The Australian Government with an aim to develop a Migration Strategy to ensure the system delivers for Australians & migrants and to ensure that Australia has the skills to support the economy has made announcements in the Budget 2023-24.
The following announcement have been included in the Budget 2023-24:
- Migration Program Planning Levels – Allocated around 70 per cent of places in the 2023‑24 permanent Migration Program to skilled migrants to address ongoing workforce shortages. The planning level for the 2023-24 permanent Migration Program will be set at 190,000 places composing of:
- 137,100 places allocated to skill migration stream
- 52,500 places allocated to family stream
- 400 places allocated to Special Eligibility stream
- Increase in Visa Application Charges– From 1 July 2023, VACs will be raised by the government by 6% to 40%.
Visa Classes | Percentage increase |
Visitor, working holiday, work and holiday, training, temporary activity and temporary work (short stay specialist) visas | 15% |
Business innovation and investment visas | 40% |
Other visas | 6% |
Pacific Engagement Visa and Pacific Australia Labour Mobility visas | Exempt from increase |
- Increase in TSMIT – From 1 July 2023, the new Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold will be $70,000.
- Significant Increase in Visa Processing, Compliance and Monitoring Efforts – The visa processing capacity will be provided with a funding of $75.8 million over two years starting from 2023–24 which will be allocated to support 500 visa processing officers to manage the number of visa applications on hand as well as to upgrade existing visa ICT systems to improve visa service delivery efficiency. Also, an additional $50.0 million over four years (and $15.3 million per year ongoing) is to be provided for additional enforcement and compliance activities to uphold the integrity of migration system.
- Domestic Violence and People Trafficking – $38.2 million will be provided to extend to the current Escaping Violence Payment (EVP) and Temporary Visa Holders Experiencing Violence Pilot (TVP) to January 2025.
- Immigration Assessment Authority – The Government will provide $4.0 million in 2023–24 for the Immigration Assessment Authority to continue merits review of unsuccessful protection visa applications eligible for fast-track review under the Migration Act 1958, pending the establishment of a new federal administrative review body.
- Temporary Graduate Post Study Rights – Temporary Graduate visa holders with select degrees will provided an extra 2 years of post‑study work rights to improve the pipeline of skilled labour in key sectors.
- Working Hours Exemption for International Students – International students working in the aged care sector will be exempted from the capped fortnightly work hour limit until 31 December 2023.
- Palm Scheme – Additional training places will be provided for Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme workers in priority sectors for the Pacific and Timor‑Leste and where there are job shortages in Australia.
- Improved Skills Recognition – The Government is re‑scoping 2 Skills Assessment Pilots to provide onshore migrants with fast‑tracked skills assessments, free employability assessments, and access to further training to improve their employment prospects.
To know more about Budget 2023, click here.