) and K Andrews
(Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations), media release,
Government revises MODL to reflect the labour market |
8 May 2007 |
The 2007–2008 skilled migration stream is to include a
modest increase of 5,000 places with a total of 102,500 places for those with
workforce and English‑language skills that will enable them to enter
Australia and immediately contribute to the economy. |
K
Andrews (Minister for Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
Budget 2007: a prosperous cohesive nation |
9 August 2007 |
The MODL has been revised to include 38 managerial and
professional occupations, one associate professional occupation, 10 computing
specialisations, and 46 trade occupations. |
K
Andrews (Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) and J Hockey (Minister for
Employment and Workplace Relations), media release,
Migration Occupations in Demand List |
16 August
2007 |
Skilled migration comprised 66 per cent of the 2006–07
Migration Program.
The top occupation for skilled stream entrants is
accountancy (10,688), followed by computing professionals (4,044) and
registered nurses (2,088). Other top professions included mechanical
engineers, civil engineers, marketing specialists and general managers.
The top five countries of origin for skilled stream entrants
were: United Kingdom (24,800), India (15,865), China (14,688), Republic of
South Africa (4,293) and Malaysia (3,838). |
K
Andrews (Minister for Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
A prosperous and cohesive nation – migration program
outcomes 2006–07 |
Milestone
|
Details |
Source Documents |
17 February 2008 |
Increase of skilled migration places
The Minister for Immigration announces a package of
migration measures designed to address Australia’s skills and labour
shortages including an increase of 6,000 places in Australia’s skilled
migration program, taking the skilled migration program to a total of 108,500
places in 2007–08. The increase will consist mainly of permanent employer
sponsored visas and General Skilled Migration visas. |
C
Evans (Minister for Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
Immigration package to ease skills shortage |
25 April 2008 |
Student visa reforms (including work rights and
streamlined processing)
A number of reforms to student visas announced
- From 26 April, overseas students will automatically be granted
the right to work up to 20 hours a week under their student visas, while
their course is in session.
- New processing arrangements for international student visas,
including cuts to all overseas visa fees by $40 to $450 and students no
longer require a visa label in their passports – information will be stored
electronically in the Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) system.
- A streamlined process is introduced for people applying for
student visas from India, Indonesia and Thailand.
The Department of Immigration and Citizenship granted
228,592 student visas to people from 191 countries in the year to June 2007. |
C
Evans (Minister for Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
Foreign students gain automatic work rights in
Australia |
13 May 2008 |
Additional increase in skilled migration places
Further to the increase of 6,000 places in the skilled
migration program announced by the Minister for Immigration in February 2008,
an additional 31,000 permanent skilled migration places will be added to the
2008–09 Migration Program. This represents a 30 per cent increase on the
previous Government’s increase in the 2007–08 Migration Program.
Permanent skilled migrants will make up 135,500 of the
total 190,300 places in the 2008–09 Migration Program. The increase in the
intake of permanent skilled migrants is intended to ensure a better balance
between temporary and permanent migrants in the overall skilled migration
program. |
C
Evans (Minister for Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
Budget 2008-09 – record skilled migration program to
boost economy |
22 July 2008 |
There was a 27 per cent increase in the temporary
skilled migration (subclass 457 visa) program for 2007–08, highlighting the
importance of these visas in meeting labour needs.
Eighty one per cent of 457 visa holders were employed
in professional occupations and highly skilled jobs. Nearly a quarter of the
workers came from the United Kingdom, followed by India (14 per cent), the
Philippines (9 per cent), South Africa (6 per cent) China (6 per cent) and
the USA (6 per cent).
There was a 30 per cent increase in 457 visa holders
who became permanent residents in 2007–08. |
C
Evans (Minister for Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
Skilled foreign workers meeting shortage |
22 August 2008 |
The skilled stream comprised 68 per cent (108,540
places) of the 2007–08 Migration Program. The Migration Program has increased
annually over the past ten years and with an increase of 7 per cent on the
previous year, the 2007–08 program was Australia’s largest Migration Program
since the 1960s. |
C
Evans (Minister for Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
Migration program boosts economy and eases skills
shortage |
17 December 2008 |
Review of Migration Program
The Migration Program for 2008–09 was reviewed in
light of a significant shift in the global economic outlook, concerns about
the outcomes of the skilled migration program in past years, and the changing
nature of skilled migration. The review identified the need for a shift in
the focus of the program towards ‘demand driven’ outcomes, in the form of
employer and government-sponsored skilled migration, to ensure that the
program is better targeted on the skills needed in the economy. Reforms to the Migration Program
In response to the concerns raised the following
reforms will be introduced:
- Move to a ‘demand driven’ model for permanent skilled
migration; that is, focus on delivering the skills needed in the economy,
with the existing 133,500 places in 2008–09 remaining as a ceiling. The
Government will keep the program under review in light of economic
circumstances.
