Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Immigration Minister Peter Dutton have announced changes to visas for skilled migrants. The changes include the abolition of the 457 visa, which will be replaced by a new scheme.
Malcolm Turnbull, left, and Peter Dutton Source: AAP
What visas will be affected by the changes?
Source: SBS
A number of visas will be affected by the proposed changes, including temporary and permanent visas:
- The Temporary Work (Skilled) (subclass 457);
- The Direct Entry stream of the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) (subclass 186);
- The Skilled Regional (Provisional) (subclass 489);
- The Skilled Nominated (subclass 190);
- The Skilled Independent (subclass 189);
- The Training visa (subclass 407); and
- The Graduate Work stream of the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485).
Who will be affected by the decision?
The government abolished 216 jobs that were previously on the skilled occupation list.
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The list of dropped jobs includes travel agency managers, music directors, actors, journalists and engineers…
What will happen to the 457 visa holders currently in Australia?
In an interview with SBS Arabic24, Lawyer Bahia Abou Hamad said "457 visa holders will not be affected by the changes, as laws are not retrospective in Australia."
So what are the changes that will be happening?
Visa application Source: Public Domain
Changes implemented from 19/4/2017:
The occupation list that consisted of 651 professions was shortened to 435. That means 261 jobs are no longer eligible.
24 occupations from the list will only be eligible for positions located in regional Australia.
The Skilled Occupation List is being replaced by the Medium and Long term Strategic Skills List and The Consolidated Sponsored Occupation List is being replaced by the Short term Skilled Occupation List.
Validity Period: Previously, 457 visa holders where permitted to apply for permanent residency two years after arrival. This will change to 3 years for the Medium term stream.
Changes to be implemented From 1 July 2017:
- Occupation lists will be reviewed again based on advice from the Department of Employment.
- English language requirements: The English language salary exemption threshold that exempted applicants whose salary was over $96,400 from the English language requirement, will be abolished.
- Training benchmarks: Clearer legislative policies will be put in place concerning training requirements.
- Character: Providing penal clearance certificates will become compulsory.
Changes to be implemented by 31 December 2017:
- The Department of Immigration and Border Protection will start collecting Tax File Numbers for 457 visa holders and will match the data with the Australian Tax Office’s records to guarantee that visa holders are not paid less than they should be getting.
Changes from March 2018:
The main change happening on this date is the abolition of the 457 visa. It will be replaced with the Short-Term stream of up to two years, and a Medium-Term stream of up to four years.
Short-Term stream allows employers to employ foreign employees on this visa for up to two years, to fill a gap they have in their business only when an Australian Employee with the required skills can’t be found.
Combined list of eligible skilled occupations Source: www.border.gov.au
The Medium-Term stream will allow employers to source foreign workers to address shortages in a narrower range of high skill and critical need occupations, where a suitably skilled Australian worker cannot be sourced.
Short-Term stream criteria:
- Renewal: one time renewal only.
- Genuine entry: The entrants must prove that they don’t intend to stay longer than their visa period.
Medium-Term stream criteria:
- Renewal: Can be renewed and apply for permanent residence after three years.
Common eligibility criteria for both streams:
- Work experience: at least two years of work experience.
- English language requirements: A requirement of an International English Language Testing System score of 5.
- Minimum market salary rate: Employers must abide by the minimum salary rates or nominated rates by the government.
How will these changes affect the Australian economy?
Economist Radwan Hamdan told SBS Arabic24 he believes these changes will have a positive impact on the Australian economy, allowing more jobs for Australians. Hamdan considered the requirements of the old visa to be lax. He explained that "some companies where abusing this visa and hiring foreign workers for a lower rate than Australian employees." Hamdan also acknowledged that many 457 visa holders through their skills played a crucial role in advancing Australia and building the economy.
Political Reaction:
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten had strong words on Twitter.
File image of Bill Shorten (AAP) Source: AAP
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One Nation’s Pauline Hanson welcomed the decision and took some credit for the changes.
The Government will deny their tough talk on immigration & plan to ban 457 visas is because of One Nation but we all know the truth! #auspol
Media Reaction:
A lot of bold headlines were published. The Daily Telegraph underlined what it felt was at stake for Mr Turnbull with the headline “Make me great again”. The Sydney Morning Herald had this take on it: “Malcolm Turnbull bends to populist onslaught”.
Arab Community in Australia Reactions:
The Australian Arab street also had its say; opinions varied from being 'fully in favour' to others feeling it is a ‘huge mistake’.
SBS Arabic24’s morning show, Good Morning Australia, asked listeners during daily talk back for their views:
One listener, John Chedid expressed his happiness as he sees it as a way to stop the exploitation of foreign workers.
Adel Mikhael had a different view. He thought it was a “Trump decision”, and said “I fear this announcement will lead to more visas being abolished (…) to the point where Australia will no longer accept immigrants”.
Another listener, Yousef Matti thought this decision was excellent. “My son’s previous employee told him that he is letting go of his services, because for the salary he gets paid, he (the employer) could hire 3 foreign employees”. Youssef added, "Some people are willing to come to Australia to get the visa in any possible way, no matter how hard or demeaning”.
The announcement was first made through a short Facebook video published on the Prime Minister's page where he emphasised he wanted Australians to hear it from him first. That was followed by a joint news conference in Canberra with Minister Peter Dutton. Mr Turnbull said the new visas will ensure Australians are put first, and that foreign workers are only brought in to fill skill gaps.
