Will Australia Lose Migrants Under New Financial Requirements For Visa Applications?

The Federal government has made changes to the Assurance of Support Scheme, which requires newly arrived migrants to have a financial backer during their first years in Australia. The changes to the Scheme, which is compulsory for some visa categories, have doubled the earning requirements for Australians to become financial backers. The Department of Social Services believes the changes will help keep Australia’s social security system sustainable. However, Australians will now face significant financial strain if they want to act as a backer for newly migrated family members. But what social and economic impacts will Australia face if we continue to make it harder for people to migrate?

We discussed the issue with Dr. Alia Imtoual, The Director of Policy at the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Council of Australia, which is concerned about the changes to the Scheme.