- Increase the numbers of employer–sponsored visas. These workers
bring the strongest and most immediate economic benefit and are directly
driven by the skills demands of the business community. They are skilled
migrants who are directly sponsored into a job that cannot be filled locally.
Eighty per cent of employer sponsored visas are granted to people who are already
living and working in Australia on temporary visas.
- Improve the ability of state and territory governments to
sponsor in the skilled migrants to meet skill shortages specific to their
jurisdiction. This measure recognises that there are now a number of regional
economies operating across the country and that the skill demands vary across
states, territories and regions within states.
- Where applicants do not have either an employer or government
sponsor, those in occupations deemed to be in critical need will receive
higher priority and those in other occupations will receive lower priority.
The Government has developed a Critical Skills List (CSL) to apply to
independent skilled visa applicants which is focused on medical and key IT
professionals, engineers and construction trades.
Under these measures the skilled migration program
will see more skilled migrants going straight into jobs and increased numbers
of people already in Australia granted visas onshore.
From 1 January 2009, the following order of preference
will apply in processing skilled visa applications:
1. Employer sponsored visas
2. State or territory
Government sponsored visas
3. Occupations on the CSL
4. Occupations on the MODL
5. All other valid
applications
International students
- The Minister for Immigration states that international students
who have studied here are an excellent source of skilled applicants. There is
a need to ensure a system that is not giving perverse incentives to students
to study a small number of vocational courses, when they may have no
intention of actually working in those occupations.
- International students who are enrolled in courses that are not
on the CSL will still be able to apply for a permanent visa without a
sponsor. However, if they want their application considered as a priority
they will need to focus on finding an employer to sponsor them.
- International students graduating from courses will have access
to the subclass 485 visa. The subclass 485 visa was introduced by the
previous Government and provides students with a period of 18 months to find
work in their occupation and improve their English language skills. They can
also use that time to find an employer sponsor.
- These measures will provide an incentive for training providers
to better link international students with employers and give students an
incentive to study courses that will lead to employment outcomes in that field.
Migration patterns in
Australia
- There is an increasing trend of people coming to Australia on a
temporary work or study visa and then applying for permanent residence on
shore. Approximately 40 per cent or more than 40,000 of the visas granted in
the skilled migration program in 2007–08 were to people already here, largely
Subclass 457 Visa holders and international students.
- The largest numbers of visas are granted in the ‘independent
skilled’ stream where the person applying does not have a sponsor or a job
offer before migrating. Almost half of these visas are granted to
international students already in Australia.
- In 2007–08 for the first time the number of temporary skilled
visa grants exceeded the number of permanent skilled visas granted. The
Government’s decision to increase the skilled migration program in 2008–09
was in part aimed at restoring the balance between the permanent and
temporary skilled programs.
|
C
Evans (Minister for Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
Migration program gives priority to those with skills
most needed |
16 March 2009 |
Announcement that the 2008–09 GSM program will be cut
by 14 per cent to protect local jobs. In addition, building and manufacturing
trades will be removed from the CSL. The list comprises mainly health and
medical, engineering and IT professionals. |
C
Evans (Minister for Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
Government cuts migration program |
24 March 2009 |
DIAC officers, AFP and other agencies raid a migration
agency in Melbourne where three migration agents were allegedly providing
fake documentation to support permanent residency applications for foreign
students. Students had applied for permanent residency based on their claimed
skills in a range of occupations including cooking, hairdressing,
horticultural work and car mechanics. |
C
Evans (Minister for Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
Migration agency fraud racket uncovered |
12 May 2009 |
A further cut is made to the permanent skilled
migration intake, from 115,000 places to 108,100 places for 2009–10,
representing an overall drop of almost 20 per cent on previous planning
levels. The reductions apply to the GSM category rather than the high-demand
employer‑sponsored category.
The non‑sponsored independent skilled pathway
for trades occupations will also be tightened:
- The English language threshold will be increased to ensure that
applicants can demonstrate a competent level of English. This change will
apply from 1 July 2009 for people applying offshore and from 1 January 2010
for people applying onshore.
- A job readiness test will be introduced to complement the
testing arrangements already in place for offshore applicants in some trades.
This will ensure that applicants have the skills claimed. This change will
apply from 1 January 2010.
The Government states that under the priority
arrangements, fewer trades–level occupations will be granted a visa in
2009–10.
The objective of Government reforms is to shift the
balance of the skilled migration program in favour of employer and state
sponsored migration rather than non-sponsored visas. |
C
Evans (Minister for Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
Budget 2009-10 – Migration program: the size of the
skilled and family programs |
19 June 2009 |
Government responds to violence against Indian
international students
The Minister for Immigration meets with the Indian
community in Melbourne to reassure the community that the Australian
Government welcomes students from India and takes seriously Australia’s
reputation as a safe destination for international students.
The Prime Minister established a Taskforce on Crimes
Against International Students under the leadership of the National Security
Adviser to coordinate action across all levels of government.
