Processing times for an important skilled worker visa have more than doubled and the number of migrants languishing on bridging visas has increased six-fold, a new report warns.
The Migrant Workers Centre on Friday released a report documenting the deterioration in Australia’s visa processing system, which found processing times for the 887 skilled regional visa has more than doubled since 2018.
It is now taking at least 24 months for the government to process an application for an 887 visa, which rewards people who have lived and worked in specified areas of regional Australia, providing a pathway to permanent residency.
