Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, and South Korea have all set ambitious new international enrolment targets. These are:
Japan: 400,000 by 2033
Malaysia: 250,000 by 2025
Taiwan: 320,000 by 2030
South Korea: 300,000 by 2027
To date, this is the progress the four destinations have made:
Japan: 279,275 international enrolments as of May 2023 (+21% over 2022).
Malaysia: Between 115,000 and 170,000 enrolments currently (estimates vary). Malaysia tends to report application volumes publicly rather than enrolment volumes. Looking at this measure, Malaysian institutions received 58,285 applications in 2023, a 14% increase over 2022 following a 28% increase the previous year. Asia contributed the most growth – especially East Asia (+22% over 2022).
Taiwan: 116,040 in 2023, representing a 90% recovery from foreign enrolment losses in the pandemic. Just over 6 in 10 (61%) of Taiwan’s international students are from “New Southbound Policy” (NSP) countries: Brunei Darussalam, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, Australia, and New Zealand.
South Korea: 205,170 as of March 2023 (+23% over 2022).
South Korea is thus approaching the volume of Japan’s current foreign enrolment as it adheres to a strategy known as the Study Korea 300K Project. That strategy aims to position South Korea as one of the world’s top 10 study abroad destinations by 2027.
The following table shows top markets for each of the four Asian destinations. It also demonstrates the large number of Vietnamese students opting to study in Asia as opposed to the West. For example, South Korea enrols more Vietnamese students than do Canada (17,175) and the US (21,900) combined.
Accompanying dependants can now apply for a Partner of Student Work Visa with open work rights if their partner is studying in “a specified level 7 or 8 bachelor’s or bachelor’s (honours) degree that will lead directly to professional registration required for a Green List role.”
Green List roles are occupations that have been classified as being in high demand by the New Zealand government. They include positions in health care, STEM fields, and others.
The new policy offers a significant benefit to accompanying children of Green List-enrolled students as well in that: “For partners who are now eligible, their dependent school-aged children can be treated as domestic students. The children can apply for a Dependent Child Student Visa so they will not have to pay tuition fees to go to school. This currently applies to anyone with a Partner of a Student Work Visa.”
The news follows the recent announcement of New Zealand’s full-year enrolment figures for 2023. The country’s schools, universities, language institutes, and vocational institutions together hosted 69,135 international students last year, a 67% increase in total foreign enrolment over 2022.
This represents 60% of the international student base in 2019, when over 115,000 international students were enrolled.
Quality of education at Aotearoa New Zealand’s educational institutions is reflected in the latest survey by the Brazilian Educational and Language Travel Association (Belta), presented in May. The survey was conducted between March and April 2024 with students and international education agents from all regions of Brazil.
ENZ’s Bruna de Natale (center) with Belta leadership shows the latest issue of Belta’s annual magazine which features Aotearoa New Zealand. Photo: Belta.
According to the latest survey by Belta (Brazilian Educational & Language Travel Association), New Zealand ranks seventh on the list of preferred educational destinations for Brazilian students. The survey interviews 836 students and 569 international education agents along with companies who work in the international education sector in Brazil.
Respondents who chose New Zealand said their choice was based on New Zealand’s excellent positions in various international rankings for quality of life, education, civil rights protection, government transparency, and women’s safety/rights. Other factors are being able to study and work during the study programme, and New Zealand’s natural beauty and cultural attractions.
International education professionals attended the Belta survey launch event. Photo credit: Belta
According to the survey, the main objective of students participating in a study abroad program is to fulfil the dream of experiencing different countries and cultures (39.6%); the second is the interest in language studies (27.2%).
The majority (77%) of those who said they went abroad to learn a new language chose English when travelling. The quality of education is another reason cited by respondents who chose New Zealand. All universities in New Zealand are ranked among the top 2% in the world by major international indices, such as QS World Universities and THE – Times Higher Education.
Bruna de Natale, Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) Market Development Manager in Brazil, said, “The Belta survey is the most important source of consistently updated international education data in Brazil. It is very encouraging that Brazilians continue to perceive New Zealand as a safe, trusted and quality education to develop their academic and professional goals.,”.
