As 2024 came to an end, the Australian government announced a series of significant changes to the Australian Migration Strategy for 2025. These changes are designed to better address workforce shortages, promote permanent migration, and enhance the overall functioning of the migration system.
In this blog, we explore some of the key immigration changes for 2025 and the impact on visa applicants, employers, and international students.
The Australian government has introduced a new list of skilled occupations — the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL), This list is developed by Jobs and Skills Australia using an in-depth analysis of business recruitment activity, economic data, and submissions.
The CSOL consists of three lists that determine the occupations that skilled migrants can apply for. These are:
The CSOL applies to the core skills stream of the new skills in demand (SID) visa. It will also apply to the direct entry stream of the employer nomination scheme (subclass 186) visa.
On 7 December 2024, the new skills in demand (SID) visa came into effect, replacing the temporary skill shortage (TSS) visa. The key changes are as follows:
If you are a visa applicant who submitted a TSS application after 7 December 2024, you will NOT need to resubmit under the new SID visa requirements. For assistance with your application, book a consultation with a registered migration agent today.
On December 7, 2024, the Australian government introduced the new national innovation visa (NIV), replacing the global talent visa. The NIV is for global experts and exceptionally talented individuals who can drive growth in sectors of national importance. The key changes are as follows:
The NIV aims to attract a broad range of high-calibre talent to Australia. If you are a global researcher, investor, entrepreneur, athlete, or creative, then the NIV visa program may provide you with a pathway for migration. To check your eligibility, contact us at AustraliaMigrate today.
Introduced in 2012, the skilled migration points test measures how desirable migrants are to the Australian workforce and community. The test considers factors such as age, education, English language skills, and work experience.
Although the minimum score of 65 on the points test is the basic threshold level, the higher your points, the more likely you will be invited to apply for a visa. A points score of less than 75 is highly unlikely to be granted an invitation.
The points test has not been changed since it was introduced over a decade ago. Currently, consultation is taking place to explore how the points test can be amended to attract skilled migrants to Australia. In 2025, we may see some changes to the points test. This would be long overdue but at this point nothing has been announced yet.
In order to prolong their stay in Australia, many visa holders switch between different temporary visas – a practice referred to as ‘visa hopping’.
To address this issue, the government has introduced no further stay conditions on specific visas to crack down on onshore visa hopping. The changes are as follows:
In addition to the above restrictions, the Department of Home Affairs will no longer accept Letters of Offers from individuals applying within Australia for a student visa after 1 January 2025. Onshore visa applicants are now required to include a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) when submitting an application to demonstrate their commitment to study.
In the past, prospective international students have come to Australia on a temporary visa to visit an educational institution and ensure it is a good fit for their needs. If it was, many temporary visa holders applied for a student visa whilst still in the country. This pathway was quite popular, with over 36,000 applications lodged last financial year.
However, these new restrictions prevent prospective applicants from applying for a student visa onshore. If you are a prospective student, you must take this into consideration when planning your studies in Australia. You must return home before applying, or apply for a student visa in the first place without the reassurance of an initial in-person visit.
In addition to the above, not providing a CoE will make a student visa application invalid. This means that your application cannot be assessed and no bridging visas can be granted to extend your stay. If you are intending to study but are unable to obtain a CoE before your current visa expires, you must depart Australia or explore other visa options.
The Australian government is expected to announce more changes to the migration system over the course of the year. As more details emerge, you can expect to hear it first from us. To learn more about what these 2025 visa changes might mean for you, contact us at AustraliaMigrate today.
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