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 2024–25 permanent Migration Program has the following composition:
- Skill stream (132,200 places, approximately 71 per cent of the program) – This stream has been designed to improve the productive capacity of the economy and fill skill shortages in the labour market, particularly those in regional Australia.
- Family stream (52,500 places, approximately 28 per cent of the program) – 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 2024–25 for planning purposes, noting this category is demand driven.
- 3,000 Child visas are estimated for 2024–25 for planning purposes, noting this category is demand driven.
- Special Eligibility stream (300 places) – This stream covers visas for those in special circumstances, including permanent residents returning to Australia after a period overseas.
- Employer Sponsored visa category-the Government has increased the planning level for Employer Sponsored from 36,825 visas in 2023–24 to 44,000 visas for the 2024–25 permanent Migration Program.
- State/Territory Nominated visa category-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
- Skilled Independent visa category– the Government has allocated 16,900 places for Skilled Independent visas.
· Business Innovation and Investment Program (BIIP) visa category-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.
· Global Talent visa category- the Government has slightly reduced the planning level for the Global Talent Visa Program to 4,000 visas for the 2024–25 Migration Program.
Source: Department of Home Affairs