The data from the Belta Survey 2024 reinforces the international Better Life Index, which measures variables that constitute the quality of life in countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). In this survey, New Zealand is ranked as one of the best countries in the world to live in.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has proposed several regulatory changes to the international student sector, announced on June 20 for a 30-day review and comment period. These changes include enhanced compliance reporting for Canadian institutions and schools, new powers for IRCC, and modifications to student work limits.
The proposed regulations will:
Grant IRCC the authority to suspend study permit processing for non-compliant institutions.
Require students to apply for a new study permit when transferring to a different institution.
Increase the limit on off-campus work during study from 20 hours per week to 24 hours per week.
The most significant change is the new compliance reporting and suspension authority given to IRCC. This move intersects with the federal-provincial jurisdiction divide in Canada. The draft regulations state:
“The administration of the International Student Programme (ISP) is a shared responsibility between IRCC and Provinces and Territories (PTs). IRCC sets policies for international student entry, establishes study permit conditions, and decides on study permit issuance.”
“For Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs) to host international students, they must be designated by the province or territory based on agreed standards with IRCC. PTs set their own standards for DLIs, inform IRCC about institutions to be added or removed from the public DLI list, which lists institutions allowed to receive students in their jurisdiction.”
The proposed regulations would allow IRCC to have a greater role in overseeing and sanctioning DLIs. IRCC justifies this change as a way to maintain industry integrity and address several issues:
Currently, the federal government cannot compel DLIs to report as part of the compliance program and letter of acceptance verification system. Without reporting, IRCC cannot reliably determine if a student is attending the DLI and complying with study permit requirements or detect fraudulent letters of acceptance.
IRCC cannot impose conditions on non-compliant DLIs, such as suspending study permit processing. This means IRCC must issue study permits to students attending non-reporting DLIs.
IRCC cannot compel international students to notify the department if they change DLIs. This lack of notification can lead to issues in confirming student attendance and compliance with study permits, and potentially circumvent study permit caps.
The new regulations will require post-secondary DLIs to submit mandatory reports. IRCC will also be empowered to suspend study permit processing for non-compliant DLIs for up to 12 consecutive months.
“The regulatory amendments would allow IRCC to effectively respond to integrity challenges and address unethical behaviors that undermine the program,” states IRCC. The enhanced letter of acceptance verification system will enable IRCC to verify each letter before processing study permit applications. Codifying biannual compliance reports will help close existing compliance gaps. Requiring international students to obtain new study permits when transferring DLIs will allow IRCC to better track student compliance and identify changes in DLIs.
These proposed changes come after significant policy shifts in Canada, including a cap on foreign enrolment and changes to post-study work rights. The country has seen substantial growth in international student numbers, with over a million foreign students in Canada by the end of 2023, a nearly two-thirds increase in five years.
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.
This Migration Program aims to address skills shortages in priority sectors and prioritize visa processing for regional Australia, while also building a domestic pipeline of highly skilled workers.
Recognizing the significant contributions of all migrants to social cohesion, the 2024–25 Migration Program focuses on strengthening family and community bonds in Australia.
A well-targeted, skills-focused Migration Program supplements the working-age population, boosting participation rates and expanding the labour force.
The 2024–25 permanent Migration Program consists of the following components:
Skill stream (132,200 places, approximately 71% of the program) – Designed to enhance the productive capacity of the economy and address skill shortages in the labour market, particularly in regional Australia.
Family stream (52,500 places, approximately 28% of the program) – Predominantly comprising Partner visas, this stream allows Australians to reunite with family members from overseas and provides pathways to citizenship. Within this stream:
An estimated 40,500 Partner visas are planned for 2024–25, noting that this category is demand-driven.
An estimated 3,000 Child visas are planned for 2024–25, also noting that this category is demand-driven.
Special Eligibility stream (300 places) – This stream includes visas for individuals in 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
Partner1
40,500
40,500
Parent
8,500
8,500
Child1
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
Delivery of the Partner and Child visa categories are demand driven, with indicative planning levels only.