The Minister also notes a number of initiatives
announced by the Deputy Prime Minister, including:
- an International Student taskforce within the Department of
Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) to develop strategies
to support the wellbeing of international students
- a student hotline through which students can raise concerns
anonymously
- fast tracking a review of the legal framework for the provision
of education services to international students, as set out in the Education
Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act 2002
- updating the Guide to Studying and Living in Australia to help
new students to settle into their Australian life and study.
|
C
Evans (Minister for Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
Minister meets Indian community in Melbourne |
1 July 2009 |
The Minister for Immigration announces changes to
immigration processing and fees, which will come into effect from 1 July
2009. The cost of some visa application charges and citizenship fees will
increase to offset wider costs associated with the operation of the migration
and temporary entry programs. Student visas will increase from $450 to $540. |
C
Evans (Minister for Immigration and Citizenship), media releases,
Migration changes from 1 July
Assessment changes for skilled migrants from July 1 |
23 July 2009 |
The Minister for Immigration announces he will be the
first Australian Minister to travel to India since concerns about the welfare
of Indian students in Australia were raised domestically and abroad. The aim
of the visit is to:
- assure Indian people that the Australian Government is
committed to providing a safe environment for international students in
Australia, and
- outline changes in Australia’s Migration Program, which reflect
fluctuations in demand across occupations, in particular in the information
and communication technology sectors.
The Minister notes the rapid growth in the number of
Indian nationals coming to Australia to settle, study, business and tourism:
India ranks as the second largest source of general skilled migrants to
Australia; the second largest source, after China, of students; and the second
largest source, after the UK, of temporary business migrants. |
C
Evans (Minister for Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
Immigration Minister to visit India and Sri Lanka |
20 August 2009 |
Applications for student visas grew by 20 per cent to
362,193 in 2008–09, with almost 28,000 student visas refused, an increase of
68 per cent on the number of refusals in 2007–08.
Strengthened integrity measures for student visas
DIAC will strengthen checks on student visa
applications to stamp out fraud and ensure students have the financial
capacity to live and study in Australia. The measures to be implemented with
immediate effect include:
- upgrading the interview program to build a strong evidence base
around fraud
- removing or restricting eVisa access for some agents where
there is evidence of fraud or inactivity, and
- restricting access to eVisa for some segments of the caseload
if analysis demonstrates restricted access would allow for better control of
fraud.
The measures will target parts of the student visa
caseload in India, Mauritius, Nepal, Brazil, Zimbabwe and Pakistan.
The next formal review of student visa risk framework
is scheduled for 2010. The data obtained from the enhanced checking of
student visa applications will help inform future reviews. |
C
Evans (Minister for Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
Student visa checks strengthened
DIAC, Annual report 2008–09, Canberra, October 2009 |
9 November 2009 |
Closure of education providers
The Minister for Immigration announces measures to
assist 4,700 international students who are affected by the closure of 12
education providers in 2009.
From 1 January 2010, overseas students affected by the
closure who require a new visa to complete their studies at another school or
college will be exempt from paying the $540 student visa application charge.
Students will be able to apply to DIAC for a refund of
their visa application fee if they’ve been affected by the closure of an
education provider in 2009 and have had to apply for a new student visa.
Strengthened student visa requirements
From 1 January 2010, prospective overseas students
will need to demonstrate that they have access to at least $18,000 a year to
fund their living costs in Australia, instead of the current $12,000.
The new figure is consistent with information
published for international students in Australian Education International’s
(the international arm of DEEWR) 'Study in Australia' guide. Financial
requirements include living costs, funds for tuition fees, travel costs and
costs of any dependents. DIAC will also make an assessment of whether the
funds demonstrated by students will be available to them while they are in
Australia. The Minister notes that while international students can
supplement their income with part-time work, they should not rely on
part-time work to meet their expenses.
The measures target parts of the student visa caseload
in India, Mauritius, Nepal, Brazil, Zimbabwe and Pakistan. Since the
introduction of enhanced integrity measures, there has been an increase in
the number of applications being withdrawn, from five per cent in July to 17
per cent in September.
To date, more than 150 agents have had their eVisa
access suspended due to evidence of fraud or inactivity. |
C
Evans (Minister for Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
New visa measures to assist international students |
8 February 2010 |
Reforms to skilled migration program
The Government announces major reforms to the
permanent skilled migration program to ensure it is more responsive to the
needs of industry and employers, and to ensure that the skilled migration
program is driven by demand for skills from Australian industry, rather than
supply. The reforms include:
- The tightening of the list of occupations in high demand so only
highly skilled migrants will be eligible to apply for independent skilled
migration visas.
The MODL will be revoked immediately as it is outdated
and contains 106 occupations, many of which are less-skilled and no longer in
demand. A new and more targeted Skilled Occupations List (SOL) will be
developed by the independent body, Skills Australia, and reviewed annually.
The Critical Skills List introduced at the beginning of 2009 which identified
occupations in critical demand at the height of the global financial crisis
will also be phased out.
