Team Blitz India
NEW DELHI: Australia on December 11 said it would tighten visa rules for international students and low-skilled workers that could halve its migrant intake over the next two years as the government looks to overhaul what it said was a ‘broken’ migration system.
The decision comes after net immigration was expected to have peaked at a record 510,000 in 2022-23. Official data showed it was forecast to fall to about a quarter of a million in 2024-25 and 2025-26, roughly in line with pre-COVID levels.
“We’ve worked around the clock to strike the best balance in Australia’s migration system,” Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil said in a statement ahead of the formal release of the Government’s new migration strategy.
“The Government’s targeted reforms are already putting downward pressure on net overseas migration, and will further contribute to this expected decline,” O’Neil said.
O’Neil said the increase in net overseas migration in 2022-23 was mostly driven by international students.
