Instant Travel Visa

Australia has two separate parts for its permanent immigration programme consisting of Migration, for Skilled, Family and Special Eligibility Stream and Humanitarian, for refugees and others needing humanitarian aid.

For 2008–09 planned numbers for Australia’s Migration Programme has been levelled at 190 300 places and for the Humanitarian Program 13 500 places.

Australia’s Government is committed to its immigration policies, which aim to keep equilibrium for economic social, humanitarian and environmental objectives.

Humanitarian Programme

Australia’s Humanitarian Programme for 2008-09 includes:

Refugees from abroad - 6500 places
Special Humanitarian Program – over 7000 places (this includes places required for onshore needs).

Migration Program
Australia’s 2008–09 Migration Programme has 190 300 places, representing 19.8 per cent more than the 2007-08 Program year.

The 2008-09 Migration Programme includes 56 500 places for migrants wishing to join their family who already reside in Australia, and who are sponsored by that family.
There are 133 500 places for skilled migrants who are accepted for a visa for Australia primarily because of their work or business skills.

Australia also has 300 migration places for special eligibility migrants and those who apply under the Resolution of Status class and have resided in Australia for 10 years.

The balance of Australian migrants with skills has been maintained, with about 70 per cent of places available in the Skill Stream.

The Australian Government has announced changes to the visa procedures for the online tourist visa, as of the 9th August 2008 a new Personal Particulars Form will be added to the online eVisa Tourist (e676) application form for Australia.
Applicants may be required to answer extra questions relating to Health and Character.
For those who need to complete the new form, a prompt and the questions, will appear straight after payment for the visa has been made. Applicants will be requested to answer the questions, giving as much detail as possible, to ensure their Australian visa applications are processed without any delay.

The Australian Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Evans has stated that Australia may have to look abroad to fill severe shortages in some key areas of the unskilled labour markets. Industries affected by the shortages include hotel and catering, farming and care of the elderly, who all require an unskilled and semi-skilled available workforce. Mr Evans indicated that relaxing Australia’s immigration policies for overseas workers could help Australian businesses overcome labour shortages.

As it stands the immigration policy adopted by Australia, gives preference to skilled migrant workers, who may apply for an Australian visa under either a temporary work visa or the General Skilled Migration program.

The number of skilled migration visas for Australia available, has recently been increased by the Australian Government from 133,500 to 164,500. In an effort to raise the immigration of skilled workers, the government has announced rises to the minimum levels of pay. The Minimum Salary Level (MSL) for skilled workers that qualify for the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) will go up by 3.8 per cent commencing 1st August.

The Minimum Salary Level increases for the Employer Nomination Scheme comes after an announcement by Chris Evans, of a comparable increase to the MSL for the subclass 457 visa program. The ENS is frequently used to gain permanent Australian residency for immigrant skilled workers already employed in Australia temporarily, such as those holding a 457 Australian visa. The MSL increases will ensure consistency between it and the Australian 457 skilled worker visa program.
The ordinary MSL will rise to $43 440, whilst the MSL for ICT professionals will rise to $59 477. The increases will only pertain to professions that are listed under the ENS from the first of August. Skilled workers already holding an ENS visa, and workers already nominated by employers in Australia prior to August 1st will not be included by the MSL increases.

Another solution is the increase in working holiday visas between Australia and Thailand. Australia continues to increase its Work and Holiday visa schemes by developing agreements with countries previously not included and raising quotas for countries already taking part in the scheme. Thailand and Australia will enlarge their Work and Holiday visa arrangements by increasing the numbers of visas to be granted by more that double the current figures. Chris Evans, on his visit to Bangkok earlier this month, stated that the numbers of Work and Holiday visas available for nationals from each country is to see an increase from 200 to 500 each year.

Australia is now near to having full reciprocal visa arrangements with citizens of the most recently elected members of the European Union (EU) after announcing improved electronic visa services.

Andrew Metcalfe, secretary of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, said that the majority of tourist visa applicants from Bulgaria, Poland and Romania could have their visas processed on-line in minutes.

The ETA (Electronic Travel Authority) visa has been available to citizens of eligible countries throughout the world for a number of years and, by extending this facility to all tourists from EU nations, it will bring Australia nearer to a reciprocal arrangement with the EU where tourists can visit on a short-term business. Currently an ETA visitor visa lasts for up to a year and allows visitors to enter Australia for up to 3 months in any one visit.

To further enhance security and immigration risk screening, October will see the introduction of a new on-line service to help streamline the processing of visas for both tourists and those visiting Australia on short-term business. This will involve advances in the technology currently being used and also help eliminate the necessity of completing application forms.

In making entry into Australia simpler for a further million visitors from the EU each year not only enhances cultural links but helps grow tourism to Australia and makes business relationships that much easier with Australia’s biggest partner in trade.

The introduction in October of the e-visitor service adds to the progress already having been made in this new era of close co-operation between Australia and the European Union.