2017 at a Glance

Australia has remained a shining attraction for many aspiring migrants in 2017. The demand to call Australia home, remained strong despite the uncertainties underpinning the legal environment. Some of the key developments in 2017 include; the announcement of a new Home Affairs Ministry which would be responsible for multiple areas including immigration, changes to the 457 Scheme, the proposed changes to citizenship laws and simplification of Australia’s entire visa system. These changes are only mere examples of key developments and are in no way exhaustive.

The Government announced in July 2017 that a new Home Affairs Ministry would be established and that the current Minister for Immigration, the Hon. Peter Dutton, would become its head. The new Ministry would assume responsibility for immigration, border control, national security and law enforcement. The details of this very significant change remain in need of clarification. Many remain concerned as to whether the immigration portfolio will receive appropriate resourcing within the new super Ministry. Given the current issues with delays in processing applications, many stakeholders are curious as to whether the immigration portfolio will be a ‘winner’ in this overhaul.

The proposed changes to the 457 Scheme, including its complete abolishment by March 2018, remains a divisive issue. Accordingly, the 457 Scheme received significant media attention throughout the year. With changes being rolled out at various intervals, the evolving nature of the 457 Scheme has caused uncertainty for many stakeholders. Although, initial changes to the 457 Scheme were perceived by many as being abrupt, subsequent changes have been less controversial and even welcomed by some stakeholders.

The proposed amendments to Australian citizenship law were dramatically defeated in the Australian senate when it became apparent that the proposal would not receive the necessary support. In what was heralded by various groups as a historic win for multicultural Australia, the Government flagged that the matter was not settled and that a further attempt to modify the existing laws would be on the table in due course. The irony of the aforementioned, perhaps lies in the political backdrop, whereby an unprecedented dual citizenship crisis continues to wreak havoc in Canberra.

Earlier this year, the Department of Immigration and Border Protection initiated a consultation process with the public seeking input into simplifying Australia’s entire visa system. The Department is currently considering whether it is feasible and indeed favourable to reduce the number of visas from around 100 visas to around 10. Another important term of reference underpinning the consultation is whether permanent residence should only be granted to those who have held provisional residency. This is currently not the case for many visas.

Overall, the immigration landscape in Australia has faced many challenges in 2017. Despite these multi-dimensional challenges, Australia remains a great attraction for aspiring migrants. The 2018 year is now around the corner. In the new year, those who are well informed and adaptive to the challenges they face within the immigration landscape, are in a prime position to actualise their dreams. For those who remain unaware of the dynamic immigration environment, uncertain times await.