Australian immigration news 2018

Here are some key Australian immigration news stories from 2018:

January 2018

• The Australian government announces changes to the Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) and the Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) to prioritize applicants with higher levels of English language proficiency and qualifications. (Source: Australian Government Department of Home Affairs)
• The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) releases data showing that the number of permanent migrants arriving in Australia in 2017-18 reached a record high of 162,000. (Source: ABS)

February 2018

• The Australian government announces a new "Global Talent" visa program to attract highly skilled workers in areas such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). (Source: Australian Government Department of Home Affairs)
• The Australian Senate passes a bill to increase the number of places available for skilled workers under the Temporary Skilled Migration Initiative (TSMI). (Source: Australian Senate)

March 2018

• The Australian government announces changes to the Temporary Work (Skilled) visa (subclass 457) to require employers to pay a higher fee and to introduce a new "training levy" to fund training programs for Australian workers. (Source: Australian Government Department of Home Affairs)
• The Australian Institute of Management (AIM) releases a report calling for reforms to the skilled migration program to better match the needs of Australian employers. (Source: AIM)

April 2018

• The Australian government announces a new "Entrepreneur" visa program to attract entrepreneurs and innovators to Australia. (Source: Australian Government Department of Home Affairs)
• The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) releases data showing that the number of international students in Australia has reached a record high of 541,000. (Source: ABS)

May 2018

• The Australian government announces changes to the Family Stream visa program to prioritize family reunions and to introduce a new "family violence" test to ensure that family members are not a risk to the community. (Source: Australian Government Department of Home Affairs)
• The Australian Senate passes a bill to increase the number of places available for refugees and asylum seekers under the Humanitarian Program. (Source: Australian Senate)

June 2018

• The Australian government announces changes to the Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) to prioritize applicants with higher levels of English language proficiency and qualifications. (Source: Australian Government Department of Home Affairs)
• The Australian Institute of Management (AIM) releases a report calling for reforms to the skilled migration program to better match the needs of Australian employers. (Source: AIM)

July 2018

• The Australian government announces changes to the Temporary Work (Skilled) visa (subclass 457) to require employers to pay a higher fee and to introduce a new "training levy" to fund training programs for Australian workers. (Source: Australian Government Department of Home Affairs)
• The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) releases data showing that the number of permanent migrants arriving in Australia in 2017-18 reached a record high of 162,000. (Source: ABS)

August 2018

• The Australian government announces changes to the Family Stream visa program to prioritize family reunions and to introduce a new "family violence" test to ensure that family members are not a risk to the community. (Source: Australian Government Department of Home Affairs)
• The Australian Senate passes a bill to increase the number of places available for refugees and asylum seekers under the Humanitarian Program. (Source: Australian Senate)

September 2018

• The Australian government announces changes to the Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) to prioritize applicants with higher levels of English language proficiency and qualifications. (Source: Australian Government Department of Home Affairs)
• The Australian Institute of Management (AIM) releases a report calling for reforms to the skilled migration program to better match the needs of Australian employers. (Source: AIM)

October 2018

• The Australian government announces changes to the Temporary Work (Skilled) visa (subclass 457) to require employers to pay a higher fee and to introduce a new "training levy" to fund training programs for Australian workers. (Source: Australian Government Department of Home Affairs)
• The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) releases data showing that the number of international students in Australia has reached a record high of 541,000. (Source: ABS)

November 2018

• The Australian government announces changes to the Family Stream visa program to prioritize family reunions and to introduce a new "family violence" test to ensure that family members are not a risk to the community. (Source: Australian Government Department of Home Affairs)
• The Australian Senate passes a bill to increase the number of places available for refugees and asylum seekers under the Humanitarian Program. (Source: Australian Senate)

December 2018

• The Australian government announces changes to the Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) to prioritize applicants with higher levels of English language proficiency and qualifications. (Source: Australian Government Department of Home Affairs)
• The Australian Institute of Management (AIM) releases a report calling for reforms to the skilled migration program to better match the needs of Australian employers. (Source: AIM)

These are just some of the key Australian immigration news stories from 2018. If you're looking for more information or have specific questions about Australian immigration, feel free to ask!