The Department of Home Affairs usually runs invitation rounds every month, and the results are published later.
Highlights:
- No invitations for skill independent visa have been reported since 21 October 2020.
- The lowest number of invitations were issued in October (110).
- 2020-21 Migration program ceiling is 160,000.
Listen: The government is likely aiming to undershoot 2020-21 Migration program ceiling, says Mr Abul Rizvi:
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Australian immigration program: No skilled invitations reported since October
SBS Hindi
15/12/202004:51
However, no invitations have been reported since 21 October 2020. This was the last round published on DoHA website with 110 invitations.
Immigration law expert and former deputy secretary of the Department of Home Affairs Abul Rizvi says this is not good for the immigration program of Australia.
"No skilled independent invitations since 21 October when a very small number of invitations were issued. Full-year places for state-sponsored allocations have been announced only recently," says Mr Rizvi
The government is likely aiming to undershoot 2020-21 Migration program ceiling of 160,000 significantly.
Australia has issued a total of 1410 invitations in the current financial year's four invitation rounds. 990 Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) were issued, and 420 were in the Family-Sponsored stream (Skilled Work Regional Subclass 491).
The lowest number of invitations were issued in October (110) while July invitation round witnessed the highest (600) so far.
Melbourne-based migration agent Chaman Preet says the applicants are disappointed.
"We haven't seen many invites in a long time. Visa hopefuls have their hopes pinned on each round of invites, and it's disappointing for them to see no or very little invites being issued.
"They have done everything they could to be on the highest point range, but this trend has left them devastated with most of them scrambling for more options," said Ms Preet.
Abul Rizvi is of the view that the move not to organise invitation round could be deliberate.
You may be eligible for the AMEP if you are a permanent resident of Australia or you hold an eligible temporary visa Source: Getty Images
He says it would be consistent with the way the past governments have managed migration during periods of very high unemployment.
"In the 1991 recession government cut the migration programme very significantly. In 1982-83 recession it did the same, and in the recession of the mid-70s, it did the same.
"There's a long history of the government cutting the migration programme when unemployment is very high," said Mr Rizvi.
Source: Department of Home Affairs
Department of Home Affairs says the 2020-21 Migration Program provides flexibility for the responsible Minister to adjust Skilled migration planning levels as circumstances require.
“The Government is closely monitoring migration and visa settings to ensure they are consistent with public health measures, are flexible and do not displace job opportunities for Australians, so that Australia can effectively respond to the immediate and subsequent impacts of COVID-19.
As such, targeted invitation rounds have occurred since May 2020,” a DoHA spokesperson told SBS Hindi.
Disclaimer: We’d like to point out that the information contained in this segment is general and is not specific advice. If you would like accurate information relevant to your situation, you should ask a registered migration agent.
