Australia's new migration policy is unlikely to have a negative impact on Indians

Australia is introducing futuristic reforms to its existing migration system with increased background checks on applicants, but this will not negatively impact the flow of Indian students and professionals into the country, people familiar with the matter said on Monday.

In its new migration strategy, the Australian government set out a vision with a policy roadmap containing several key 'actions' and more than 25 new policy commitments and areas for future reform.

The people mentioned above said the new migration strategy will include greater scrutiny of English language skills.

This migration strategy was unveiled on Monday after extensive consultations with key stakeholders, with the aim of restoring the existing immigration system.

The broad aim of the overall strategy is to reduce annual immigration inflows to around 2,50,000, in line with the numbers maintained in pre-Covid times.

According to reports, more than 5,00,000 people came to Australia this year.

The people mentioned above said the new strategy will not negatively impact opportunities for Indian students and they would be able to work temporarily in Australia after completing their studies as they are protected by the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) .

“The commitments agreed by India and Australia under the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (AI-ECTA) will be maintained under the new migration strategy,” Australian High Commissioner Philip Green said.

“This means that Indian graduates will continue to be eligible for a temporary graduate visa for two years for a bachelor's degree, three years for a master's degree and four years for a doctorate,” he said.

“The Government will continue to welcome high-quality students seeking educational opportunities in Australia. I see no reason why the number of Indian students should not continue to grow,” Green added.

The people mentioned above said that the extensive research on English proficiency is unlikely to impact Indian students as they are doing well in it.

As of August 2023, approximately 1,20,000 Indian students were enrolled in Australia. Indian students make up the second largest group of foreign students in Australia.