Overview
- Budget papers released Tuesday set the permanent migration program at 185,000 places with more than 70% for skilled visas and priority for applicants already in Australia.
- The plan allocates 129,950 places to onshore applicants and 55,110 offshore places largely for high‑skill roles, with a small special eligibility quota.
- Net overseas migration is now forecast at 295,000 in 2025–26 and 245,000 in 2026–27, with officials citing lower exit rates by temporary visa holders and strong arrivals from New Zealand before easing toward about 225,000 later in the decade.
- The government will spend $85.2 million to speed skills assessments and licensing for migrant trades workers, aiming to cut wait times by up to six months and add as many as 4,000 tradies a year to construction and electrical jobs.
- Integrity and selection settings tighten with $19.8 million for tougher checks on student visas, expanded ballots to manage Working Holiday Maker visas, and an overhauled points test to favor better‑educated, higher‑skilled, younger applicants, as One Nation and the Coalition push for much lower caps including a 130,000 ceiling proposed by One Nation.