The planned level for the 2023–24 permanent Migration Program would be set at 190,000 spaces, the Australian Government said on May 9, 2023.
The goal of the 2023–24 Migration Program is to solve ongoing and upcoming skill shortages and promote the shift to a net-zero emissions economy by luring in highly specialized talent that is hard to recruit or cultivate in Australia.
The information that follows constitutes the Program:
137,100 positions are available in the skill stream, which is intended to increase the economy’s capacity for production and address skill shortages in the labor market, particularly in regional Australia.
Family stream (52,500 places): This stream mostly consists of Partner visas, allowing Australians to reconcile with distant relatives and provide them access to citizenship. inside this stream:
For planning reasons, 40,500 Partner visas are projected for 2023–2024, keeping in mind that this category is demand-driven and not capped.
For planning reasons, 3,000 child visas are projected for the years 2023–2024; it should be noted that this category is demand-driven and not capped.
400 slots are available in the Special Eligibility stream, which includes visas for people in unique situations, such as Australian permanent residents who are returning home after time spent abroad.
Planning levels for the Migration Program as stated in the 2022–23 and 2023–24 Federal Budgets
| Visa Stream | Visa Category | 2022-23 Planning levels | 2023-24 Planning levels |
| Skill | Employer Sponsored | 35,000 | 36,825 |
| Skilled Independent | 32,100 | 30,375 | |
| Regional | 34,000 | 32,300 | |
| State/Territory Nominated | 31,000 | 30,400 | |
| Business Innovation & Investment | 5,000 | 1,900 | |
| Global Talent (Independent) | 5,000 | 5,000 | |
| Distinguished Talent | 300 | 300 | |
| Skill Total | 142,400 | 137,100 | |
| 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 | 100 | 400 | |
| Total Migration Program | 195,000 | 190,000 |
Delivery of the Partner and Child visa categories for the years 2023–24 is determined by demand, with only illustrative planning levels.
Program the scope and structure
The scope and composition of the Migration Program are established annually in conjunction with the Australian government’s budgeting process.
The 2023–24 Migration Program had extensive consultation with state and territory governments, as well as with experts from academia, business, labor unions, and community organizations.
The Australian Government takes the following factors into account when preparing the Migration Program:
- public contributions
- expectations for the economy and the work force
- Economic and fiscal modelling
- International research and foreign migration.
Please refer to our frequently Asked Questions (319KB PDF).for more details on the 2023–24 Migration Program.
In order to prepare future migration Programs, the Department regularly solicits public input. See Australia’s 2023-24 Migration Program for further details.
