2010-11 Migration Program

Each year, the Australian Government reviews the Migration Program and sets the annual migration planning levels. This maintains the government's commitment to an immigration policy which seeks to balance social, economic, humanitarian and environmental objectives.

The 2010-11 Migration Program is set at 168 700 places. This is comprised of:

• 54 550 places for family migrants who are sponsored by family members already in Australia
• 113 850 places for skilled migrants who gain entry essentially because of their work or business skills
• 300 places for special eligibility migrants and people who applied under the Resolution of Status category and have lived in Australia for 10 years.

This represents no change on the planning levels for 2009-10.

The balance between the skilled and family streams is 67.5 per cent and 32.3 per cent respectively. The program planning level set by the Government for 2010-11 represents an increase of 5 750 places in the skill stream (to comprise 67.5 per cent of the total program) and a decrease of 5 750 places in the family stream. The re-balancing of the migration program reflects the government's focus on enabling our migration programs to meet growing demands for skilled labour in areas of critical need as our economy continues down the path of economic recovery.

Managing the Migration Program

Delivery of a balanced Migration Program in line with the government's objectives requires careful management. When demand for places in the Migration Program exceeds the number of places available, a number of mechanisms are available to the government, including cap and queue mechanisms, suspension of processing, priority processing and increasing points-test pass marks.

The program will be delivered close to the planning level depending on:

• application rates in demand driven categories such as partners, children and employer nominated and business categories
• the take up of state-specific and regional migration categories to achieve a better dispersal of the intake
• the extent of national skill shortages and the ability to attract migrants to these
• the availability of high standard applicants in the skilled categories.

Cap and queue

The Migration Act 1958 (the Act), allows the Minister to 'cap' - or limit the number of visas which can be granted each year in a particular visa subclass.

This limit, or cap, applies only for the migration program year in which it is introduced. When a cap is reached, applicants then wait in a queue for visa grant consideration in a following year, subject to places becoming available. This means that when the number of visas set by the Minister for a visa class for the migration program year has been reached, no further visas can be granted in that program year.

Family Stream

Partner category visas:

• Partner (subclasses 309/100 and 820/801) visas cannot be capped.
• Prospective Marriage (fiancé) (subclass 300) visas may be subject to capping.

Child category visas:

• Child (subclasses 101 and 802) visas, Dependent Child (subclass 445) visa, Orphan Relative (subclasses 117 and 837) visa and Adoption (subclass 102) visas cannot be capped.

Other Family category visas:

• Aged Dependent Relative (subclasses 114 and 838) visas, Remaining Relative (subclasses 115 and 835) visas and Carer (subclasses 116 and 836) visas may be subject to capping.

Parent category visas:

• All parent (subclasses 103, 143, 173, 804, 864 and 884) visas are subject to capping.

More information on the Migration Program planning levels and managing the program can be found on the department's website:
http://www.immi.gov.au/media/fact-sheets/20planning.htm
http://www.immi.gov.au/media/fact-sheets/21managing.htm

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