As widely known, Australia is a nation of immigrants, historically attracting a large number of immigrants to settle in the country.

However, this influx of immigrants has been accompanied by a multitude of challenges, and the immigration system has been on the verge of collapse.

Therefore, the current Minister of Home Affairs has reiterated the need for a “thorough” reform of the immigration system.

Against this backdrop, we have witnessed multiple rounds of government reforms: increasing skilled migration, cracking down on visa fraud, reforming student visas, and targeting employer-sponsored visas, among other changes.

Yet, within these reforms, there seems to be some inconsistency in the Australian government’s approach. Sometimes they appear to want more immigrants, and at other times, they do not. Many of the reform directions are not cohesive.

Earlier this year, the Australian Department of Home Affairs shocked everyone by reducing state quotas by 70% and eliminating Investment visa.

However, recent signals from the Australian government indicate the need for more immigrants.

Reports suggest that Australia is about to experience the largest immigration wave in its history!

The government predicts that by 2027, Australia’s net overseas migration will reach 1.5 million people. This means that 1.5 million people will be able to successfully immigrate to Australia!

Australia is about to witness the largest immigration wave in history

PR applications skyrocket

According to reports, based on the federal government’s predictions, Australia is set to welcome the largest immigration wave in its history. It is estimated that by 2027, there will be 1.5 million net overseas immigrants arriving in Australia. This is nearly double the net immigration figures from 2017 to 2022.

This is in stark contrast to the situation reported by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) in 2020 and 2021 when departures outnumbered arrivals due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in interrupted international travel, and immigrants being unable to enter the country.

If we consider these predictions, the coming years will be a “golden period” for immigration, especially for skilled migrants.

According to former Deputy Secretary of the Department of Immigration, Abul Rizvi, in the 12 months leading up to June, net overseas migration reached 470,000, and it could reach 500,000 in the 12 months leading up to September.

According to the 2021 Census data from ABS, 79% of immigrants chose to live in New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, and Queensland, while 19.2% resided in South Australia and Western Australia.

The Department of Home Affairs revealed this month that in the previous fiscal year, the number of people applying for permanent visas increased by 64%, leading to an excess of more than 190,000 people waiting for permanent visas.

In addition, a spokesperson for Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers stated that the return of students and working holidaymakers is stronger than expected, thanks to the robust Australian labor market and a steady rebound in the number of international students after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The business community generally welcomes the arrival of immigrant workers and students, as they are considered essential to addressing the severe labor shortages.

However, some economists argue that the increase in the foreign population has intensified the pressure on the rental market and contributed to rising house prices. Currently, the Australian property market is very competitive, and the progress of new housing construction remains slow, leading to high demand for housing.

Moreover, an increase in visa applications does not necessarily mean that the government can process them promptly. Recently, the Australian government also released visa data for the previous fiscal year, which indicated that the visa backlog issue remains severe.

New Document Revealed

These Occupations in High Demand

According to the government’s latest immigration report, in the 2022-23 fiscal year, the Australian Department of Home Affairs issued a total of nearly 200,000 permanent residency visas (PR).

According to the report, in the 2022-23 fiscal year, the total PR visas issued in Australia were as follows:

Skilled Migration category: 142,344 visas;

Family Migration category: 52,500 visas;

Special Eligibility category: 160 visas.

The number of skilled migrants reached its highest point in nearly a decade, while the family migration numbers remained lower.

New South Wales and Victoria continue to be the two most favored states for immigrants, with 57,000 and 49,000 immigrants, respectively.

In the 2022-23 fiscal year, India, Mainland China, and the Philippines were the top three sources of approved immigrant applications, with 41,145, 23,936, and 13,085 people, respectively.

The “Four Kings” of skilled migration include employer-sponsored visas, state-sponsored visas, regional migration, and independent skilled migration, with similar numbers for these four categories.

In this context, two popular professions that continue to be in high demand in Australia have a higher likelihood of successful immigration: teaching and healthcare.

Teaching, especially early childhood and secondary teaching, saw a 151.5% increase in applications in the independent skilled migration category, while healthcare applications increased by 144.3%. These professions also receive priority processing from the government.

Overall, the most approved skilled migrants are registered nurses, accountants, software engineers, chefs, and civil engineers. Additionally, early childhood educators, secondary school teachers, and vehicle engineers are also on the list.

Registered nurses stand out with a significant number of over 10,000.

With that said, it’s evident that there is a shortage of skilled workers in Australia, and individuals with relevant skills should consider immigration, particularly in trade-based professions such as chefs, carpenters, and bricklayers.

However, visa backlog issues persist. For example, while the refusal rate for employer-sponsored visas has dropped to a very low 2.3%, there are 27,523 visa applications awaiting approval, a significant increase from before.

The backlog for independent skilled migration visas has more than doubled.

State-sponsored visas have a backlog of 50,000 applications.

At the current rate, it may take 20 years to process parent visas.

Given this situation, it appears that the Department of Home Affairs staff may need to work even harder.

Final Thoughts

The government’s ability to predict 1.5 million new immigrants must have its reasons. Perhaps Australia continues to face a shortage of skilled workers, or there are numerous vacancies waiting to be filled behind the low unemployment rate. This presents an opportunity for many aspiring immigrants. Most of the in-demand professions are those with a severe shortage of workers in Australia, and those with immigration needs in recent years should seize this opportunity!

Sources: Australian Department of Home Affairs, AFR, Daily Telegraph,etc.”