More inspection of applicants' backgrounds and English language skills will be part of Australia's proposed reforms under a new migration policy, but it is not anticipated that these changes will negatively affect Indian professionals or students, according to a report by HT.
The changes won't affect Indian students' ability to live, study, and work in Australia for a short while after they graduate because these rights are safeguarded under the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA), HT said citing people familiar with the matter.
The reforms are also anticipated to create a new avenue for semi-skilled workers, which is likely to be advantageous to Indian citizens.
As part of an effort to reform what it called a "broken" migration system, Australia announced on Monday that it will tighten visa requirements for foreign students and low-skilled workers. This move could cut the country's immigration intake in half over the next two years.
The decision was made after it was anticipated that net immigration will peak in 2022–2023 at a record 510,000. According to official data, it was predicted to decline to approximately a quarter of a million in 2024–2025 and 2025–2026—roughly matching pre-COVID levels.
“We’ve worked around the clock to strike the best balance in Australia’s migration system,” Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil said in a statement ahead of the formal release of the government’s new migration strategy later on Monday.
“The government’s targeted reforms are already putting downward pressure on net overseas migration, and will further contribute to this expected decline,” O’Neil said.
