Why Skilled Couples are the Most Rational Choice for...

Why Skilled Couples are the Most Rational Choice for Migration Planning? Single applicants, applicants with unskilled partners (as defined by DHA), applicants with skilled partners, and applicants married to AU Citizens/PRs, all offer different payoff for the skilled migration system.

Understanding the Planning Level System FY Planning Level represents the total planned migrant intake for a financial year. Example: FY2024-25 Planning Level for Subclass 189 is 16,900 places

Application Composition: Each EOI (Expression of Interest) can include: - Primary applicant - Secondary applicant (partner) - Dependents (children) Every granted visa consumes one Planning Level spot per applicant

1. Unskilled Partner Scenario - Composition: 1 skilled primary + 1 unskilled secondary - Efficiency: 1 skilled migrant per 2 Planning Level spots - 50% efficiency rating

2. Single Applicant Scenario - Composition: Primary applicant only (initially single) - Future Probability: ~50% chance of marrying a skilled partner - Efficiency: 1.5 skilled migrants per 2 spots - 75% efficiency rating

3. AU Citizen/PR Partner Scenario - Composition: Partner is already Australian resident - Key Point: Doesn't consume Planning Level spots - Efficiency: 1 skilled migrant per spot - 100% efficiency rating

4. Skilled Couple Scenario - Composition: Both primary and secondary are skilled - 2 skilled migrants per 2 spots (100% efficiency) - Additional long-term economic benefits: Outperforms even AU partners in lifetime outcomes

Efficiency Ranking 1. 🏆 Skilled Couples (100%+), with statistically higher economic payoff than AU Partners in long term (option 2 below) 2. 🥈 AU Partners (100%) 3. 🥉 Single Applicants (75%) 4. Unskilled Partners (50%)

Policy Implications - Skilled couples represent the most efficient use of Planning Level allocations - Deliver double the skilled migration benefit per family unit - Offer superior long-term economic outcomes compared to other configurations