New visas boost for resources
IN March 2018, the replacement of the 457 Visa with the Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) Subclass 482 Visa marked a shift in Australia’s migration program. Employers have had to respond and adapt to a more complex, restrictive and costly legislative framework to sponsor overseas workers. This year, the Government formalised further restrictions to Australia’s migration program by reducing the permanent migration intake by 30,000 people per year. Australia’s permanent migration intake is now set at 160,000 people per year for the next four years, with 23,000 of those placements becoming available for new Regional Skilled Visas commencing in November. The revised migration planning levels reflect a policy shift towards encouraging migrants to live and work in regional areas. Compared to…