2024–25 permanent Migration Program planning levels
The 2024–25 permanent Migration Program has been set at a planning level of 185,000 with an approximate 70:30 split between the Skill and Family streams.
Employer Sponsored visa category
The Government has increased the planning level for Employer Sponsored from 36,825 visas in 2023–24 to 44,000 visas for the 2024–25 permanent Migration Program.
This planning level builds on the expanded pathway to permanent residence introduced by the Government from November 2023. It will allow a greater proportion of temporary migrants to secure permanent residence in a timely manner through the Temporary Residence Transition Stream.
State/Territory Nominated visa category
The Government has increased the planning level for the State/Territory Nominated category to 33,000 visas, and the planning level for the Regional category to 33,000 visas for the 2024–25 Migration Program.
Together these categories, which both contain visas nominated by state and territory governments, account for 36 per cent of the overall planning level and 50 per cent of the Skill stream.
Increasing the planning levels for the State and Territory Nominated and Regional categories will allow jurisdictions to attract skilled migrants to meet their specific economic and labour force challenges. Increases to the Regional category planning level will also support key commitments in the Migration Strategy to support regional Australia, in addition to priority visa processing.
Skilled Independent visa category
In the 2024–25 Migration Program, the Government has allocated 16,900 places for Skilled Independent visas. This is a decrease compared to the 2023–24 program allocation of 30,375 places, but still well above the COVID-era planning levels of 7,500 and 6,500 places in 2020–21 and 2021–22 respectively.
Business Innovation and Investment Program (BIIP) visa category
The Government has reduced the planning level for the BIIP from 1,900 visas in 2023–24 to 1,000 visas for the 2024–25 permanent Migration Program.
As part of the Migration Strategy, the Government announced that it would not provide any new allocations for the BIIP while a new talent and innovation visa was considered. This new visa – to be called the National Innovation visa – will be available at the end of 2024.
The BIIP will be closed permanently from July 2024 and new applications for the Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) (subclass 188) visa will no longer be able to be lodged. The Migration Review concluded that the BIIP is delivering poor economic outcomes for Australia. This has been supported by other studies, including work undertaken by the Treasury, Productivity Commission and the Grattan Institute.
Subclass 188 BIIP visa applications that have been lodged will continue to be processed in line with Government priorities and the Migration Program planning levels. BIIP policy guidance will be tightened to ensure that all business migrants coming to Australia through this program have overall had a successful business career and will bring an economic benefit to Australia.
Those who hold a subclass 188 visa and meet the relevant criteria for the grant of the Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) (subclass 888) visa will still be able to continue on this pathway after July 2024.
Reducing the planning level for BIIP will ensure the 2024–25 permanent Migration Program is focussed on highly-skilled individuals who will help to support a stronger, more robust, economy.
Global Talent visa category
The Government has slightly reduced the planning level for the Global Talent Visa Program to 4,000 visas for the 2024–25 Migration Program.
This planning level aligns with the Government’s broader reforms around talent and innovation, and accounts for the last year of the Global Talent visa program as it transitions to new arrangements using the forthcoming National Innovation visa. Through the new visa, the Government will provide a permanent visa pathway for the most exceptional talented migrants – such as high performing entrepreneurs, major investors and global researchers. National Innovation visas granted in 2024-25 will be counted within the Global Talent visa Program.
Home Affairs will manage the transition to the new National Innovation visa to ensure applicants, including existing applicants of the Global Talent visa, are supported in the application process. Existing Global Talent visa applicants will not be adversely affected by the transition. Visa applicants will be assessed against the eligibility criteria at the time of their application.
Family stream
The Government has maintained the size of the family stream. Family migration is an important element of Australia’s migration system. It allows Australian citizens and permanent residents to reunite with their family members and contribute to stronger social cohesion outcomes. The Australian Government recognises that immigrant parents can make valuable social contributions to their families and local communities.
The Partner visa category is the largest component within the family stream. From 2022–23, the Partner program moved to a demand driven model which:
recognises the social, economic and demographic benefits of family reunification and the Partner visa program in particular
provides the flexibility to adjust the program in line with expected demand and help to reduce the Partner visa pipeline and processing times for many applicants.
