Australia’s federal government has handed down its 2024-2025 budget with the following announcements related to the migration portfolio:

Changes to the TSS visa

• From 23 November 2024, the Government will reduce the work experience requirement for the Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) visa from two years to one year for all applicants.

Resources for visa processing

• Increased staffing levels and resources to remediate the impacts of under-resourcing and reduce backlogs across multiple government departments including the Department of Home Affairs to improve visa processing capabilities and decrease wait times.

Migration Planning Levels

• The government will allocate 185,000 places for the next financial year’s permanent migration program. Of this, 132,200 of those places will be allocated to the Skilled Stream to “help address Australia’s long-term skill needs”.
• Net overseas migration is forecast to be 260,000. The 2023-24 number is expected to come in at 375,000.

New ballot programs

• From FY2024-25, a $25 ballot for working and holiday visas will also be introduced for people coming from China, Vietnam and India. This ballot will help to cut down processing times for visa applications and help to manage demand.
• From 1 November 2024, there will be 3,000 visa places for Indian graduates and early-career professionals in certain sectors to live and work in Australia for up to two years. Indian nationals seeking to apply will pay $25 to enter a ballot, and then pay $365 for the visa if they are successful.

Related to Australia’s new partnership with India, the government has also extended the maximum validity of the Visitor visa (subclass 600) Business Visitor stream for Indian nationals from up to three years to up to five years.

Focus on Employer Sponsored Activity  

• $100.0 million to support Australian Border Force operations, immigration compliance activities and sustainment of critical systems supporting those operations and services.
• $1.9 million to conduct a data-matching pilot between the Department of Home Affairs and the Australian Taxation Office of income and employment data to investigate underpayment and exploitation of migrant workers.

Global Talent and Business Innovation

• From late 2024, the government will implement a new National Innovation visa, replacing the current Global Talent visa (subclass 858), to target exceptionally talented migrants who will drive growth in sectors of national importance.
• From September 2024 and as forecast by the government the Business Innovation and Investment visa program (BIIP) will be scrapped. Refunds for visa application charges paid will be available for those who wish to withdraw their application.

Students and the university sector

• The number of places for international students will now be capped, although the number has not yet been determined. Previously this was uncapped.
• Education providers will be required to limit the maximum number of new international student enrolments each year. If education providers want international students above that limit, they will be required to build new purpose-built student accommodation to benefit both international and domestic students.
• Higher education providers under investigation for serious regulation breaches will be banned from recruiting students from overseas, and newly registered institutions will be required to prove a demonstrated track record of quality course delivery for domestic students before allowing foreign enrolments.

As always you should contact your Ajuria team for more information and assistance.