With the recent budget cut taking effect, there has been little focus on the Government’s new visa laws. Very recently, four visa subclasses have been repealed, with the Government discontinuing several types of family visa subclasses. There will be a repeal of the Parent Visa (non-contributory); Aged Parent Visa; Aged Dependent Relative Visa; Remaining Relative Visa; and the Carer Visa.

These new laws represent the Government’s broader objective to elevate the proportion of skilled migrants to approximately two-thirds of the total number involved in the Migration Program.

While there is no doubt that the reason for this decision was driven to lighten the workload imposed on the Department of Immigration, some schools of thought view the change as rather shortsighted. It is argued that this new policy overlooks the significant contribution that carers and parents make to the Australian economy.

Albeit being an indirect effect, prioritizing administrative advantages and short-term revenue over a sustained and stable economic growth is the main point of opposition on this change.

Increase in the Proportion of Skilled Migrants as Primary Objective

While there are those who oppose the change, the Government does provide justification to their stance. Officially, the Government’s reasoning is that these new changes will shift the necessary focus towards the entry of “partners, children and those parents who are able to contribute financially to the cost of their migration and settlement”.

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison when asked to speak about the changes stated that “immigration is an economic policy, it is not welfare policy”, indicating that the changes were driven by economic reasons.

Taken together, the two indicate that the Australian government place significant concerns on the qualifications and skills of the people who are migrating to Australia. While on the one hand the action is justifiable, it would seem that the effect of this decision has yet to be placed under the spotlight.

The Overlooking of the Value of Family

The effect that the new law carries could be seen as a blow to potential migrants’ morale in making the big leap of faith when migrating to Australia. Applicants not only need to fulfill the rigorous requirements set by the Australian Government, but also need to be in a state of relatively high morale.

Originally, the carer visas enabled needy permanent residents or Australian Citizens to sponsor a family member to care for them (if the same care cannot reasonably be obtained from a relative or service in Australia).

Without this option, it would be reasonable for a potential migrant to opt for another country that allows for families to be reunited should the need arise. In one view, this has caused some to view the repealing of this class of visas as counter-productive to Australia’s migration objective in the long run.

Furthermore, another factor which was overlooked is the role that relatives and parents can play is their role in reducing the cost of childcare to Australian families.

A recent research conducted by the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling and AMP reported that the cost of childcare has outstripped petrol prices in the last five years.

Given the major effect petrol prices has played in the Australian economy in the last decade, Australia would do well to invest more resources to form carefully planned schemes and policies to help achieve the best for our economy.

All Hope is Not Lost for Potential Migrants

Although an ironic view to the loss of these visas may be that in the long run, it can affect Australia’s ability to compete with other economies to attract the best skilled migrants, all hope is not lost.

With the implementation of this new law and the promotion of the Family Migration Program, the Australian government is seeking to refine the quality of migrants coming into the country each year.

The repealed visas represent only approximately 5% of the quota allowed to family migrants each year. There are still plenty of different ways for a potential migrant to call upon families should the need arises.

However, despite the ever-increasing complexity of the Australian Immigration system, we at Results Migration can help those who feel that they are ready for to start a new life here in Australia. Our team of expert and friendly Migration Agents can walk you through all processes of the migration procedure, from choosing your visa to the lodgment of application.

If you have any questions regarding carer visas, or any issues with migration in general, do not hesitate to email us at [email protected] or call us on 1800 808 717 for further discussion.