Migration Strategy – Action Plan

Implementation timeline for existing and new commitments

and consultation timeline for areas for future reform

Action Measures Commitment Indicative

Timeframe

Targeting temporary Raise the Temporary Skilled Existing Implemented

skilled migration to Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) commitment July 2023
address skills needs from $53,900 to $70,000
and promote worker
mobility Provide a pathway to permanent Implemented
residence for temporary skilled November 2023
visa holders

Develop a new Skills in Demand visa, New Implement

with full mobility and clear pathways commitment late 2024
to permanent residence

Develop a Specialist Skills Pathway Implement

to drive innovation and job creation late 2024

Develop a Core Skills Pathway to Implement

meet targeted workforce needs late 2024

Legislate indexation of income TSMIT indexation

thresholds to maintain system 1 July 2024
integrity

Streamline Labour Market Testing Implement

(LMT) to reduce complexity Workforce Australia
change late 2023
Implement 4 to 6
month LMT validity
late 2024

Take a coordinated, evidence-based, Implement

tripartite approach to identifying late 2024
skills needs

Establish a best practice service level Implement

agreement for processing times and mid to late 2024
a modernised accreditation pathway
to better compete for talent

Consider how best to regulate Area for Consultation to

migration for lower paid workers future reform begin early to
with essential skills mid-2024

1
Action Measures Commitment Indicative
Timeframe

Reshaping permanent Explore a reformed points test to Area for Discussion paper to
skilled migration to drive better identify migrants who will future reform be released
long-term prosperity drive Australia’s long-term prosperity early 2024

Consider developing a new Talent Consultation to

and Innovation visa to drive growth begin early to
in sectors of national importance mid-2024

Strengthening the Introduced a first set of measures Existing Ongoing

integrity and quality of to improve integrity in international commitment
international education education and support genuine
students

Increase English language New Implement

requirements to improve the quality commitment early 2024
of students’ educational experience
in Australia and reduce potential
workplace exploitation

Apply greater and more targeted Implement

scrutiny to student visa applications visa processing
from high risk providers priorities
Ministerial
Direction late 2023
Implement
Genuine Student
Test and Genuine
Student Test
Ministerial
Direction
early 2024

Bolster the student visa integrity unit Implemented

in the Department of Home Affairs to late 2023
reduce misuse of Australia’s student
visa system

Strengthen requirements for Implement 2024

international education providers

Restrict onshore visa hopping that Implement early

undermines system integrity and to mid-2024
drives ‘permanent temporariness’

Strengthen and simplify Temporary Implement

Graduate visas mid-2024

Support international students and Area for Consultation to

graduates to realise their potential future reform begin early to
mid-2024

2
Action Measures Commitment Indicative
Timeframe

Tackling worker Introduced legislation, new powers Existing Implement

exploitation and the and large penalties to punish commitment mid-2024
misuse of the visa system unscrupulous employers pending passage of
legislation through
the Parliament

Supported migrant workers by Implement

introducing protections against mid-2024
visa cancellation and giving migrants
opportunities where they have
experienced exploitation

Better regulated migration agents to Ongoing

crack down on unscrupulous activity

Helping migrants understand their Ongoing

workplace rights to reduce worker
exploitation

Established real-time priority Implementation

processing of Protection visa underway
applications

Created a united intelligence, Phased

investigations and compliance implementation
capability in the Department of is ongoing
Home Affairs

Develop a public register of approved New Implement late

sponsors to enable monitoring and commitment 2024 in line with
oversight new Skills in
Demand visa

Strengthen integrity in the approved Area for Consultation to

sponsor application process future reform begin early to
mid-2024

Improve post-arrival monitoring Ongoing

and compliance including through
coordination with the tax system

3
Action
Planning migration to
get the right skills in the
right places
Tailoring regional
visas and the Working
Holiday Maker program
to support regional
Australia and its workers
Measures Commitment Indicative
Timeframe
Plan migration over a longer-term New National Cabinet
horizon to better manage the commitment agreed in August
migration intake, with greater state 2023 to developing
and territory collaboration a multi-year
planning model for
migration
Further
consultation with
state and territory
governments
underway
Work with states and territories to Ongoing
ensure population planning is based
on the best available population data
and forecasts
Establish a formal role for Jobs and Implement
Skills Australia in defining Australia’s late 2024
skills needs using evidence, including
advice from tripartite mechanisms
Improve the approach to skills Implement early
recognition and assessment to better to mid-2024
unlock the potential of migrants
Launch an enhanced outreach Implement
program to improve access to the early 2024
migration system
Bring an evidence-based, tripartite Ongoing
approach to evaluation and
monitoring
Increased skilled migration to help Existing Ongoing
meet labour shortages in regional commitment
Australia
Designate visa processing to New Implement
regional Australia as the highest commitment late 2023
processing priority
Evaluate regional migration settings Area for Discussion paper
and the Working Holiday Maker future reform to be released
program to ensure migration early 2024
supports development objectives
in regional Australia and does not
contribute to the exploitation of
migrant workers
4
Action Measures Commitment Indicative
Timeframe

Deepening our Established a direct pathway to Existing Implemented

people-to-people ties Australian citizenship for eligible commitment July 2023
in the Indo-Pacific New Zealanders to reflect the strong
ties between our two countries

Reformed the Pacific Australia PALM reform

Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme, and implemented
delivering a new Pacific Engagement July 2023
Visa (PEV) to encourage more PEV to be
mobility from our region implemented in
2024

Providing a special visa arrangement In progress

for Tuvalu citizens under our bilateral
treaty, the Australia Tuvalu Falepili
Union

Making it easier for Southeast Asian In progress

businesses and eminent people to
travel to Australia

Simplifying the Invested to reduce the visa backlog Existing Ongoing

migration system to and modernise the visa system commitment
improve the experience experience for migrants and
for migrants and employers
employers
Abolish unnecessary and duplicative New Initial
visas to simplify the visa system commitment consolidation to
occur in 2024

Embed simplification as a key Ongoing

objective of all actions in the
Migration Strategy

This indicative timeline reflects the Government’s intended implementation and consultation dates
and will be subject to further implementation and systems changes. The Government will provide
more specific timing closer to the implementation dates of each commitment.