Queensland set to announce its skilled migration program for 2021-22 soon
Queensland’s Department of Employment, Small Business and Training confirmed to SBS Hindi that the nomination round for the Skilled Nominated Subclass 190 visa and Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Subclass 491 visa will open shortly.
Highlights:
- Queensland’s migration program for 2021-22 to open soon
- The state government has a quota of 1,000 places for the Skilled Nominated Subclass 190 visa and 1,250 places for the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Subclass 491 visa
- Pavneet Singh Thind, an onshore applicant, says the wait has been frustrating as all other states have already opened
The department said, “We have very specific skills and labour needs in Queensland, and we have been consulting with industry to ensure the nomination process will meet those needs.”
The Australian government has allocated the Queensland government a quota of 1,000 places for the Skilled Nominated Subclass 190 visa and 1,250 places for the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Subclass 491 visa for 2021-22.
Earlier this month, Migration Queensland, the nominating body for the state government and a business unit of Trade and Investment Queensland (TIQ), posted on its website that the opening date of the state’s migration program had been delayed due to a final round of industry consultation.
It further asked applicants to consult a registered migration agent or an immigration lawyer for an alternative option to stay in the state, in case their visa was expiring.
Pavneet Singh Thind, a Gold Coast-based IT professional, has been eagerly waiting for the Queensland government to announce the opening of its migration program for this financial year.
The 22-year-old, who moved to Australia in 2016, said he completed his IT course at Griffith University and has been working as a software engineer in the state. He said he was hoping that he met all the required skills to qualify and apply for permanent residence.
“I think I tick all the boxes to apply for permanent residency,” Mr Thind told SBS Hindi, adding that the uncertainty has made it difficult for him to plan for the future.
“The delay is frustrating. I cannot think of moving to other states that have opened their migration program as I will have to start from scratch to build on my years of living and working there,” he said.
Seema Chauhan, a migration expert based on the Gold Coast, pointed out that it has been more than 100 days since the start of the new financial year and the state has yet to present its migration plan for 2021-22.
Ms Chauhan said the state has given various reasons for not opening the migration program, and potential migrants, particularly onshore international graduates, are feeling disappointed.
“The messaging initially was that of ‘rebranding’ Business and Skilled Migration Queensland to Migration Queensland. This was followed by a message that the program is commencing ‘early September’, which subsequently changed to end of September,” she told SBS Hindi.
Many aspirants are reportedly considering options to relocate to other states and territories, and Queensland’s education sector will likely face a long-term, detrimental effect.
Ms Chauhan added that migration is a key motivation for many international students when opting for a study destination.
Queensland is the only state that has not yet announced its migration program for the current financial year.
골드 코스트의 이주 전문가인 Seema Chauhan은 새 회계 연도가 시작된 지 100일이 넘었으며 주에서는 아직 2021-22년의 이주 계획을 발표하지 않았다고 지적했습니다. Chauhan 씨는 주정부가 이민 프로그램을 열지 않은 데 대해 여러 가지 이유를 제시했으며 잠재적 이민자, 특히 역내 국제 졸업생들이 실망하고 있다고 말했습니다. 그녀는 SBS 힌디어와의 인터뷰에서 “처음에는 비즈니스 및 숙련된 마이그레이션 퀸즐랜드를 마이그레이션 퀸즐랜드로 ‘브랜딩’한다는 메시지가 있었습니다. 이후에 프로그램이 ‘9월 초’에 시작될 것”이라는 메시지가 뒤따랐습니다. 이 메시지는 이후 9월 말로 변경되었습니다.” 보고에 따르면 많은 지망자들이 다른 주와 준주로 이전할 수 있는 옵션을 고려하고 있으며 퀸즐랜드의 교육 부문은 장기적으로 해로운 영향에 직면할 것입니다. Ms Chauhan은 이민이 유학지를 선택할 때 많은 유학생들이 주요 동기라고 덧붙였습니다. 퀸즐랜드주는 현재 회계연도의 이민 프로그램을 아직 발표하지 않은 유일한 주입니다.
