From 1 July, the government will create a new fast-track program to allow passports to be processed in five business days.
The government is expected to reap an additional $27.4 million from this new measure over five years.
“This will be offered alongside the existing ‘Priority’ service.”
New visa for skilled Indian nationals
A new visa scheme will bring in 3,000 Indian graduates and early-career professionals aged up to 30 with skills and education in targeted sectors, to live and work in Australia for two years.
There will be an application fee of $390 for those interested.
Charges for working holiday makers – but only three countries
Working holiday makers from China, Vietnam and India will face a new visa pre-application ballot process from this year.
The ballot process will cost applicants $25, which the government says will help manage demand and application processing times for these countries.
A ‘fair go’ to genuine asylum seekers
There will also be eight new judges, four appointed to each of the Federal circuit and family circuit, to resolve the backlog of migration and protection applications which, the current government claims, was left by the previous government.
New innovation visa for talented migrants
The government will also reduce the two-year work experience requirement for those applying for the temporary skills shortage visa to one year.
How will this new fast-track passport processing program impact current applicants waiting for their passports?