On 14 May 2024, the Australian Government announced that the planning levels for the 2024–25 permanent Migration Program (Migration Program) will be set at 185,000 places.
The Migration Program Planning Level refers to the number of visas the Australian government plans to issue each financial year. For 2024-25, the program is set at 185,000 places, just a slight reduction of 5,000 from last year.
Despite plans to halve net migration, this number shows that the government will continue to issue permanent residency visas to those who address Australia’s skill shortages.
The Government has raised the planning level for Employer Sponsored visas, increasing it from 36,825 in 2023–24 to 44,000 for the 2024–25 permanent Migration Program.
This adjustment builds upon the widened pathway to permanent residency initiated by the Government in November 2023. It aims to enable a larger portion of temporary migrants to obtain permanent residency, through the Subclass 186 – Temporary Residence Transition Stream.
Subclass 482 Visa
The Government will also reduce the work experience requirement for the Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) visa —and likely the new Skills in Demand visa— from two years to one year for all applicants from 23 November 2024 onward
MATES Program
The Government will implement a new Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early-professionals Scheme (MATES) program for Indian nationals from 1 November 2024.
MATES will provide a new mobility pathway for 3,000 Indian graduates and early career professionals (aged 18 to 30 years at the time of application), with knowledge and skills in targeted fields of study to live and work in Australia for up to two years.
Visitor (Business Visas) Extended
As part of the MMPA, the Government also lengthened the validity of the Visitor visa (subclass 600) Business Visitor stream for Indian nationals from up to three years to up to five years.
Visitor (Business Visas) Extended – For China, Vietnam and India
The Government will introduce a new procedure the Government plans to implement for the capped Work and Holiday visa program (subclass 462) in China, Vietnam, and India starting from the 2024–25 period. The new process involves a visa pre-application, essentially a ballot system, to regulate the demand and streamline the processing times for visa applications from these countries.
Applicants will need to pay a fee of $25 for participating in the ballot process, which will be adjusted in accordance with the Consumer Price Index in the future.
Skilled Independent Visa
In the 2024–25 Migration Program, the Government has allocated 16,900 places for Skilled Independent visas. This is a decrease compared to the 2023–24 program allocation of 30,375 places.
State/Territory Nominated
The Government has increased the planning level for the State/Territory Nominated category to 33,000 visas, and the planning level for the Regional category to 33,000 visas for the 2024–25 Migration Program.
Partner Visa
The Partner visa category constitutes the largest segment within the family stream. Since 2022–23, the Partner program has transitioned to a demand-driven model, acknowledging the social, economic, and demographic benefits of family reunification, particularly through the Partner visa program. This approach offers flexibility to adapt the program according to anticipated demand, thereby reducing the Partner visa backlog and processing times for many applicants.
Parent Visa
The Parent visa program maintains its allocation at 8,500 places, while the Other Family category (comprising Aged Dependent Relative, Remaining Relative, and Carer programs) remains at 500 places.
Child Visa
The Child visa program enables Australian residents to sponsor their dependent, adopted child, or orphaned relative. This program operates on a demand-driven basis, with a planning allocation of 3,000 places. The Australian Government prioritizes the reunification of children with Australian parents or family sponsors, aligning with international obligations to consider the best interests of the child as paramount.
The Government has reduced the planning level for the BIIP from 1,900 visas in 2023–24 to 1,000 visas for the 2024–25 permanent Migration Program.
As part of the Migration Strategy, the Government announced that it would not provide any new allocations for the BIIP while a new talent and innovation visa was considered. This new visa – to be called the National Innovation visa – will be available at the end of 2024.
The BIIP will be closed permanently from July 2024 and new applications for the Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) (subclass 188) visa will no longer be able to be lodged.
Visa Stream | Visa Category | 2023–24 Planning levels | 2024–25 Planning levels |
|---|---|---|---|
Skill | Employer Sponsored | 36,825 | 44,000 |
Skilled Independent | 30,375 | 16,900 | |
Regional | 32,300 | 33,000 | |
State/Territory Nominated | 30,400 | 33,000 | |
Business Innovation & Investment | 1,900 | 1,000 | |
Global Talent (Independent) | 5,000 | 4,000 | |
Distinguished Talent | 300 | 300 | |
Skill Total | 137,100 | 132,200 | |
Family | Partner1 | 40,500 | 40,500 |
Parent | 8,500 | 8,500 | |
Child1 | 3,000 | 3,000 | |
Other Family | 500 | 500 | |
Family Total | 52,500 | 52,500 | |
Special Eligibility | 400 | 300 | |
Total Migration Program | 190,000 | 185,000 |
Unit 7, 242-244 Caroline Springs Blvd
Caroline Springs VIC 3023
Unit 7, 242-244 Caroline Springs Blvd
Caroline Springs VIC 3023
