The Australian Government has announced that the planning levels for the 2024–25 permanent Migration Program (Migration Program) will be set at 185,000 places. This program aims to address skills shortages in priority sectors and prioritize visa processing for regional areas while acknowledging the social cohesion benefits of migration and emphasizing strengthening family and community bonds in Australia.

The 2024–25 Migration Program consists of three main streams:

• Skill stream: 132,200 places, approximately 71% of the program, focusing on improving the economy’s productive capacity and filling skill shortages, particularly in regional Australia.
• Family stream: 52,500 places, approximately 28% of the program, primarily including Partner visas to reunite Australians with overseas family members. This stream also includes 40,500 Partner visas and 3,000 Child visas estimated for 2024–25 for planning purposes, noting that these categories are demand-driven.
• Special Eligibility stream: 300 places, covering visas for individuals in unique circumstances, such as permanent residents returning to Australia after residing overseas.

Planning Levels

Employer-Sponsored visa category

Employer-sponsored visas have been increased from 36,825 visas in 2023–24 to 44,000 visas for the 2024–25 permanent Migration Program.

State/Territory Nominated visa category

The state/Territory Nominated category has been increased to 33,000 visas, and the planning level for the Regional category to 33,000 visas for the 2024–25 Migration Program.

Together these categories, which both contain visas nominated by state and territory governments, account for 36 percent of the overall planning level and 50 percent of the Skill stream.

Skilled Independent visa category

In the 2024­–25 Migration Program, the Government has allocated 16,900 places for Skilled Independent visas. This is a decrease compared to the 2023–24 program allocation of 30,375 places, but still well above the COVID-era planning levels of 7,500 and 6,500 places in 2020–21 and 2021–22 respectively.

Business Innovation and Investment Program (BIIP) visa category

The BIIP has been reduced from 1,900 visas in 2023–24 to 1,000 visas for the 2024–25 permanent Migration Program. As part of the Migration Strategy, the Government announced that it would not provide any new allocations for the BIIP while a new talent and innovation visa was considered. This new visa – to be called the National Innovation visa – will be available at the end of 2024.

The BIIP will be closed permanently from July 2024 and new applications for the Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) (subclass 188) visa will no longer be able to be lodged.

Subclass 188 BIIP visa applications that have been lodged will continue to be processed in line with Government priorities and the Migration Program planning levels. BIIP policy guidance will be tightened to ensure that all business migrants coming to Australia through this program have overall had a successful business career and will bring economic benefit to Australia.

Those who hold a subclass 188 visa and meet the relevant criteria for the grant of the Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) (subclass 888) visa will still be able to continue on this pathway after July 2024.

Global Talent visa category

The Government has slightly reduced the planning level for the Global Talent Visa Program to 4,000 visas for the 2024–25 Migration Program.

This planning level aligns with the Government’s broader reforms around talent and innovation and accounts for the last year of the Global Talent visa program as it transitions to new arrangements using the forthcoming National Innovation visa. Through the new visa, the Government will provide a permanent visa pathway for the most exceptionally talented migrants – such as high-performing entrepreneurs, major investors, and global researchers. National Innovation visas granted in 2024-25 will be counted within the Global Talent Visa Program.

Existing Global Talent visa applicants will not be adversely affected by the transition. Visa applicants will be assessed against the eligibility criteria at the time of their application.

Family stream

The size of the family stream is maintained. Family migration is an important element of Australia’s migration system. It allows Australian citizens and permanent residents to reunite with their family members and contribute to stronger social cohesion outcomes. The Australian Government recognizes that immigrant parents can make valuable social contributions to their families and local communities.

• The Partner visa category is the largest component within the family stream. From 2022–23, the Partner program moved to a demand-driven model
• The Parent visa program has been maintained at 8,500 places while the Other Family (including Aged Dependent Relative, Remaining Relative, and Carer programs) visa category has been maintained at 500 places.
• The Child visa program allows Australian residents to sponsor their dependent or adopted child or an orphaned relative. The Child program is demand-driven and remains set at 3,000 places for planning purposes only.