Canberra has reduced the release of the Permanent Visa (PRVs), but the significant increase in the figure of the Bridging Visas being offered by the DHA allegedly denotes the cutbacks made in the figure of the Permanent Visas have been decisively dwarfed by the significant jump registered in the figure of the Bridging Visas.
A report on the subject says that the huge growth seen in the nation’s ballooning provisional movement is comprehensively dwarfing the administration’s cuts made to the permanent migration. The figure of the people with Bridging Visas has reportedly touched a record high. Towards the close of March, 195,000 people with Bridging Visas were in Down Under, and this comprises over 37,000 people with unknown nationality.
As per the official numbers made available by the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), it’s up more than 40,000 on a year back, and nearly 90,000 since 2014. The same has taken the figure of the individuals in the nation on Temporary Visas to over 2.2 million and this once more, a historic high.
Normally, migrants, whose substantive petitions are presently being processed, get the Bridging Visas.
According to a concerned person, the migration programme is “chaotic”. Criticizing the programme and the government further, he reportedly stated that though the resources obtainable to the department are quite restricted every year by administration, the administration still comes-up with ill-baked restructuring plans that necessitate temporary arrangements, and require several layers of processing against rules in the similar visa areas. And, the outcome of those things is major delays, he added.
Efforts to Reduce Migration
As per the in-office Australian Premier Malcolm Turnbull, plans are afoot to reduce the permanent migration intake from its customary level of 190,000 every year, down to roughly 170,000 this year, though that figure is dwarfed by the scale of the temporary visa scheme.
During the previous year an extra 150,000 visitors were in the Kangaroo Land on temporary visas, comprising 33,000 additional students from abroad. Several of these — like students, backpackers and numerous holders of the Bridging Visas — enjoy wide work rights.
Allegedly, several reasons are behind the jump in the number of the Bridging Visas, and this includes the extra number of the petitions submitted, courtesy of major programme improvements and reductions made in the resources available at the department.
During the year gone by, Canberra rolled out an overhaul of both temporary & permanent migration schemes.
Processing times in major visa categories comprising the Employer-Nominated Scheme (ENS), Temporary Skill Shortage (previously code 457), and Skilled Independent Visas have all ballooned during the past couple of years.
As per a spokesperson from the DHA, behind the jump seen in the processing times numerous factors were at play comprising the number of petitions obtained; completeness of the petition; how promptly candidates reply to any requests from the DHA; and the complexity of evaluations concerning health, character & national security requirements.
The Unknown 37,000
A key reason behind the jump seem in the number of the Bridging Visas is the rather secretive component of 37,000 visa holders for whom the DHA is reportedly not ready to divulge their country of origin.
Allegedly, the programme changes and lack of resources mean a jump in the figures of the visa denials that end up at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. It leads to a major rise in the figure of the unjustified denials, and transfers time postponements, and costs over to the Appeals Tribunal even as the Appeals Tribunal is unnecessarily squandering resources on costly tribunal members taking a decision on simple visa issues.
The average processing time at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal for the Temporary Work Visas has been 381 days over the past six months even as this is up from 286 for the parallel time-frame a year back.
As per another concerned person, it is impossible to figure the reason behind the jump in the number of the Bridging Visas, minus without new details on the issue. Still, he reportedly added that an increase in the application rates in the various visa classes and visa denial figures in the various categories could be a major reason and so could be the increase in processing times across a chain of visa classes.