- A review of the points test used to assess migrants.
A review of the points test used to assess skilled
migration applicants will consider issues including: whether some occupations
should warrant more points than others; whether sufficient points are awarded
for work experience and excellence in English; and whether there should be
points for qualifications obtained from overseas universities. The review
will report to Government later in 2010.
- The possible capping of certain occupations to ensure skill
needs are met across the board.
Amendments to the Migration Act will be introduced to
give the Minister the power to set the maximum number of visas that may be
granted to applicants in any one occupation if need be. This will ensure that
the skilled migration program is not dominated by a handful of occupations. |
C
Evans (Minister for Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
Migration reforms to deliver Australia’s skills needs |
9 February 2010 |
The Minister for Immigration assures international
students currently studying in Australia who hold a vocational, higher
education or postgraduate student visa that, under the recently announced
changes, they will still be able to apply for permanent residence if their
occupation is on the new SOL.
Students currently studying a course in an occupation
that is not on the new SOL will have until the end of 2012 to apply for a
temporary skilled graduate visa which will enable them to spend up to 18
months in Australia to acquire work experience and find an Australian
employer willing to sponsor them on completion of their course.
The Minister states:
It must be remembered that a student visa is just that: a
visa to study. It does not give someone an automatic entitlement to permanent
residence.
International students should be focused on obtaining a
good qualification from a quality education provider in a field in which they
want to work.
Similarly, Australia's migration program is not and should
not be determined by the courses studied by international students.
The Rudd Government’s view is that quality education
providers will continue to prosper if they focus on their core business of
delivering high quality courses to both Australian and overseas students.
Australia will continue to welcome international students
and provide an opportunity for those who have the necessary qualifications
and skills to find an Australian employer willing to sponsor them for a
permanent visa. |
C
Evans (Minister for Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
Options remain for overseas students |
17 February 2010 |
Changes made to the permanent skilled migration
program in 2009 resulted in an increase in visa grants to registered nurses
(increase of 1,156), computing professionals (increase of 844), engineers
(total increase of 2,067) and doctors (increase of 551).
At the same time the occupations recording the biggest
falls in primary visa grants were cooks, chefs and pastry cooks (decrease of
2,102), accountants (decrease of 1,851) and hairdressers (decrease of 767). |
C
Evans (Minister for Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
Skilled migration changes deliver more workers
Australia needs |
9 March 2010 |
Release of Baird Review
Bruce Baird’s report on the review of Education
Services for Overseas Students Act (2000) is released.
The review includes consideration of the link between
the growth in overseas student numbers and Australia’s migration program. The
report states:
Migration-skewed demand has undoubtedly impacted on the
reputation of our international education sector but the recent changes to
general skilled migration will go some way to address this.
Response to Baird Review
The Minister for Immigration welcomes the release of
the final report of the Baird Review, and Mr Baird’s support for the Rudd
Government’s changes to the Skilled Migration Program announced on 8 February
2010.
The Minister states:
The skilled migration program changes will encourage
overseas students to focus on obtaining a quality education from a high
quality provider by removing incentives for students to apply for a course
simply in the hope of being granted permanent residence.
The changes will in no way impact on international students
coming to Australia to gain a legitimate qualification and then return home. |
J
Gillard (Minister for Education), media release,
Baird review into international students final report
B Baird, Stronger, simpler, smarter ESOS: supporting
international students: review of the Education Services for Overseas Students
(ESOS) Act 2000: final report (vii)
C
Evans (Minister for Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
Minister welcomes Baird review |
27 April
2010 |
Student visa integrity measures
New measures are introduced to improve the integrity
of the student visa program. These measures include the following:
- Changes to the assessment levels of those studying more than
one course, (they will now be required to meet the highest level of risk
assessment within their package of courses).
- Changes to the migration regulations to strengthen visa
cancellation guidelines where a student is found to have deferred or
suspended their studies for non-genuine reasons.
- Visa requirements for postgraduate students have been
streamlined to support growth in the sector, which has proven to have low
levels of fraud and high levels of compliance.
These latest measures add to previous measures that
have been introduced to strengthen the integrity of the student visa program
since August 2009. |
C
Evans (Minister for Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
Government closes student visa loopholes |
7
May 2010 |
The Government temporarily suspends lodgement of three
classes of offshore GSM visas from 8 May 2010:
This measure is necessary to facilitate the transition from
the current SOL to the new SOL and to ensure the occupational profile of
applicants for GSM clearly reflects the needs of the Australian labour
market.
...
The Government will announce the new SOL later this month.
