Is Australia opening up to migrants?

The short answer is definitely!.

Since Australia opened international borders in November 2021 after almost two years of COVID-19 lockdowns, the country is seeing unprecedented low unemployment and significant skill shortages in multiple sectors.

Combine that with a Government that is a big supporter of migration – the situation is ripe for increases in migration!

Let’s look at some evidence of this, starting with Home Affairs data!

Each year Home Affairs sets parameters around the annual migrant visa intake. These are called planning levels. The total planning level for skilled migration visas (called Skilled Stream) was increased from about 80,000 in 2021-22 to around 140,000 in 2022-23 (a 75% increase).

At the same time, the Government shifted focus away from two low performing visas in the Skilled Stream. Total planning levels for Business Visas and Global Talent Visa were reduced from 28,500 in 2021-22 to 6,900 in 2023-24 (a total drop of 76%)

So where are the increases (Graph 1)?

• Visa 189 – Skilled Independent up from 6,500 to around 30,000 (360% increase)
• Visa 190 – Skilled Nominated up from 11,200 to around 31,000 (177% increase)
• Visa 491 – Regional Provisional (temporary leading to permanent) up from 11,200 to around 33,000 (195% increase).

What does this shift mean?

The three-fold increase in planning levels for points tested visas from 29,000 to approximately 100,000 means that Australia’s migration program is now welcoming about 70,000 more potential migrants under the points tested visas.

Graph 2 shows the number of invitations from Skill Select increase from 250 in July 2021 to 35,000 invitations in December 2022!

What is the points breakdown of these invitations?

Graph 3 shows distribution of subclass 189 Skill Select invitations from Aug 2022 to May 2023 that were issued to overseas applicants:

• These invitations covered 392 occupations
• The invitations cut-off for 268 (68%) of these 392 occupations was 65 points!

You can score 65 Home Affairs points if you:

• are between 25 and 33 years of age
• are single
• have completed at least a Bachelor Degree that is relevant to your occupation; and
• are reasonably fluent in English.

The occupations

The occupation that you nominate when you apply for a points tested visa must be on the lists that determine eligibility for points tested visas. You will need to obtain a positive skills assessment for the occupation you nominate.

For quick reference, have a look at the WordCloud below that maps out the 392 occupations mentioned above for which visa 189 invitations were issued to overseas applicants. Larger the occupation font, greater its demand and higher the likelihood of an invitation triggering at 65 points!

Similar increases in State nominated visas (190 and 491)

With increased Government allocations of nominated points tested visas to all the States and Territories, this surge is also noticeable for visas 190 and 491 (Graph 4):

• For Mar 2023 and Apr 2023 (combined), States/Territory approvals for subclass 190 nominations were almost 10,000, significantly up from only 877 nominations approved for Jul 2022 and Aug 2022 (combined)
• Subclass 491 nomination approvals for Mar 2023 and Apr 2023 (combined) were also high at 6,300, up from 677 nominations approved for Jul 2022 and Aug 2022 (combined).

Occupation specific data is not easily available for the State/Territory nominated visas (190 and 491) however, almost all States/Territories have expanded their occupation lists and are also opening to overseas based applicants.

The Government has also removed the income test requirement that previously applied when converting from the 491 (temporary) visa to a permanent visa so the State/Territory nominated visas are increasingly becoming attractive and should not be overlooked.

A big advantage with these visas is the extra Home Affairs points on offer in case you fall short of the 65 points. Opting for the 190 (permanent) visa gives you 5 extra points and 15 extra points are available if you decide to go for the 491 (temporary) visa. The 491 visa should easily convert to its permanent equivalent (191) in three years.

Interested? Here is what you can do next.

• Head to the Australian Department of Home Affairs website
• Look up the combined occupation list and check availability of your occupation for the right visa (189 or 190 or 491)
• From that list, identify the Skills Assessment Authority for your occupation and check their requirements
• Check your Home Affairs points on the points calculator page
• if you are able to score at least 65 points and believe you can meet the skills assessment requirements, you have good prospects to settle in Australia!

Too busy or find the next steps too hard? We can help

If you would rather prefer sound advice and guidance, click here to go to our ‘Free Eligibility Assessment’ page and submit the form with your CV. We will respond within 2-3 days with a response and may offer a free 15 minute Zoom discussion to discuss your options if we consider your prospects are good.

Disclaimer

This analysis is for information only and does not address individual circumstances of potential migrants. You are encouraged to undertake your own research or seek professional advice from a registered migration agent if you are considering migration to Australia. The analysis uses publicly available information and Assure Visa Pty Ltd will not be responsible or liable for any inadvertent misinterpretation data.