20,000 would-be migrants will have their applications cancelled under a revamped skilled migration program announced by the Federal Government.
Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Evans, announced the changes as part of a shift to a demand rather than supply driven model.
In what has been seen as a toughening-up of migration policy, 20,000 current applications will be cancelled, a point system will be introduced based on occupations in demand and the Immigration Minister will acquire the legal authority to set a cap on the number of visas for a single occupation.
The cancelled applications apply to all offshore general skilled migration claims lodged before September 2007. This will cost the government an estimated $14 million in visa application refunds.
According to the government, the applicants who will be denied applied overseas under easier standards, including lower English language skills and a less rigorous work experience requirement.
28 year-old Chutima Phayungporn moved to Australia from Thailand two years ago.
She said her decision to come to Australia was a costly one. “I think it’s not easy – it’s quite hard. You have to get a lot of money for the visa and to pay for the course,” Mrs Phayungporn said.
Since she was young, her dream had been to study at one of Australia’s top hairdressing colleges.
She enrolled herself at Toni & Guy Creative Academy in Paddington in a Certificate 3 in Hairdressing. At the same time, her and her husband decided to apply for their Permanent Residency visas.
Mrs Phayungporn worried her application would more likely be denied with the changes to the government’s skilled migration program. “We’ve invested a lot of money in coming here, and this change isn’t fair.”
“For other people like me that want to come here, I think they want to change their life and if the government do something like this, it’s not fair,” she said.
by Ehssan Veiszadeh
