The Australian Government has outlined what they will do in the coming year in the Budget announcement. The Government is making a plan Migration Strategy to make sure the system works for the betterment of Australians and migrants.

On May 9, 2023, the Australian Government announced that they will allow 190,000 people to live permanently in Australia in 2023-24.

The plan for 2023-24 is aimed at fixing problems with skill shortage workers. It also wants to help the environment by hiring people with special skills that are hard to find in Australia. The Program is made up of these parts:

• Skill stream (137,100 places) – this stream is designed to improve the productive capacity of the economy and fill skill shortages in the labor market, including those in regional Australia.
• Family stream (52,500 places) – 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 2023-24 for planning purposes, noting this category is demand driven and not subject to a ceiling.
• 3,000 Child visas are estimated for 2023-24 for planning purposes, noting this category is demand driven and not subject to a ceiling.
• Special Eligibility stream (400 places) – this stream covers visas for those in special circumstances, including permanent residents returning to Australia after a period overseas.

Net Migration Numbers 2023-24

The Government estimates net overseas migration to be 400,000 for 2022-23 program year. The forecast for 2023-24 program year is to be 315,000.

For 2023-24 program year the number of places for permanent migration will be 190,000 places. Out of these 190,000 places 70 percent of places will be allocated to the Skilled Migration stream. 

2023-24 Migration Program Year Changes

The Government has announced the following changes to be implemented for 2023-2024 program year.

• Skilled Migration Stream: The government plans to give 70% of spots in the 2023-24 Migration Program to skilled workers. This will help the economy and fix the problem of not having enough people with necessary skills.
• Skilled Migration Stream: The TSS visa holders will be able to become permanent residents by the end of 2023 through a Skilled Migration Stream program. To keep their TSS visa, people who applied for it must keep working in the same job they applied for. Instead of working for three years, you only need to work for two years to be eligible. To make things easier, the Government will let people apply for more short-term visas while they are in Australia. They won’t have a limit anymore.
• Temporary Graduate Visa: The Temporary Graduate Visa allows some people to work in Australia for 2 more years after they finish studying. This helps make sure that there are enough skilled workers in important industries.
• Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT): As per the latest updates the TSMIT will increase to $70,000 to ensure skilled migration settings are better targeted.
• Student Visa Program: If you are an international student and you work in aged care, you can work as much as you need until 31 December 2023. This exemption applies to the capped fortnightly work hour limit.
• Pacific Labour Scheme: The Pacific Labour Scheme gives more training opportunities to Pacific workers who come to work in Australia. They get extra training in areas that are really important for the Pacific and Timor-Leste and where there aren’t enough workers in Australia.
• NZ Citizens Pathway to Australian Citizenship: From July 1st, 2023, New Zealand citizens who have been living in Australia for 4 or more years with a Special Category (subclass 444) visa will be able to apply for Australian citizenship. This is for those who arrived in Australia after February 26th, 2001.

Improving Skills Recognition for Migration

The Government wants to help people who come to this country by making sure they have the right skills for work. They are going to make quick assessments and offer free training to help them find jobs.

Visa Application Charge Increase

Starting July 1, 2023, the government will make visa application fees 6% more expensive. The cost of getting a Visitor 600 visa will go up from $150 to $190. The cost of the visa for students, called the 500 visas, will go up from $650 to $715. The cost of the Working Holiday visa will go up from $510 to $640.

The Government will continue to announce any further changes to the migration system later in the year.

As things change with immigration law in Australia, students with visas should know how to get help from experts. So, select to work with an experienced Registered Migration Agent to direct you when applying for a Student Visa in Australia: as it were somebody who has worked in thousands of applications can know all nuances of the enactment, what really applies and what doesn’t apply to you, and what the finest technique is for you.

At ESI Global, we pride ourselves on delivering exceptional visa services with a proven track record of successes. Whether it’s expert 186 & 482, 485 and 485 Subsequent Entrants, 500 Student Visa and 500 Subsequent Entrants, 190, 491, 494, 600, 408, 309, and 188 visa services – we’ve got you covered.

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