Key Points
- Ninety percent of applications for skilled nominated visa Subclass 190 are expected to be processed within eight months.
- As of 31 May 2023, the Department of Home Affairs has over 44,500 applications on-hand in the Subclass 190 visa category.
- India topped the list of countries providing the most permanent migrants to Australia for 2021-22.
Global processing times for the skilled nominated visa Subclass 190 have been reduced with 90 per cent of applications now expected to be processed in eight months, down from 36 months.
The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) said reducing the number of on-hand visa applications is a priority for the Australian government and it has expanded the pool of visa decision-makers to expedite resolution of the backlog of skilled visas.
Department of Home Affairs (DHA) says reducing the number of on-hand visa applications is a priority for the Australian government. Source: Getty / Getty Images
With the resolving of this backlog, the published global processing times have also decreased significantly in relation to the skilled nominated visa (Subclass 190).
As of 31 May 2023, the DHA has over 44,500 applications on-hand (both primary and secondary applicants) in the Subclass 190 visa category, a number which includes 17,185 applications from India.
The increase in skilled migrants from India seeking permanent residency has coincided with a notable rise in the number of grants being awarded to applicants from the country.
Australia's permanent Migration Program incorporates economic and family migration and is the main pathway to permanent residence Source: AFP, Getty / ARIS MESSINIS/AFP via Getty Images
As per federal government data, India topped the list of countries providing the most permanent migrants to Australia for 2021-22.
For Queensland-based IT professional Saksham Manchanda, 25, the reduction of the processing time is great news, as his visa application has already completed four months in the queue.
Saksham Manchanda, 25, is based in Queensland. Credit: Supplied
"Even though my occupation as a business analyst is not in the state's priority list of skilled occupations, I am sure it is a matter of time," he added.
However, migration expert Suman Dua said processing times can change depending on several factors, including the number of applications received, the resources available for processing, and any specific priorities or backlogs within the migration system.
A year ago, the migration visa backlog stood at approximately 1 million, underscoring the pressing need for a comprehensive overhaul of the migration system. Source: AAP
In her opinion, the Subclass 190 visa category gained significant popularity among applicants during the COVID period which added to the existing visa backlog issue.
Earlier this year, Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil said that when the Labor government came to power last year, Australia's migration system was in a state of disrepair and urgently required significant improvements.
The migration visa backlog stood at almost one million, underscoring the pressing need for a comprehensive overhaul.
The federal government declared its commitment to implementing a significant overhaul of the migration system.
"We have seen fewer skilled migrants choose Australia and growing numbers of migrants not selected on the basis of their skills. We need our migration system to help us meet our challenges, but it is not designed to help us secure sovereign capabilities and manage the transition to net zero," the migration strategy outline, released by Ms O’Neil, said.
As a result, 72 per cent of the 2023-24 migration program has been allocated specifically for skilled workers.
The purpose of this allocation is to enhance the economy's production capacity and address skill shortages in the labour market, particularly in regional Australia.
While the exact number of seats allocated for the Subclass 190 visa category in the current 2023-24 migration program has not been released, a total of 38,133 seats were allocated for this category to the states and territories in the 2022-23.
