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The Department of Home Affairs has quietly but significantly reduced the Subclass 189 invitations it issues, and consequently, the number of Subclass 189 Visa applications has plummeted.
From the beginning of the new program year in July 2019 up until 31 January 2020, a total of only 2607 Subclass 189 points stream visas were lodged both from within Australia and offshore.
This is a huge reduction on the previous year (2018-19) when a total of 30,849 Subclass 189 applications were lodged.
In the program year of 2017-18, a total of 23,493 applications were lodged for the same visa type.
It is interesting that these figures do not represent any COVID-19 time as the pandemic wasn’t apparent until the end of January 2020 (the outbreak was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 30 January 2020).
(Thank you for passing on this information Danniel Lee MARN 1687076)
Coming out of the pandemic
Over the weekend, the press was talking up the potential that skilled migration may increase in an attempt to stimulate the economy post-pandemic.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has stated that it’s time to take the economy out of the ICU and he intends (According to The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper on 23 May 2020), to
“Reset the permanent migration program in [the government’s] October budget which could involve an unusual change to the mix between skilled and family reunion migrants as it tries to restart the economy“.
Let’s hope the DHA opens the taps for skilled migrants and family migration, as well as welcoming our international student back.
Watch this space to keep yourself updated and get all the latest Australian Immigration news, hot off the press. Subcribe below.
