An FAQ provided by the Department of Home Affairs confirms that Australia’s 2020-21 migration planning levels will be the same as the previous program year’s. This means that a total of 160,000 Australian permanent visas are assigned for this program year, which runs from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021, with a roughly two-thirds split between the skilled and family stream. However, this comes with a large caveat that this is subject to change, likely when the Federal Budget is handed down in October.

Many stakeholders, not least potential migrants themselves, have been anxious in wanting to understand the impact the coronavirus has on Australia’s permanent migration program. In particular, the General Skilled Migration (GSM) program, consisting of the Subclass 189 – Skilled - Independent visa, Subclass 190 – Skilled – Nominated visa, and the Subclass 491 – Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa, has seemingly ground to halt with Home Affairs’ website not publishing the results of any invitation round since April 2020 to date.

States and territories have also heightened concerns as many, if not all, have closed their migration programs and are awaiting their allotted numbers from Home Affairs for the new program year.

The FAQ provided by Home Affairs attempts to set the record straight but with mixed messages. While they recognise the contribution permanent migration has on Australia’s prosperity and will likely assist in Australia’s economic recovery, this must be balanced with the priorities of employment for Australian citizens and existing permanent residents. The rhetoric appears to warn that changes, perhaps substantial, is likely given the extensive damage COVID-19 has caused to Australia’s economy.

Due to travel bans both inbound and outbound, net overseas migration (NOM) was expected to fall by 30 per cent for the last program year (2019-20) and further this program year (2020-21). While this is significant, it bears to mind that NOM includes temporary visa holders, including working holiday makers, students, visitor visas, and New Zealand citizens.

Home Affairs has confirmed that permanent migration places, at this time, will be the same as the 2019-20 planning levels. This means the number of places are as follows:

Skill stream

Employer Sponsored                                                30,000

Skilled Independent                                                 16,652

Regional                                                                    25,000

Skilled Employer Sponsored                                  10,000

Skilled Work Regional                                              15,000

State/Territory Nominated                                     24,968

Business Innovation & Investment program       6,862

Global Talent                                                            5,000

Distinguished Talent                                                200

Skill Total                                                                  108,682

Family Stream

Partner                                                                      39,799

Parent                                                                       7,371

Other Family                                                            562

Family Total                                                              47,732

Special Eligibility                                                       236

Child (estimate; not subject to a ceiling)          3,350

Total                                                                          160,000

The reason for no change (yet) is rather simple: migration planning levels are confirmed in the Federal Budget, which has been delayed this year from May to October. Therefore, it can be expected that any tinkering of these numbers is likely to be known on or around 6 October 2020.

In addition, Home Affairs has confirmed:

• Nominations for state and territories for 190 and 491 visas and the Business Innovation and Investment Program will continue for the time being. It is not known whether the numbers allocated to each state and territory are the same as the last program year; and

• Invitation rounds for 189 visas and 489 visas sponsored by eligible relatives has continued each month.

Clearly the FAQ reinforces the message that the government, including Home Affairs, has focussed their efforts responding to COVID-19 and may have left some aspects, such as publishing invitation rounds, lapse.

No doubt these figures, and other interesting statistics for the recently concluded 2019-20 program year will come to light in due course.