Summary of Migration Updates in 2021

Many changes occurred in Australian Immigration this year, from lockdown to border closure and travel ban. As Covid-19 continues to batter Australia’s economy, the government has finally announced the updates to its migration programms for 2021. Migration has always made substantial contributions to Australia’s culture and economy, so 2020 travel restrictions and the delayed release of Skilled Migration quotas have hit the country particularly hard.

Student Visa
Students can have their student visa application fee waived if they lodge a further student visa application to complete their study. This will be available to students who held a student visa on or after 1 February 2020 and who could not complete their course within their original visa validity due to the impacts of COVID-19. This includes students who:
• deferred their study as they were unable to enter Australia due to travel restrictions
• were forced to reduce to a part-time study load
• were unable to complete their work-based training or placements.
This measure is not intended for students who are applying for a new student visa due to ordinary reasons (including if you have failed a course or a unit of study, deferred for personal reasons or voluntarily reduced your study load.) Business, Investment, and Innovation Program
The 2020-21 migration program aims to support the economic recovery post-COVID-19. For this reason, places for the business, investment and innovation program have increased to 13,500. The government will be streamlining and improving the operation of the Business Innovation and Investment Program from 1 July 2021. The visa application charges will also increase by 11.3% from 1 July 2021.
One of the main changes is that the requirements for Business Innovation visa holders will be increased to ensure the program is attracting migrants with proven business skills. Business Innovation visa holders will be required to hold business and personal assets of $1.25 million (up from $800,000) and have an annual turnover of $750,000 (up from $500,000) to prove their business acumen. Temporary Graduate Visa (Post-Study Work) (Subclass 485)
Under the Migration Amendment (Temporary Graduate Visas) Regulations 2020, former international students who studied for their qualification at an educational institution at any location outside of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane will be given the opportunity to extend their Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) visa, adding one or two more years to the current two-year Post-study work stream.In this uncertain time where the regulations change constantly, Straits Lawyers hope to assist you in your migration matters and enquiries. We are now offering online services in both English and Chinese. Please note that this article does not constitute legal advice and Straits Lawyers will not be legally responsible for any actions you take based on this article.