These changes do not affect international students applying
for onshore GSM visas.
|
C
Evans (Minister for Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
Temporary suspension of certain offshore general
skilled migration visas |
11
May 2010 |
Migration program planning figures 2010–11
The overall size of the Migration Program remains
unchanged from the previous year. However, the skilled migration program has
been increased by 5,750 program places. This includes an additional 9,150
places for employer-sponsored skilled migration and a decrease of 3,600
places for the GSM program. |
C
Evans (Minister for Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
Budget 2010: Government sharpens focus of skilled
migration program |
17
May 2010 |
New SOL released
The new SOL lists a total of 181 managerial,
professional and trade occupations—a reduction of 219 occupations from the
400 occupations previously included on the list. Crucially, the list omits
cooking and hairdressing occupations, which had been two of the most popular
courses of study for overseas students planning to transition to permanent
residency. The new SOL will apply to all new GSM applications lodged on or
after the date of implementation.
The SOL is intended to deliver a more targeted GSM
program, as part of the Government’s larger package of reforms to move to a
‘demand–driven’ skilled migration program. The Government states:
The new list is intended to align the GSM program
with Australia’s overall workforce development strategy, also developed by
Skills Australia. The new list is focused on targeting specialised
occupations that require a long lead time of formal education and training ...
The list of occupations will be reviewed annually but it is expected that it
will be relatively stable over time.
The Government affirms that international students
will be valued as permanent migrants where they have the skills that are
needed by the economy. The Government advises students:
It is strongly advised that you do not undertake
studies with the sole purpose of obtaining a migration outcome. The student
visa process is an entirely separate process to skilled migration and there
is no guarantee that a student will be eligible for skilled migration purely
on the basis of having undertaken a course related to an occupation on the
SOL.
...
Migration rules can and do change. All applicants
seeking to be granted a GSM visa must meet the relevant criteria set out in
the migration legislation, regardless of whether or not they have previously
been in Australia.
The new SOL will come into effect on 1 July 2010. |
C
Evans (Minister for Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
New Skilled Occupation List to meet Australia’s needs
DIAC, The new Skilled Occupation List (SOL), Fact sheet
DIAC, Frequently asked questions, Fact Sheet |
26
May 2010 |
Release of Population Flows—Immigration Aspects 2008–09
Australia’s net overseas migration rate (NOM) peaked
in the 12 months to 31 March 2009 at 305,900. The Minister attributes this
figure to the rapid growth of temporary migration.
The Government anticipates that the NOM will fall by
approximately 20 per cent as a result of reforms to permanent and temporary
migration visas.
The Minister states that the Government is ‘committed
to ongoing reform to ensure immigration levels are guided by Australia’s
needs and not by the desire of prospective migrants to come to Australia’.
Population Flows—Immigration Aspects 2008-09
There was a 60 per cent increase in onshore employer‑sponsored
visa grants as compared with 2007–08. It is anticipated that there will be an
increase in the uptake of employer‑sponsored places, especially among
international students who have recently graduated from an Australian
institution. |
C
Evans (Minister for Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
Reforms result in 20 per cent drop in net overseas
migration
DIAC, Population flows: immigration aspects 2009–2010, Canberra, May 2010 |
30
June 2010 |
The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship confirms
that Net Overseas Migration (NOM) will drop by about 20 per cent by the end
of the financial year, compared to the 2008 level. This is explained as being
a result of reforms to temporary and permanent migration, and economic
conditions. |
C
Evans (Minister for Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
Net overseas migration on track to fall by 20 per
cent |
1
July 2010 |
The new SOL, containing 183 occupations, comes into
effect. Transition arrangements are put in place for people who were overseas
students at the time of the announcement of the new arrangements on 8
February 2010. |
C
Evans (Minister for Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
New skilled occupations list targets skills for
national economy |
8
September 2010 |
The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship announces
that 2008–09 was the third largest program year on record in terms of student
visa applications, with 291,128 visa applications lodged. |
C
Evans (Minister for Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
Australia continues to welcome international students |
27
October 2010 |
Report on Migration Program 2009–10
The total outcome for the 2009–10 Migration Program
was 168,623 places, which was 0.05 per cent below the planning level. The skill
stream accounted for 107,868 places, or 64 per cent of the total Migration Program.
There was an increase in the proportion of employer
sponsored skilled migrants, with these making up 38 per cent of the skill
stream, compared to 33 per cent in 2008–09 and 22 per cent in 2007–08.
The
Minister stated that this was consistent with ‘the government's focus on
high-demand, employer-sponsored professionals in areas where Australia has
critical skill shortages.’ |
C
Bowen (Minister for Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
Migration program targeting skills
DIAC, Report on Migration program 2009–10, Canberra, 2010 |
11
November 2010 |
The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship announces
a new points test for independent skilled migrants, as part of the
Government’s ongoing reforms to skilled migration. The new test will emphasis
English, work experience and high level qualifications, and will complement
the SOL.
The Minister states that the existing points test ‘...
puts an overseas student with a short term vocational qualification and one
year’s work experience in Australia ahead of a Harvard educated environmental
engineer with three years’ relevant work experience.’
