No update from Canberra

The final parliamentary sitting week of the year is here! In fact, with less than 48 hours left, we are all eagerly awaiting the passage of legislation through Parliament establishing the framework for the new temporary skilled worker visa, the Skills in Demand visa and abolishment of the 6-year-old Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) (TSS) visa.

 

With only today and tomorrow left in this parliamentary year, we are not sure whether these proposed changes will get through this year. We are watching this closely over the next 48 hours. The government could announce a surprise extra week in December but otherwise parliament won’t return until February 2024.

 

1 year requirement for TSS visas

In the meantime the 23 November 2024 date has come and gone but we have not seen the government reduce the work experience requirement for the TSS visa from two years. We are still expecting the change at any time and are treating these cases on a case by case basis and your Ajuria Lawyers advisor will advise accordingly.

 

Current Processing Times Updates
As we get close to the Australian summer holiday period and the upcoming federal election in 2025, we are seeing the impact on processing times as well as ongoing inconsistency with these.

 

Current processing time for TSS are:

Accredited Sponsors:                                   1 to 3 months

Non-Accredited Sponsors:                            3 to 6 months

 

We are also seeing processing delays with permanent residence applications. The Department recently announced that applications lodged before 31 October 2023 are to be decided before the end of 2024. It is unclear what impact this will have on permanent residence applications lodged after that date, but we predict that the focus will continue to be on processing permanent applications ahead of the election as this will help to reduce temporary visa numbers.

 

Ajuria Lawyers closure period 

Ajuria Lawyers will be taking a well-deserved break, with our office closing from 23 December 2024 and re-opening on 6 January 2025.

 

For urgent matters, please contact us at urgent@ajurialawyers.com, which will be monitored daily. For critical or time-sensitive issues, partners can also be reached on their mobiles.

The post No news is good news? No updates on immigration reforms but ongoing processing delays first appeared on Ajuria Lawyers – Leaders in Immigration.