“Should a prospective migrant spend a period of time in Australia before becoming eligible for permanent residence?”
The Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, Alan Tudge expressed his concern saying it was “less than ideal” letting migrants come to Australia as permanent residents immediately. Rather, the Government is considering introducing mandatory provisional visas before granting permanent residency as discussed already in Nov 2017.
While Tudge spoke about the need for changing the process in London, the Federal Opposition and migration experts do not necessarily agree with him. They explain that migrants are already undergoing exams and tests and being vetted for their character.
The discussion paper mentions that about 50% of all permanent migrants, had lived in Australia on a temporary visa already, which the Minister sees as an indicator that temporary residency is already becoming the first step to living in Australia.
The FECCA (Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Council of Australia), however, says that there is no evidence to prove that staying in Australia initially as a temporary resident would enhance integration. In fact, it would make it harder for people to obtain employment and it would “delay (…) the integration process”.
Migration Expert, Michael arch from Concordia Law, also agrees with FECCA that there is no proof that stricter rules would “protect the Australian community as existing provision already require that visa applicants demonstrate they are of good character by producing police clearances”.
If anything, those moves could lead to migrations seeking alternative migration destinations rather than coming to Australia.
