Australian Migration Closed COVID-19 Crisis

Go Home – Is Migration to Australia Dead?

Make no mistake, “Australian migration closed, is it the end?” is THE question on every potential migrant’s lips in this crazy time we find ourselves in and as a migration agent, I have a deeply vested interest in the answer! 

But, as crazy as the question may seem, some of the Australian government’s actions over the last month have left our industry scratching our heads. 

The Department of Home Affairs has recently stated that there are 2.17 million people in Australia on a temporary visa in a country with a population of 25 million. And when I say ‘our industry’, what I really mean is our clients – foreigners that live in Australia and their family members back home that come to visit them.

No one likes to be told to go home during the COVID-19 Pandemic

You would have thought that with such a huge number of temporary migrants, the government would be doing everything within its powers to prevent Australian migration closed and offer them security at this time of the COVID-19 crisis. Instead, the message has been simple: “go home”. 

Now put yourself in the shoes of a typical client of mine, let’s say a recent graduate that has studied in Australia (and paid the enormous fees that international students pay) called Ayu from Indonesia. Ayu lost her new graduate job due to the coronavirus and has rent to pay, needs food to survive but has no savings. 

How does the government’s “go home” message make her feel? And don’t for a minute think that the fact that she can access her hard-earned superannuation from her three years working part-time at Starbucks makes her feel any better. 

No, Ayu has been made to feel that she’s no longer welcome in Australia. It’s no different for John from Canada who’s been here for six months on a temporary skilled worker visa which he paid over $4000 for. He’s lost his job and he too has been told to “go home”.

This nightmarish situation is happening to lots of temporary visa holder while Australian migration closed made them confused on which options available for them.

Migration is essential for the good functioning of Australian society

Although the Australian government has not said that migration will end in the way President Trump has done in the United States, its actions paint a bleak picture for aspiring migrants. I’m sorry if I’m being overly negative here, but it’s important to remember what benefits Australia gets from its migrant population. 

So, here are four important facts to consider, according to the Migration Council of Australia:

1. Australia’s projected population will be 38 million by 2050 and migration will be contributing $1,625 billion (1.6 trillion) to Australia’s GDP. 
2. Migration will have added 15.7 per cent to our workforce participation rate and 5.9 per cent in GDP per capita growth. 
3. Without migration, the population would stagnate and our economy would go backwards. 
4. Overall, by 2050, each individual migrant will on average be contributing approximately 10 per cent more to Australia’s economy than existing residents. 

Here are three more facts, according to the New York Times:

1. Immigrants have a net positive impact on the Australian economy because they typically contribute more in tax revenue than the amount they consume in government services.
2. Seventy per cent of migrants to Australia are skilled and of working age, a crucial antidote to the country’s aging population.
3. Higher levels of migration are also associated with less spending per person on social services like health care and education.

It should also be remembered that Australia is the second-largest destination for education, with 565,000 international students supporting 240,000 jobs, according to the Department of Home Affairs. I could go on but I think you get my point – migration is a good thing for Australia. There is no way the Australian government let Australian migration closed and not doing anything about it.

Conclusion: a reason to be optimistic for the Australian migration program.

So, despite my anxiety about some of the actions and inaction of the Australian government over the last month, I feel Australia’s rich history of immigration combined with its wonderful climate and natural beauty will see it remain the destination of choice for migrants like Ayu and John.    

Before I end I should also say how pleasing it was to see the Tasmanian government come out this week with a decisive policy supporting its temporary migrant community. Unlike the Australian government’s “it’s time to go home” message, Tasmania is offering some financial support to temporary visa holders and also support to help them to go home if they want to go.  

Lastly, despite the pressures all the temporary visa holders are feeling right now, I am still optimistic about the future of the migration program in Australia. If you are a migrant in Australia holding a temporary student visa, a temporary working visa or maybe you’re in a relationship with an Australian Citizen and you’re feeling anxiety about your future migration aspirations, we are here to put your concern at ease. 

If you’d like to discuss about Australian migration closed or there is possible way to migrate there instead, please click here to make an appointment with me.  

At ONE derland Consulting, we are an Australian Registered Migration Agent with almost perfect success rates and specialised in super complex visa cases. We have more than 10 years experience helping our clients apply for all visas so we can help you to understand the best options for your next migration opportunity. 

We will take the time and compile all documents needed and we guarantee that your application will be 100% decision ready before submitting it.  

Please contact my team via email at [email protected] or by telephone: Perth (08) 9477 5831, Sydney (02) 9188 2065 & Melbourne (03) 9088 4114.