The test will apply only to independent skilled
migrants, not employer-sponsored migrants. It will apply to applications
lodged from 1 July 2011. |
C
Bowen (Minister for Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
New migration points test to better address
Australia’s skill needs |
16 December
2010 |
The Government announces a strategic review of the
student visa program, with the aim of ‘enhancing the continued
competitiveness of the international education sector, as well as
strengthening the integrity of the Student visa program’. The review will be
undertaken by Michael Knight AO, and will report to Government by mid-2011.
The Government also announces a package of measures
aimed at streamlining the student visa application process for low risk
groups. These measures include:
- Reducing the Student visa assessment levels
from April 2011. As part of this decision, the higher
education visa assessment levels for applicants from China and India will
also be reduced.
- Refining the rules to further enable pre-paid
boarding fees to be counted toward a student’s cost of living
requirements in their visa application;
- Improved information exchange between the
Government and the international education sector, including provision of a
quarterly statistical publication on the Student visa program to allow the
sector to track emerging student visa trends.
- Enabling assessment level 4 vocational
education and training (VET) students to undertake a package of certificate level courses to meet visa
requirements.
|
C
Evans (Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations)
and C Bowen (Minister for Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
Review of Student visa program |
Milestone
|
Details
|
Source
Documents
|
11
February 2011
|
The first report on the student visa program is
published. The report provides comparative data showing student visa
applications, grants and trends over the past seven years as well as
application rates for the first six months of 2010–11.
The report indicates that, while student visa
applications have declined from the record high of 2008-09, application
numbers for 2009–10 were at a level similar to 2007–08.
|
C Bowen (Minister for
Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
Student Visa Program Report published
DIAC, Student visa program trends 2003–04 to 2009–10, Canberra, 2011
|
10
May 2011
|
Migration Program planning figures 2011–12
The 2011–12 Migration Program is set at 185,000
places, an increase of 16,300 places compared to 2010–11. The skilled stream
will comprise 125,800 places, accounting for around two thirds of the total
program.
|
C Bowen (Minister for
Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
Budget 2011–12: Skilled migration reform to support
Australia’s growing economy
|
20 May
2011
|
The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship announces
that the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the Pearson Test of
English Academic (Pearson) and the Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) from
Cambridge ESOL (Cambridge) would also be acceptable tests for Student visa
application purposes. To date, the main English language test accepted by the
Department for Student visa purposes is the International English Language
Testing System (IELTS). The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and
the Occupational English Test (OET) will also be accepted for specified
countries where IELTS is not available.
These additional English language test options are
intended to help create competition in the English language testing market,
while creating more test places for student visa applicants.
|
C
Bowen (Minister for Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
New English language test providers for student visas
|
3
June 2011
|
Outlook for Net Overseas Migration
The first edition of a new annual report, the Outlook
for Net Overseas Migration, is released. It outlines a predicted
continued decline in NOM to about 160,000 people by June 2011. This is an
almost 50 per cent decline from the peak of 315,000 people for the year
ending December 2008.
|
C Bowen (Minister for
Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
The outlook for net overseas migration
DIAC, The outlook for Net Overseas Migration, Canberra 2011
|
10
August 2011
|
Report on migration program 2010–11
The report on the 2010–11 migration program is
released. The final outcome is 168,685 places, just short of the planning
figure of 168,700 places. The outcome for the skill stream is 113,725 places,
which accounts for 67.4 per cent of the total migration program.
The Minister also announces that the SkillSelect
register will be introduced from 1 July 2012. Under this new two-stage process,
potential skilled migrants will be required to lodge an expression of
interest on the SkillSelect register, and may then be invited to lodge an
application for a skilled visa.
|
C Bowen Minister for
Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
Skilled migration reform supporting Australia’s
growing economy
DIAC, 2010–11 Migration Program Report, Canberra 2011
|
22
September 2011
|
Release of Knight Review
The Government releases the report of the Strategic
Review of the Student Visa Program 2011 (the Knight Review) and announces
a package of measures to be implemented in line with the report’s
recommendations.
The report of the Knight Review makes 41
recommendations which include making some significant changes to visa
processing, and post-study work rights, for students in the university
sector. It also recommends some minor changes to the student visa program
across other education sectors, and to the integrity measures applied by the
immigration department in monitoring and enforcing student visa compliance.
Response to Knight Review
The Government response to the Knight review gives
in-principle support for all 41 recommendations, and indicates that it plans
to implement them all, with some modifications. Specific measures include:
-
streamlined processing for students enrolling in
Bachelor or higher degree courses will commence in the first half of 2012
-
a new post study work visa, valid for up to four
years, will be introduced for Bachelor, Masters and PhD graduates
-
the financial requirements for some student
applicants will be reduced
-
a new ‘genuine temporary entry’ criterion will be
introduced for all student visa applications, and
-
the student visa risk management framework will
be comprehensively reviewed.
