Newsletter 191

Temporary Graduate (Sc 485) 1 July 2024 changes

Starting from 1 July 2024, the Department will lift the restrictions outlined in Schedule 1 for Subclass 485 visa applicants whose initial Student visa was granted based on an application submitted on or after 5 November 2011.

The Department has updated their webpage titled ‘Changes to the Temporary Graduate visa program – proposed 1 July 2024’ with the following note:

Note: The restrictions previously applicable to applicants whose initial Student visa was granted based on an application made on or after 5 November 2011 will no longer be in effect.

New Orana DAMA website

The new Orana DAMA website is now live.

The updated website highlights recent changes to the Orana DAMA, which now includes four additional Regional Development Australia regions. These changes encompass a total of 53 local government areas (LGAs) and 129 occupations, enabling employers to hire skilled workers to address critical shortages.

New Orana DAMA webpage.

Draft International Education and Skills Strategic Framework

The draft International Education and Skills Strategic Framework has been released.

The Strategic Framework aims to establish a collaborative path for the government and the education sector to ensure that international education continues to benefit Australia’s economy, communities, and international students. The final version of the Framework will be released later in 2024, following targeted consultations with key stakeholders in international education.

One can access the draft International Education and Skills Strategic Framework on the Department of Education website.

According to the Department’s website, the Framework will include changes to the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS Act). These amendments will allow the government to set limits on:

The number of new enrolments at an education provider, including specific courses and locations.
Delivery of courses identified as having persistent quality and integrity issues.
Courses with limited value to Australia’s skills needs.

The Department of Home Affairs’ website states that the Strategic Framework will complement recent student visa changes made as part of the Migration Strategy, noting that measures, including Ministerial Direction 107, will remain in effect while the government collaborates with the international education sector to finalize the Strategic Framework.

The Department of Home Affairs will monitor student visa application rates during the consultation period, and education providers should be aware that enrolment activities in 2024, including actions to enroll students following this announcement, will be considered when setting providers’ enrolment levels for 2025. The Minister retains the power to limit visa grants throughout the program year.

Migration Program planning levels

On 14 May 2024, the Australian Government announced that the planning levels for the 2024–25 permanent Migration Program will be set at 185,000 places.

The permanent Migration Program aims to address skills shortages in priority sectors and expedite visa processing for regional Australia while the domestic workforce is being developed.

The 2024–25 Migration Program also acknowledges the significant contribution of all migrants to social cohesion, with a focus on strengthening family and community ties in Australia.

A well-targeted, skills-focused Migration Program enhances the working-age population, boosting participation rates and expanding the labour force.

The 2024–25 permanent Migration Program is structured as follows:

Skill stream (132,200 places, approximately 71% of the program): This stream aims to enhance the economy’s productive capacity and address labour market skill shortages, particularly in regional Australia.
Family stream (52,500 places, approximately 28% of the program): Primarily composed of Partner visas, this stream allows Australians to reunite with family members from overseas and provides pathways to citizenship. For planning purposes, this includes:
- 40,500 Partner visas, which is a demand-driven category.
- 3,000 Child visas, which is also a demand-driven category.
Special Eligibility stream (300 places): This stream is for visas under special circumstances, such as permanent residents returning to Australia after a period overseas.

Visa Stream	Visa Category	2023–24 Planning levels	2024–25 Planning levels
Skill	Employer Sponsored	36,825	44,000
	Skilled Independent	30,375	16,900
	Regional	32,300	33,000
	State/Territory Nominated	30,400	33,000
	Business Innovation & Investment	1,900	1,000
	Global Talent (Independent)	5,000	4,000
	Distinguished Talent	300	300
	Skill Total	137,100	132,200
Family	Partner	40,500	40,500
	Parent	8,500	8,500
	Child	3,000	3,000
	Other Family	500	500
	Family Total	52,500	52,500
	Special Eligibility	400	300
	Total Migration Program	190,000	185,000

Pacific Engagement Visa

The Pacific Engagement Visa is a new permanent resident visa designed for participating countries in the Pacific and Timor-Leste, aiming to strengthen ties between Australia and the region.

Annually, up to 3,000 visas, including those for partners and dependent children, will be available to nationals from the Pacific and Timor-Leste through a ballot system.

The Pacific Engagement Visa will enhance the Pacific and Timor-Leste communities in Australia, maintaining strong connections to their home countries, bolstering people-to-people links, and promoting cultural, business, and educational exchanges.

The Government has been extensively consulting with Pacific partners to ensure the program aligns with mutual needs and priorities.

The first Pacific Engagement Visa ballot will open on 3 June 2024.

Applications for the ballot will be able to be lodged online with the Department of Home Affairs once the ballot opens.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Pacific Engagement (subclass 192) visa, primary applicants must first be randomly selected through a ballot.

To register for the ballot, applicants must:

Be between 18 and 45 years old.
Hold a valid passport from a participating country.
Have been born in, or have a parent who was born in, an eligible country.
Pay a $25 registration fee.

If selected in the ballot, the primary applicant or their spouse/partner must secure a formal, ongoing job offer in Australia and meet basic English language requirements.

Additionally, applicants must meet health and character requirements before the visa can be granted.

Applicants can include a partner and legally dependent children in their application.

Participating Countries

The countries currently involved in the Pacific Engagement Visa program are the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

Visa allocations for 2024: