Migration Program Planning Levels 2023 – 24

2023­–24 Permanent Migration Program ​ On 9 May 2023, the Australian Government announced that the planning level for the 2023–24 permanent Migration Program will be set at 190,000 places. The Government has designed the 2023–24 permanent Migration Program to address persistent and emerging skills shortages and to attract people with specialist skillsets that are difficult […]

Closure of Subclass 408 COVID Pandemic Event Visa

The Subclass 408 COVID Pandemic event visa was closed to new applicants on 2 September 2023. From 2 September, only existing Subclass 408 visa holders would be able to apply for another 408 visa, but this too will end when the stream closes completely in February 2024. A Subclass 408 visa ‘renewal’ will now cost AU$405.00 […]

Nominations update – States and Territories Subclasses 190 and 491

The program places for the States and Territories nomination programs have been drastically reduced for the 2023-24 program year.  There are variations in the way each state or territory authority is handling its allocation. The following table should show how. One should check the application criteria on the specific state or territory website before lodging applications.  […]

Increased Student and Student Guardian financial capacity requirements 

Migration LIN 23/070 – F2023L01349 – Evidence of financial capacity—Subclass 500 Visa and Subclass 590 Visa Amendment Specification 2023 This Instrument amends LIN 19/198 to increase the evidence of financial capacity required for applicants for Subclasses 500 and 590 visa  in line with the CPI to for Regs 500.214 and 590.216 Primary applicant                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    AUD 24,505 + spouse or […]

Reduced Allocation of Places for WA State Nominated Skilled Migrants

Article from West Australian newspaperPremier Roger Cook to urge Federal Government to reverse cuts to WA’s skilled migrant allocationThe Premier is calling on the Federal Government to reverse a decision to slash WA’s nominated skilledmigrant intake by 70 percent — saying the workers are “desperately” needed to build new homes and filla range of jobs. […]

IELTS test – OSR

*From 14 December 2022, IELTS One Skill Retake (OSR) is available for certain test takers. OSRallows to retake one of the four test components in either reading, writing, speaking orlistening (once only).For Australian visa purposes, the Department will accept IELTS test results that include OSR, with theexception of applications for subclasses 476, 482, and 485, […]

New Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement.

Australian aged care providers can now apply to access the new Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement. The Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement streamlines the recruitment of qualified direct care workers from overseas to work in the aged care sector. Employers can use this where appropriately qualified Australians are not available. To access this labour agreement, […]

Federal Budget 2023 and migration

The Government on 9 May 2023, handed down its first full Budget since it was elected in 2022. The following announcements related to the Department of Home Affairs portfolio and the migration program were included in the Budget and associated papers. Migration Planning Levels The 2023-24 migration planning level will be 190,000 places, with 137,100 allocated to the skilled […]

Direct Australian citizenship for NZ citizens

The change will come into effect from 1 July 2023. From 1 July 2023 Children of SCV holders Australia citizenship applications until 1 July 2023 These provisions will not apply to citizenship applications submitted before 1 July 2023. Applications submitted before this date must meet the current requirements at that application before this date, and you […]

Migration review – Impact on parent visa applicants

Possibly the government might scrap the permanent parent visa migration in the near future.Considering the cost of a parent migrant within a capped migration intake, the lost contribution of the skilled migrant they displace.The migration review report states that the cost of parent visa holders significantly outweighs the visa fees. “A parent, on average, costs […]