Migration Program 2024-25 Planning Levels Announced
The Australian Government announced on 14 May 2024 that the permanent migration planning levels for 2024-25 will be set at 185,000places with an approximate 70:30 split between the Skill and Family streams.
Migration Program 2024-25 Planning has the following composition:
Skill Stream: 132,200places, 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: Only 300 places– This stream covers visas for those in special circumstances, including permanent residents returning to Australia after a period overseas.
Migration program planning levels announced as 2023-24 & 2024-25 Federal budgets are given below:
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Employer Sponsored visa category
The Government has increased the planning le vel for Employer Sponsored from 36,825 visas in 2023–24 to 44,000 visas for the 2024–25 permanent Migration Program. This planning level builds on the expanded pathway to permanent residence introduced by the Government from November 2023. It will allow a greater proportion of temporary migrants to secure permanent residence in a timely manner through the Temporary Residence Transition Stream.
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 for the 2024–25 Migration Program.
Together these categories, which both contain visas nominated by state and territory governments, account for 36 per cent of the overall planning level and 50 per cent of the Skill stream.
Increasing the planning levels for the State and Territory Nominated and Regional categories will allow jurisdictions to attract skilled migrants to meet their specific economic and labour force challenges. Increases to the Regional category planning level will also support key commitments in the Migration Strategy to support regional Australia, in addition to priority visa processing.
Skilled Independent visa category
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, but still well above the COVID-era planning levels of 7,500 and 6,500 places in 2020–21 and 2021–22 respectively.
Business Innovation and Investment Program (BIIP) visa category
The Government has also 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 is to be called “the National Innovation visa” – It will be available at the end of 2024.
Note: 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. Subclass 188 BIIP visa applications that have been lodged will continue to be processed in line with Government priorities and the Migration Program planning levels. Those who hold a subclass 188 visa and meet the relevant criteria for the grant of the Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) (subclass 888) visa will still be able to continue on this pathway after July 2024.
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. Through the new visa, the Government will provide a permanent visa pathway for the most exceptional talented migrants – such as high performing entrepreneurs, major investors, and global researchers. National Innovation visas granted in 2024-25 will be counted within the Global Talent Visa Program. Existing Global Talent visa applicants will not be adversely affected by the transition.
Family stream
The Parent visa program has been maintained at 8,500 places while the Other Family (including Aged Dependent Relative, Remaining Relative and Career programs) visa category has been maintained at 500 places.
The Child visa program allows Australian residents to sponsor their dependent or adopted child or an orphaned relative. The Child program is demand-driven and remains set at 3,000 places for planning purposes only. The Australian Government prioritizes the reunification of a child with an Australian parent or family sponsor. This ensures we uphold our international obligations to consider the best interest of a child as a primary consideration.
State and territory nomination allocations:
The Department of Home Affairs hasn’t published the 2024-25 Nomination Allocations for each jurisdiction yet. We will update the latest information when they are published by The Department of Home Affairs
