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Australian Migration Program Planning Levels FY2023-24

Published 10 May 2023 / Updated 24 Aug 2023

Australian Migration Program Planning Levels FY2023-24

On 9 May 2023, the Australian Government announced that the planning level for the 2023-24 Permanent Migration Program will be set at 190,000 places.

The 2023-24 Migration Program has been designed to address persistent and emerging skills shortages and support the transition to a net-zero emissions economy by attracting specialist skillsets that are difficult to find or develop in Australia. The Program has the following composition:

  • Skill stream (137,100 places) โ€“ this stream is designed to improve the productive capacity of the economy and fill skill shortages in the labour market, including those in regional Australia.
  • Family stream (52,500 places) โ€“ this stream is predominantly made up of Partner visas, enabling Australians to reunite with family members from overseas and provide them with pathways to citizenship. Of this stream:
    • 40,500 Partner visas are estimated for 2023-24 for planning purposes, noting this category is demand driven and not subject to a ceiling.
    • 3,000 Child visas are estimated for 2023-24 for planning purposes, noting this category is demand driven and not subject to a ceiling.
  • Special Eligibility stream (400 places) โ€“ this stream covers visas for those in special circumstances, including permanent residents returning to Australia after a period overseas.

Migration Program planning levels as announced as part of the 2022-23 and 2023-24 Federal Budgets

Visa Stream

Visa Category

2022-23 Planning levels

2023-24 Planning levels

Skill

Employer Sponsored

35,000

36,825

Skilled Independent

32,100

30,375

Regional

34,000

32,300

State/Territory Nominated

31,000

30,400

Business Innovation & Investment

5,000

1,900

Global Talent (Independent)

5,000

5,000

Distinguished Talent

300

300

Skill Total

142,400

137,100

Family

Partner (note 1)โ€‹

40,500

40,500

Parent

8,500

8,500

Child1โ€‹

3,000

3,000

Other Family

500

500

Family Total

52,500

52,500

Special Eligibility

100

400

Total Migration Program

195,000

190,000

(1) For 2023-24, delivery of the Partner and Child visa categories are demand driven, with indicative planning levels only.

Program size and composition

The size and composition of the Migration Program is set each year alongside the Australian Governmentโ€™s Budget process.

To inform the planning levels and policy settings of the 2023-24ย Migration Program, consultation occurred widely with state and territory governments, representatives of academia, industry, unions and community organisations.

When planning the Migration Program, the Australian Government considersโ€‹ the following:

  • Public submissions
  • Economic and labour force forecasts
  • International research
  • Net overseas migration, and
  • Economic and fiscal modelling.

The Department also invites public submissions as part of the planning process for future Migration Programs.ย For more information, see Australia's 2023-24 Migration Program.

State and territory nomiโ€‹nated visa categories โ€“ nomination allocations

Under the Migration Program settings, nomination allocations are made available to States and Territories in the following visa categories:

  • Skilled โ€“ Nominated (subclass 190)
  • Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (subclass 491)
  • Business Innovation and Investment Program (BIIP)

States and Territories each assess eligible applicants against criteria unique to their jurisdiction.

Further information on State and Territory nomination requirements can be found at:

2023โ€“24 state and territory nomination allocations

State

Skilled Nominated (Subclass 190) visa

Skilled Work Regional (Subclass 491) visa

Business Innovation and Investment Program (BIIP)*

ACT

600

600

0

NSW

2,650

1,500

0

NT

250

400

0

QLD

900

650

0

SA

1,100

1,200

0

TAS

600

600

0

VIC

2,700

600

0

WA

1,500

850

0

Total

10,300

6,400

0

โ€‹

๐Ÿšจ Important Note

The 2023-24 permanent Migration Program has allocated 30,375 places for Skilled Independent visas. This is broadly comparable to the 2022-23 program allocation of 32,100 places. The smaller planning level for this category in 2023-24 reflects the closure of the New Zealand stream of the subclass 189 (Skilled โ€“ Independent) visa from 1 July 2023, due to a new direct pathway to citizenship for Special Category Visa holders who meet citizenship eligibility requirements.

The actual allocation for the points-tested component of the Skilled Independent visa category has increased from 25,600 places in 2022-23 to 30,175 places in 2023-24.


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 2023-24 Migration Program

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