Planning levels for the Migration Program for 2023-2024

The 2023-24 permanent Migration Program has been set at the pre-COVID planning level of 190,000. It is a slight reduction of 5,000 places (2.56%) compared with the 2022-23 permanent Migration Program planning level of 195,000 places.

The Skill stream allocation is 137,100 places, 72% of the program. The composition of the program maintains a significant focus on permanent skilled places, supporting Australian industry and business and continues to deliver a key commitment made by the Government to ensure no migrant is ‘permanently temporary’.

Skilled Independent visas been set at 30,375 places.

Skilled Independent visas been set at 30,375 places. The 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. The allocation for the remaining Hong Kong pathway remains at 200 places.

The Skilled Independent visa is granted to migrants who have high human capital as well as the qualifications and skills that can help us address longer-term structural shifts and skill shortages in our workforce.

Let’s take a look at the primary key migration program setting for the new fiscal year

• While Australia is building the domestic pipeline of highly skilled workers, the permanent Migration Program will help build resilience, boost productivity and support our economy as it transitions to net-zero emissions.
• The permanent Migration Program will help address the challenges of an ageing population.
• As migrants are, on average, younger than the existing Australian population, migration reduces the average age of the population and slows the rate of population ageing.
• Permanent Migration provides migrants with the certainty of permanency and will help to ensure that no migrant is permanently temporary.
• Greater certainty of permanent residence will encourage migrants to integrate into the Australian community immediately from arrival, including by making personal investments into skills, human capital and social connections.

How does Australia plan to meet its planning levels with its continuous growth in visa applications you may ask?

The Government will continue efforts to manage the number of visas on-hand by extending funding for 380 visa processing officers, providing an additional $48.1 million over 12 months. The efforts of many additional trained visa processing staff that commenced in 2022 and early 2023 have significantly increased visa processing capacity.

• On-hand temporary and permanent applications are now almost 40 per cent lower overall than in June 2022, and there has been a nearly 70 per cent reduction in the temporary visa program.
• Between 1 July 2022 and 31 March 2023, the Department finalised nearly 6.15 million temporary and permanent visa applications.

The Government is also investing $27.8 million over two years, commencing in 2023-24, to upgrade existing visa ICT systems to improve visa service delivery efficiency and increase Australia’s attractiveness in the global race for talent, students and tourists. The 2022-23 Migration Program is tracking well to meet the 195,000 new permanent visa grants for 2022-23, with a strong focus on the Skill stream.