The Australian government has announced the 2022-23 Migration Program Planning Levels.
The 2022-23 Migration Program will consist of 160,000 places, with two-thirds allocated for the Skilled Visa stream and one-third for the Family visa stream.
The 2022-23 Migration Program was designed to ease Australia’s chronic skills shortages and boost economic recovery following the Covid-19 pandemic.
In addition to alleviating Australia’s workforce shortages, the 2022-23 Migration Program will also allow Australians to reunite with their families.
Skilled Migration
The Skilled Visa stream is intended to fill Australia’s critical skills shortages and improve the economy.
Under the new Migration Program Planning Levels, places have been allocated to the following visas in the Skilled Visa stream:
- Employer-sponsored;
- Skilled Independent;
- Skilled Regional;
- State/Territory Nominated;
- Business Innovation and Investment;
- Global Talent (Independent); and
- Distinguished Talent.
The Australian government has strongly focused on skilled visas and allocated 109,900 places to the Skilled Visa stream, which is a significant increase from last year’s allocation of approximately 30,000 places.
Regional visa places have also more than doubled in the 2022-23 Migration Program Planning Levels as the government looks to encourage foreign nationals to settle outside the major capitals in Australia.
Moreover, Australia has also significantly increased state and territory nominated categories to allow the regions more flexibility to respond to their labour market needs.
Family Migration
Australia has allocated 50,000 places to the Family Visa stream to allow family reunifications for Australians and provide them pathways to citizenship.
Family migration allocations are granted for parents, partners, children and other family members.
Partner visas will also be granted on a demand-driven basis and operate similarly to the child visa category, free of ceilings.
Although Australia has formally announced the Migration Program Planning Levels for 2022-23, the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migration Services and Multicultural Affairs will retain the authority to alter the composition of the Skilled Visa stream to respond to any changes in Australia’s economic conditions in 2022-23.
