Immigration Alert - October 2022

Parent Resident Visa Category Reopens

The Parent Resident Visa category will reopen on 12 October 2022 after being closed since 2016.

Available visas under this category will increase to 2500 per year.

Income requirements for eligible sponsor children will decrease from twice the median wage to 1.5 times the median wage.

The process will continue to be premised on a ballot system based on expressions of interest.

Selections of expressions of interest will resume from 14 November 2022.

Any new expressions of interest submitted after 12 October 2022 will go into a ballot rather than joining the existing queue to avoid lengthy delays.

Skilled Migrant Category Reopens

The Skilled Migrant Category will reopen on 9 November 2022 after being closed since April 2020.

No policy changes have been made yet, although the long term direction of the category is still under review and could change in future.

The Category will continue with expressions of interest on a points-based system  - applicants are allocated points based on factors such as age, employment, qualifications, experience, and other contribution.

Prior to its suspension, applicants required 160 points to qualify. This will be retained for the first selection on 9 November 2022 but will increase to 180 points for future selections.

There is no cap on the number of eligible people who can gain residence under this category.

We will release further details as more information comes to hand. Contact Hetish Lochan our Immigration expert TODD & WALKER Law for an obligation fee discussion regarding your eligibility against the technical requirements of the respective visa categories.  Contact: [email protected] or +64 (0)21 075 8147.