Skilled stream places increasing

2022-23 Australian Budget supports skilled migration with skilled stream rising to 109,900 places

child visaThe Federal Budget was delivered on 29 March 2022, and it was announced that in 2022-2023 financial year the Australian Government will set a ceiling of 160,000 places for its Migration Program with the focus on skilled migration.

What does the Skilled stream consist of?

The skilled stream will increase to 109,900 places and will consists of:

  • 30 000 places under employer-sponsored visas,
  • 16,652 places under skilled independent stream,
  • 20,000 places under state and territory nominated stream,
  • 25 000 places under regional visas,
  • 9,500 places under Business Innovation and Investment visas,
  • 8,448 places Global Talent category and
  • 300 places under Distinguished Talent category

In early 2022-2023 occupation lists will undergo review and will be updated to reflect changes in Australia’s labour market.

Update to Australia's family migration program

Within Family migration program, 40,500 places will be allocated to partner visas, 3,000 places to the child visa categories and 6000 places to the parent visas.

Working holiday visas for Australia

Extra 11,000 visas will become available to Working holidaymakers with the additional incentive of the visa application fee refund for those who arrive in Australia between 19 January 2022 and 19 April 2022.

Humanitarian programme

A ceiling of 13,750 places will remain unchanged under the Humanitarian programme and will include 4000 temporary visas for Ukrainians nationals forced to leave their country as a result of the Russian invasion and extra 16,500 places for Afghan nationals equally allocated over the next four years.