All of the planned changes will be
implemented by early 2013.
|
C Evans (Minister for
Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace relations) and C Bowen
(Minister for Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
Boost to international education sector in response
to Knight review
Australian Government, Strategic review of the Student Visa Program 2011, 30 June 2011
|
8
November 2011
|
The first stage of reforms in response to the Knight Review
are implemented, including:
-
Introduction of an upfront ‘genuine temporary entrant’
requirement for assessing student visa applications
-
Removal of the English language test requirement for
Independent ELICOS (subclass 570) visa applications subject to Assessment
Level 4 or above
-
Visa extension for up to six months after thesis submission for
Higher Degree by Research students
-
Inclusion of pre-paid home stay fees in financial assessments
on the same basis as pre-paid boarding fees, and
-
Cessation of Pre-Visa Assessment arrangements
|
C Bowen (Minister for
Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
Students to benefit as Knight Review changes rolled
out
|
30
November 2011
|
The Government announces that more students will be
eligible for post-study work rights, in addition to university students as recommended
by the Knight Review. Post-study work rights will be extended to Bachelor or
higher degree graduates from other education providers accredited to offer
degree level programs, in addition to university graduates.
Graduates who complete their degrees after at least
two academic years’ study in Australia will be able to access post-study work
arrangements from 2013. The new arrangements extend the stay for Bachelor
students from 18 months to two years, while Masters by research and PhD
students will be able to stay for three and four years respectively following
completion of their studies.
|
C Evans (Minister for
Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace relations) and C Bowen
(Minister for Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
Government extends support for international
education
|
15
February 2012
|
The Government announces that it will reduce the visa
assessment levels across a range of student visa subclasses, making the
student visa application process simpler for prospective students from 29
countries. This implements one of the recommendations of a Departmental
review of student visa assessment levels in 2011.
|
C Bowen (Minister for
Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
Simplifying student visas
|
22
March 2012
|
The Government announces the next stage of
implementation of reforms recommended by the Knight review. These include:
-
Streamlined visa processing arrangements for
prospective students enrolled in Bachelor, Masters or Doctoral degrees at
participating universities comes into effect on 24 March.
-
More flexible work conditions for overseas
students come into effect on 26 March.
-
Improved access to English language study for
schools sector visa applicants and for student guardian visa holders comes
into effect on 24 March.
-
The requirement for higher risk schools sector
visa applicants to provide evidence of an English language proficiency test
is removed as of 24 March.
The Government also introduces legislation to abolish
automatic visa cancellation for overseas students who breach their visa
conditions. This was a recommendation of the Knight Review, and is intended
to provide fairer outcomes for students by allowing the Department to take
into account the individual circumstances of a student when considering a
breach of visa conditions.
|
C Bowen (Minister for
Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
Changes to boost international education
Migration Legislation Amendment (Student Visas) Bill
2012
|
8
May 2012
|
Migration Program Planning figures 2012–13
The 2012–13 Migration Program is set at 190,000 places,
an increase of 5,000 places from 2011–12. The additional places are allocated
almost entirely to the skill stream, which is set at 129,250 places. This is
intended to ‘help fill skills shortages in parts of the Australian economy’.
|
C Bowen (Minister for
Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
Targeted migration increase to fill skills gaps
|
2
July 2012
|
A new advisory council on skilled migration is
announced. The council will advise the Government on the role of skilled
migration in the Australian economy, to assist with the development of
migration policies and programs. It is composed of 18 members, drawn from
business, industry, unions and academia.
|
C Bowen (Minister for
Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
New advisory council on skilled migration
|
19
July 2012
|
Report on Migration Program 2011–12
The report on the 2011–12 Migration Program is
released. The final outcome is almost precisely on target, with 184,998 visas
granted against a planning figure of 185,000. The skill stream accounts for
over two-thirds of the total, with 125,755 visas granted, while 58,604 visas
are granted in the family stream.
Notably, India is the source country for the largest
number of permanent migrants for the first time, with 29,018 places (15.7 per
cent of the total program). The second and third largest source countries are
China (25,509 places) and the UK (25,274 places).
Within the skill stream, the employer sponsored
category comprised 37 per cent, with 46,554 visas granted, while general
skilled migration comprised 57.1 per cent of the skill stream. The majority
of primary applicants in the skilled independent category (76.8 per cent) had
an occupation on the SOL.
|
C Bowen (Minister for
Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
Government delivers skilled migration on target
DIAC, 2011–12 Migration Program Report, Canberra, July 2012
|
14
May 2013
|
Migration Program planning figures 2013–14
The 2013–14 Migration Program is set at 190,000
places, which is exactly the same as the previous year. 128,550 places are
allocated to the skill stream, and 60,885 places are allocated to the family
stream. This represents a reallocation of 700 places away from the skill
stream and into the family stream compared to 2012–13 ‘in response to
continuing high levels of demand for family stream places’.
|
B O’Connor (Minister for
Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
Budget 2013: Migration program delivering for
Australia
|
29
October 2013
|
The newly elected Coalition Government announces that
it will extend the streamlined visa processing available to applicants in the
University sector (a recommendation of the Knight Review) to selected
non-university providers. It will also streamline the student visa assessment
levels against which student visa applicants are assessed, reducing the
number of assessment levels from five down to three, and reducing the
financial requirement for students assessed at Level 3.
