In 2023, Australia said it would review the Australia immigration and visa policies to address the growing shortage of workers, mainly in rural areas. A complete report is expected to be released in February this year. Moreover, like most developed nations, Australia also faces the problem of an aging population. This is dependent on the overseas migrants who contributed to the population growth from 2005 - 2006. 

Also, the problems started because of the strict lockdown imposed by the country during the covid-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, the Australian government instructed foreign students, backpackers, and other visitors to move back to their homes. 

Now that the country opened the border for international travel in July 2022, the country will witness at least 2.35 lakh immigrants in 2022-2023. As per the population statement issued by the Australian government last week, it states that "overseas migration is forecast to increase a net inflow of 1,50,000 in 2021-2022. It is then forecast to reach the pre-pandemic trend of 2,35,000 from 2022-2023 and remain at that level after that".

Also, the arrival of international students studying online during the pandemic played an important role in restoring overseas migration patterns. As per the report, "there was a strong recovery in international students' arrival in the December 2021 and March 2022 quarters as students who previously studied online and offshore took advantage of eased border restrictions. In mid-October 2022, there were 1,22,000 more international students in Australia than in mid-December 2021. 

Visa Options For Immigrant People

Two types of visas are available for Australia immigration - Student visas and working visas. But the visa is primarily dependent on your English proficiency and enrollment with a recognized university; the working visa will be based on several factors. For instance, take Canada's Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS); Australia has a points calculation system.

Using the applicant's age, skills, educational qualifications, assessment, and English proficiency scores in IELTS or PTE exam are taken into account to determine their eligibility for a visa. Also, the ANZSCO code, a three-digit code allotted to each occupation, will determine whether they can apply for the visa independently or if they need a prior invitation from the authorities. 

Indians in Australia

Currently, Australia is home to 7.8 lakh Indians, which accounts for 3.1% population of the total population of the country's 2021 Census Bureau report. Among this, 3.62 lakh were men, 3.1 lakh were women who were born in India, and the rest were born in Indian-origin families in Australia.  

For your information, Indians have been a significant part of Australia since the 1800s. But the count increased more in the early 2000s because of the immigration of skilled professionals. 

According to OECD, Australia has the second most severe labor and skills shortage in the world. And the second position goes to Canada. The Visa category for this year's quota has been released. The following table will give you the details. 

Visa Category	2021 - 2022 Quota	2022 - 2023 Quota
Employer Nominated (subclass 186)	22, 000	30, 000 (+36%)
Skilled Independent (subclass 189)	6, 500	16, 652
Skilled Nominated Visa State/ Territory (subclass 190)	11, 200	20, 000 (+79%)
Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa (subclass 491)	11, 200	25, 000 (+123%)

The following are some of the requirements to be eligible for the skilled visa:

• To be under the age of 45
• Nominate an occupation on the appropriate skills list
• Do a skills assessment
• Meet the English Language Criteria
• Be of good health and good character
• Meet the legislated points score (which are awarded for factors such as age, experience, and education)