New Financial Year, New Immigration Opportunities
1 July 2022 marks the start of the new migration program for 2022-2023. Effectively this means that the allocation of places for each of the visa streams has been re-set in accordance with the 160,000 total places assigned by the Australian Government during the Federal Budget.
The key goal of the migration planning levels is to tailor Australia’s migration program to the prevailing social and economic concerns facing the country to maximise its effectiveness. In what has become a common theme of late, the 2022-2023 planning levels are an attempt to enhance Australia’s economic recovery in the wake of COVID-19 and provide much-needed support to employers in addressing our extreme labour shortages across many industries. This is reflected in the revised composition of the migration program, whereby two-thirds of the program has been tailored towards the ‘Skill’ stream (109, 900 places) with the remaining third (50,000) allocated to the ‘family’ stream.
What are the 2022-2023 Migration Planning Levels?
When examining the figures released by the Australian Government, the composition is as follows:
| undefined | Visa Category | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | % Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skill | Employer Sponsored | 22,000 | 30,000 | + 36.36% |
| Skilled Independent | 6,500 | 16,652 | + 156.18% | |
| Regional | 11,200 | 25,000 | +123.21% | |
| State/Territory Nominated | 11,200 | 20,000 | +78.57% | |
| Business Innovation & Investment | 13,500 | 9,500 | -29.63% | |
| Global Talent (Independent) | 15,000 | 8,448 | -43.68% | |
| Distinguished Talent | 200 | 300 | +50 | |
| Skill Total | 79,600 | 109,900 | ||
| Family | Partner* (Demand driven: estimate, not subject to a ceiling) | 72,300 | 40,500 | -43.98% |
| Parent | 4,500 | 6,000 | -86.67% | |
| Child* (Demand driven: estimate, not subject to a ceiling) | 3,000 | 3,000 | 0% | |
| Other Family | 500 | 500 | 0% | |
| Family Total | 77,300** | 50,000 | ||
| Special Eligibility | 100 | 100 | 0% | |
| Total Migration Program | 160,000 | 160,000 |
The winners and losers of Migration Program planning levels 2022-2023
When looking at the percentage increases and decreases, it is clear that the new financial year program has the most to offer those individuals seeking skilled independent and regional visas. Places have increased for these programs by 156% and 123% respectively. This may open the door to more invitations being received in the General Skilled Migration program, thereby giving more individuals the opportunity to seek Australian permanent residence without the assistance of an Employer sponsoring the application.
On the downside, the biggest losers are the Global Talent and the Business Innovation and Investment programs, both having their allocated place slashed by 44% and 30% respectively. Whilst the Global Talent visa remains a popular choice amongst prospective visa holders, the reality is that this program is not one that will bear fruit for many.
How Can Agape Henry Crux Help You?
If you are interested in pursuing one of the many places open for grabs under the Skilled Independent or Regional visa programs, you can book a Migration Planning Session with one of our immigration lawyers to seek professional advice by calling 02 8310 5230 or email us to book in a time at info@ahclawyers.com.
We speak fluent English, Korean, Japanese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Indonesian, Burmese, and Malay. If these aren’t your language, we can also help you arrange an interpreter.
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