These reforms are intended to restore education as one
of Australia’s key export sectors, and undo what the Coalition terms ‘Labor’s
damage’ to the sector.
|
C Pyne (Minister for
Education) and S Morrison (Minister for Immigration and Border Protection), media
release,
New streamlined student visas to grow Australian
education
|
13
May 2014
|
Migration Program planning figures 2014–15
The 2014–15 Migration Program is again set at 190,000
places–the same as the previous two years. As in 2013–14, almost 68 per cent
of places (128,550) are allocated to skilled migration, with a focus on
employer-nominated categories.
|
S Morrison (Minister for
Immigration and Border Protection), media release,
Budget 2014: Boosting the economy through Australia’s
migration program
|
26
May 2014
|
Streamlined visa processing, which was introduced for
students in the university sector following the Knight Review, will be
extended to students enrolled in advanced diploma level courses at ‘low
immigration risk providers’. Eligible education providers will be invited to
participate in these arrangements. The measure is intended to help the VET
sector in attracting greater numbers of overseas students. It is expected to
be implemented in early 2015.
|
C Pyne (Minister for
Education) and S Morrison (Minister for Immigration and Border
Protection), media release,
More streamlined visas a boost for Australian
education sector
|
9
June 2014
|
Chefs, bricklayers and wall and floor tilers are added
to the SOL, reflecting a shortage in these areas and a predicted increase in
demand for these skills. There are now 188 occupations listed on the SOL.
|
A Robb (Minister for
Trade and Investment) and M Cash (Assistant Minister for Immigration and
Border Protection), media release,
In-demand trades added to the skilled occupation list
|
12
September 2014
|
Report on Migration Program 2013–14
The 2013–14 Migration Program target of 190,000 places
was achieved. In the skill stream, 128,550 visas were granted, with more than
63 per cent of these going to occupational professionals, 22 per cent to
technicians and trade workers, and 9 per cent to managers. The employer
sponsored, business innovation and investment, and state and territory
government nominated categories together accounted for more than 60 per cent
of skilled migration visas granted.
|
S Morrison (Minister for
Immigration and Border Protection), media release,
Government delivers 2013–14 migration program
DIBP, 2013–14 Migration Programme report, Canberra, 2014
|
24
November 2014
|
Visa applicants for whom English language testing is
required are now able to use scores from the Test of English Language as a
Foreign Language internet-based test (TOEFL iBT) and the Pearson Test of
English Academic (PTE Academic) as evidence of their English language
ability, as an alternative to the IELTS test. These tests have been accepted
for student visa applicants since 2011, but will now also be accepted for
skilled, temporary graduate, work and holiday, and former resident visa
applicants.
|
M Cash (Assistant
Minister for Immigration and Border Protection), media release,
More English test options for visa applicants
|
12
May 2015
|
Migration Program planning figures 2015–16
The 2015–16 Migration Program planning figures remain
steady at 190,000 places, of which 128,550 are allocated to the skill stream.
|
P Dutton (Minister for
Immigration and Border Protection), media release,
Budget 2015: Restoring integrity to refugee intake
|
16
June 2015
|
The student visa framework will be significantly
overhauled and simplified, with the aim of supporting the international
education sector. Key reforms include:
-
The number of available student visa subclasses will be reduced
from eight to two
-
Existing streamlined visa processing and student visa
assessment levels will be replaced with a new single immigration risk
framework for overseas students. Under the new framework, the evidence
required to demonstrate sufficient finances and English language ability will
be based on the immigration profile of the country of origin, and the
education provider.
A working group will be formed to guide implementation of
the new framework, which will occur when the existing streamlined visa
processing arrangements expire in June 2016.
|
C Pyne (Minister for
Education and Training) and M Cash (Assistant Minister for Immigration
and Border Protection), media release,
Simplified student visa process to boost Australia’s
international education sector
|
17
June 2015
|
Migration Trends 2013–14
The Migration Trends 2013–14 report shows that
the number of student visas granted in 2013–14 (290,000) was the highest
since the Global Financial Crisis. The Minister states:
This is proof Australia’s Student Visa Programme continues
to remain strong and appealing to the overseas market and keeps its place as
one of Australia’s major export earners.
|
P Dutton (Minister for
Immigration and Citizenship), media release,
Migration Trends report highlights migration growth
DIBP, Migration Trends 2013–14, Canberra, 2015
|
30
June 2015
|
The SOL is updated to include panel beaters and
cabinet makers, and remove urban and regional planners, dentists and dental
specialists.
|
M Cash (Assistant
Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) and S Birmingham (Assistant
Minister for Education and Training), media release,
Skilled occupation list updated
|