Indian migrant warns Australia: ‘Screening process is not strong enough’

An Indian migrant has issued an urgent warning to Canberra, saying the country’s immigration screening process is “not strong enough” to check the fast‑rising flow of applications under sweeping reforms rolling out in 2025. The alarm comes as the government replaces the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa with the new Skills in Demand visa, lifts income thresholds, and tightens English rules, while processing teams face heavy caseloads.

He argues that weak vetting of backgrounds, qualifications, and online activity risks letting in applicants who don’t hold the skills they claim. He calls for deeper employment checks and practical skills testing, not just document reviews. That message echoes a wider global push for tougher screening as governments link migration more closely to security and economic outcomes.

What the government says and the new visa structure

The Department of Home Affairs says its reform push aims to match workers to real shortages and protect program integrity. From July 2025, the Skills in Demand visa splits employer sponsorship into three income‑based streams:

• Specialist Skills: salaries of AUD 141,210 and above
• Core Skills: AUD 76,515 to 141,209
• Essential Skills: a forthcoming stream for lower‑paid, in‑demand roles

These thresholds were lifted on 1 July 2025 from previous settings of AUD 135,000 and AUD 73,150.

Officials have also revamped the points test to promote Australian work experience, recent study, and regional jobs. On 7 August 2025, stricter English rules take effect, with higher score floors and acceptance of new tests including CELPIP General, LANGUAGECERT Academic, and the Michigan English Test (MET).

For the 2024–25 year, the Permanent Migration Program remains at 185,000 places, with 132,200 for the skilled stream and 44,000 for employer‑sponsored routes. While policy now favors targeted, job‑ready entrants, median processing times remain under pressure as applications rise, according to publicly released timeliness data.

The stated goal: match workers to real shortages while protecting program integrity. The practical test will be whether processes and staffing can deliver that at scale.

Concerns raised by the migrant and systemic risks

The Indian migrant’s worry focuses on the real‑world limits of screening when volumes spike. In his view:

• Basic document checks miss inflated resumes, staged work histories, and social media behavior that may contradict stated roles.
• Screening should include direct employer contact, duty‑level verification (not just job title matching), and spot testing of core skills for high‑risk occupations.

He warns that weak vetting risks not only labour mismatches but also national security and social trust issues. Even rare failings can attract public attention and trigger calls for broad restrictions. Stakeholders stress that transparent rules and even‑handed enforcement protect both communities and genuine applicants.

Policy changes reshaping the system

Home Affairs has begun tightening criteria in line with some of those concerns:

• Skills assessors for several occupations now review actual job duties and outcomes, not only job titles, to curb misuse of categories.
• The Business Innovation and Investment Program closed in July 2024, replaced by a National Innovation Visa launched late 2024 to attract high‑impact talent with clearer performance tests.

Analysts caution that resource limits can blunt even well‑designed rules:

• More demanding checks take time and require retraining.
• Case officers must weigh fraud risk against service goals as employers push for faster starts.
• Outcomes depend heavily on staffing, data‑sharing, and technology support (VisaVerge.com analysis).

Employer sponsorship remains central. To work as intended, employer vetting must be rigorous:

• Check business viability and compliance history
• Verify salary offers against market rates
• Audit employer compliance during the visa term

Without such checks, higher thresholds may simply push problems into different streams.

Impact on applicants and employers

For applicants — especially from India, a major source country — the new settings raise the bar:

• Stronger English tests apply from 7 August 2025.
• Skills assessments are more detailed and duty‑focused.
• Salary thresholds under the Skills in Demand visa exclude lower‑paid roles in the Specialist and Core streams.
• Applicants need contracts that meet or exceed the relevant floor and evidence that daily duties match the nominated occupation.

Partner visa changes: the partner visa pathway has been simplified to a single stage to reduce paperwork, though fees have risen, squeezing household budgets.

Applicants should prepare beyond certificates. Expect requests for:

• Pay slips and tax records
• Supervisor contacts and referees
• References that describe duties and project outcomes, not only employment dates

Employers face their own requirements and should:

• Keep clean payroll and HR records
• Be ready for site visits and audits
• Ensure salary offers meet new thresholds
• Map roles to the correct Skills in Demand stream after the TSS retirement
• Plan for compliance across the sponsorship lifecycle (reporting duty or location changes)

Processing times remain a variable. Median timeliness varies by category and shifts with lodgement volumes. Stakeholders report that complete, well‑organised files tend to move faster, while missing documents or unclear duties invite extra questions and delays.

Practical steps for applicants (recommended)

1. Build a clear, chronological work history with duty‑level detail.
2. Secure letters from past managers, including contact details for verification.
3. Gather objective proof of skills — portfolios, code repositories, trade certifications.
4. Double‑check that the offered salary meets the correct stream threshold.
5. Prepare for English testing changes from 7 August 2025 if existing scores will expire.

Operational challenges and suggested improvements

The government’s next challenge is operational: scale background checks without slowing decisions to a crawl. Likely approaches include:

• Smarter triage: fast‑track low‑risk, well‑documented cases; deepen review for high‑risk files
• Better data‑sharing with overseas agencies
• Tighter employer monitoring and audits
• Updated plain‑language guidance explaining duty‑based assessments for applicants and HR

These measures aim to preserve both program integrity and processing speed.

Broader debate and concluding points

Supporters say the overhaul better aligns migration with economic goals and protects wages. Critics argue that:

• Higher thresholds can price out capable workers
• Patchy screening may still allow bad‑faith applicants through

Both sides agree that steady, reliable screening is the backbone of a credible program. Strong screening also protects newcomers from being placed into unsuitable or exploitative roles.

For official settings on allocations, thresholds, and policy direction, readers can consult the Department of Home Affairs migration program: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/what-we-do/migration-program-planning. Applicants should use only the official government portal and avoid third‑party sites that charge extra fees.

In the end, the Indian migrant’s message is simple: paperwork alone won’t confirm skill or character. As Australia implements the Skills in Demand visa and retires the TSS visa, the system will be judged not only by new rules but by the care and consistency of the checks behind them. Real people’s futures depend on it.