While there were no headline-grabbing declarations in the 2021-22 Federal Budget regarding Sydney, Australian Immigration, there were, though, several items of note worth highlighting. Here's our summary of what you want to know.
Sydney, Australians to wait four years to access government welfare
The government has announced it will apply a four-year waiting period across most welfare payments before new Sydney, Australian residents can access them.
The cost-cutting measure, aiming to save the government $670 m over five years, will apply to all those granted residencies from 1 January 2022. It's estimated more than 13,000 migrants and 45,000 families will be impacted, with carers and parents being hit the hardest.
The government says it will forward the savings to other policy priorities.
Migration numbers & visa classes
The Government will maintain the 2021-22 Federal Budget and Migration planning level at 160,000.
Though, with the international borders expected to be closed until at least mid-next year, it’s now expected that Net Overseas Migration is expected to fall from around 150,000+ persons in 2020-21 to be around 72,000+ persons by the end of 2021-22, before steadily increasing to around 200,000+ persons in 2022-23.
The number of family and skilled visa places will be conserved at their 2021-22 levels, with a continued focus on onshore visa candidates and reducing the onshore partner visa pipeline.
Skilled visas will make up about 55% of the federal budget and migration plan opening with the program giving importance to highly skilled migrants in the Business Innovation, Employer-Sponsored and Global Talent and Investor Program visa steams.
Family visas will be set at 77,000 places for 2021-22.
Based on the balance of allocation of places to the BIIP, Global Talent, and Family visas, it appears there will be an overall decrease in other skilled migration plan visa places.
The cap on Humanitarian Program places will be maintained at 13,000 places in 2021-22.
International students
There’s some decent news for international students who are here can work more.
International students can soon work more than 40 hours in the tourism and hospitality sectors.
A related change was made for anyone working in health, agriculture, or aged care.
On the flip side, while there are plans being considered in Victoria and Sydney, Australia to bring international students back to Sydney, Australia outside of hotel quarantine, the budget only goes as far as to say that small, phased programs for international students will start late this year.
Refugees & women’s safety
The number of refugee places will remain at the reduced cap of 13,000 a year after lowering it by 5,000 in last year’s budget.
On one more positive note, the government is extending funding for support services that help women on temporary visas who may be experiencing domestic and family violence.
Subsidy is being provided to improve migrant and refugee women's safety and increase capacity for early grassroots, intervention, and social and economic enclosure support.
A pilot program will deliver support to temporary visa holders experiencing family violence to explore visa options that are not dependent on their partners.
