On 14 May 2024, the Australian Government unveiled the planning levels for its 2024–25 permanent Migration Program, setting it at 185,000 places. This strategic plan aims to address skills shortages, boost regional development, and strengthen social cohesion by strengthening family and community bonds.

Program Composition

Skill Stream

The Skill stream accounts for 132,200 places, approximately 71% of the program. It targets improving economic productivity and addressing labour market needs, particularly in regional areas. Key categories include:

· Employer Sponsored: Increased to 44,000 places, supporting pathways to permanent residence.

· State/Territory Nominated and Regional Visas: Both increased to 33,000 places, facilitating regional economic development.

· Skilled Independent: Reduced to 16,900 places, focusing on attracting highly skilled individuals.

· Business Innovation & Investment: Reduced to 1,000 places, with plans for a new National Innovation visa to replace it.

· Global Talent: Set at 4,000 places, transitioning to the forthcoming National Innovation visa.

Family Stream

Comprising 52,500 places, the Family stream emphasises reunification and social cohesion. Highlights include:

Partner Visas: 40,500 places, supporting family reunification.
Child Visas: 3,000 places, demand-driven to prioritize children's welfare.
Parent Visas: Maintained at 8,500 places.

Special Eligibility

With 300 places, this stream covers unique circumstances, including returning residents.

Fig 1. Migration Planning Levels as based on the 2023-24 and 2024-25 budgets:

The purpose of each visa or stream

Employer Sponsored/State Nomination: To fill skill shortages identified by employers and/or the States/Territories in metro and regional areas.

Skilled-Independent: To fill skill shortages with young and highly skilled individuals to replenish Australia’s labour market in the long term.

Business Innovation and Investment Program: Aims to boost economic activity by attracting entrepreneurial talent and expanding business expertise in Australia.

Global Talent Program: Attract specialised and skilled overseas individuals in growth industries to enhance Australia’s innovation landscape, offering businesses and entrepreneurs opportunities to exchange innovative ideas, skills, and experience.

Distinguished Talent: Attracting individuals to Australia who have an internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement in a profession, a sport, the arts, academia, and research.

Family Stream: The aim of the family stream in the categories of partner, parent and child visas is to reunite families with their Australian citizen or permanent resident partner, parent, or child. The department recognises and values the contributions made by the immigrants in the community.

Fig 2. State and Territory Nominations Allocations:

Nomination allocations are the number of new primary applicants each state or territory can nominate in a program year.

Impact and multi-year planning:

From the allocations and planning levels identified in the tables above, it is evident that the migration program geared towards permanent residence have been reduced in specific visa categories compared to last financial year. The reasoning behind this is the volatility in the overall net migration program, which includes temporary visa categories like working holiday visas, student visas, Australian and New Zealand citizens and humanitarian visas. Moreover, the government in response to growing public pressure and lack of resources wants to minimise the impact of permanent immigration on housing, infrastructure, and services. This minimisation is to transition over a 4-year period rather than being reviewed and planned on a yearly basis to better align with demands and cater to shortages in the long terms. In addition, the government is focusing their efforts to strike a balance between attracting skilled individuals in the construction and health sectors and introducing new initiatives of National Innovation visas to make Australia an emerging business hub among upcoming and already established economies around the world.

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Note: The information provided in this article is meant for general informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as legal advice. Although we strive to provide accurate and useful information, the nuances of Australian immigration law demand personalised advice from legal professionals. Given the dynamic nature of migration regulations, it is essential to consult with experienced immigration experts for up-to-date insights tailored to your individual circumstances. We strongly advise seeking professional guidance to navigate the complexities of Australian immigration law effectively and to achieve the most favorable outcomes for your immigration journey.