In an effort to tackle unfair labor practice, the government of Australia has applied new changes to visa conditions 8107, 8607 and 8608 that will take effect from July 1, 2024.
Through a statement, the Department of Home Affairs of Australia has announced that it has made improvements in order to support the labor market mobility of temporary migrants who hold the following visas:
- Temporary Work (Skilled) visa (subclass 457)
- Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482)
- Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (provisional) visa (subclass 494).
The Department of Home Affairs said that holders of these visas who stop working with their sponsoring employer will have more time to find a new sponsor, apply for a new visa or arrange to depart from this country, VisaGuide.World reports.
Holders of these kinds of visas will have up to 180 days at a time, or a maximum of 365 days in total across the entire visa grant period.
During this time, visa holders can work for other employers. This includes work in occupations not listed in their most recently approved sponsorship nomination. This will ensure that visa holders can support themselves while they look for a new sponsor.
The Department has warned that sponsors are still required to let the department know if there is any change in the situation for a period of 28 days.
The Department has said that visa holders must not do any work that is inconsistent with any license or registration required for their nominated occupation, including any conditions or requirements they are subject to.
The changes apply to existing visa holders, as well as those granted a visa on or after 1 July 2024. Any periods a visa holder stopped working for their sponsor before July 1, 2024 will not count towards the new time periods outlined above.
New Migration Strategy to Better Manage Migration
On December 11, 2023, Australia’s government introduced a new migration strategy, with a policy roadmap consisting of eight key actions and more than 25 policy commitments and zones for future reform.
Authorities in Australia are also attempting to attract a larger number of internationals.
On May 14, this year, the Government of Australia announced that the planning levels for the 2024-25 permanent Migration Program will be set at 185,000 places.
The Migration Program aims to fill in gaps noted in several labor shortages while also prioritizing visa processing for regional Australia.