Australia Allocates Additional Funding to Reduce Visa Processing Times

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Australian government is working to reduce visa application waiting times by allocating additional funds in its latest budget.

“Our government, in the most recent budget, has announced additional funding for efforts to reduce the waiting times you must go through to receive a visa decision,” said Australia’s Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, who also serves as Assistant Minister for Immigration, Matt Thistlethwaite, during a public discussion held by the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI) in Jakarta on Tuesday (14 July).

Thistlethwaite explained that Australia’s visa quota is set through annual planning that adjusts to levels of supply and demand.

Determining the quota also takes into account the budgetary burden on the state arising from facilities accessed by visa holders, ranging from students and temporary workers to permanent migrants.

“They will gain access to our healthcare and education systems. They also use public transport, infrastructure and housing, and there are costs associated with that which we must bear in the budget,” he said.

According to Thistlethwaite, waiting times have increased because the number of incoming applications continues to surge, whilst the quota for each visa category—such as partner visas, student visas and skilled worker visas—remains limited.

The additional funds in the new budget are expected to accelerate immigration decision-making processes.

The acceleration effort has drawn attention after the Australian government downgraded Indonesia’s status from Level 1 to Level 2 (moderate risk category) on 27 March, specifically for student visa applications.

The change to Level 2 status requires applicants from Indonesia to attach financial documents and English language proficiency test results subject to stricter requirements, thereby necessitating a more thorough assessment process by Australian immigration authorities.