The Parent visa program has been maintained at 8,500 places while the Other Family (including Aged Dependent Relative, Remaining Relative and Carer programs) visa category has been maintained at 500 places.
The Child visa program allows Australian residents to sponsor their dependent or adopted child or an orphaned relative. The Child program is demand-driven and remains set at 3,000 places for planning purposes only. The Australian Government prioritises the reunification of a child with an Australian parent or family sponsor. This ensures we uphold our international obligations to consider the best interest of a child as a primary consideration.
2024–25 permanent Migration Program consultation
The size and composition of the Migration Program is set each year alongside the Australian Government’s Budget process.
To inform the planning levels and policy settings of the 2024–25 Migration Program, consultation occurred with:
state and territory governments
academia
industry
unions
community organisations.
When planning the Migration Program, the Australian Government considers the following:
Public submissions
Economic and labour force forecasts
International research
Demand for permanent visa programs
Net overseas migration
Economic and fiscal modelling.
The Department invites public submissions as part of the planning process for future Migration Programs. Submissions to inform the 2024–25 Migration Program have now closed. For more information, see Australia’s 2024–25 Migration Program.
State and territory nominated visa categories – nomination allocations
Under the Migration Program settings, nomination allocations are available to states and territories in the following visa categories:
Skilled – Nominated (subclass 190)
Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (subclass 491).
States and territories each assess eligible applicants against criteria unique to their jurisdiction.
Further information on state and territory nomination requirements can be found at:
The Department processes existing on-hand applications and new applications nominated by a state or territory in line with the permanent Migration Program planning levels and skilled visa processing priorities.
2024–25 state and territory nomination allocations
Nomination allocations are the number of new primary applicants each state or territory can nominate in a program year. New applications are added to the existing on-hand caseload in these visa categories.
Nomination allocations do not reflect the total number of visa applicants in these categories and do not limit the number of visas able to be granted in these visa categories.
Nomination allocations for the 2024–25 Migration Program are below.
State
Skilled Nominated (Subclass 190) visa
Skilled Work Regional (Subclass 491) visa
ACT
1,000
800
NSW
3,000
2,000
NT
800
800
QLD
600
600
SA
3,000
800
TAS
2,100
760
VIC
3,000
2,000
WA
3,000
2,000
Total
16,500
9,760
Net overseas migration – relationship with the permanent Migration Program
The permanent Migration Program is only one component of net overseas migration (NOM). NOM includes temporary migration, such as Working Holiday Makers and Students. It also includes Australian citizens, New Zealanders and Humanitarian migrants.
The size of the permanent Migration Program has decreased since 2022–23 and it is not the cause of recent volatility in NOM. Around 60 per cent of visas under the permanent Migration Program are granted to migrants already onshore and in the community, residing in established households at the time of visa grant. This minimises the permanent Migration Program’s near-term impact on housing, infrastructure and services.
From 2025–26, the Migration Program will move to a multi-year planning model, extending the Program planning horizon to four years from the current twelve month cycle.
Extending the outlook of Australia’s Migration Program will enable migration planning to better align with longer-term infrastructure, housing and services planning across all levels of government. The multi-year approach will incorporate housing supply as one of the key factors to shape the broad direction of long-term migration planning.
Public consultation on the size and composition of the first four-year cycle (covering 2025–26 to 2028–29) will commence later this year.
In 2023, the language training industry in Canada carried on recovering from the pandemic. According to a recent annual report from Languages Canada, which was created by industry research experts BONARD, enrollment in Canadian language courses, including English and French, was 112,564 last year, with 1,234,447 student weeks of instruction given.
That volume for 2023 is equivalent to 82% of pre-COVID student weeks and 75% of pre-pandemic student populations. Approximately 92% of those student weeks were devoted to learning the English language, with the remaining 4% being devoted to learning French. Of that total, just over 80% (83%) were provided by private providers, with state institutions running language programmes for the remaining 17%.
Students enrolled in English- and French-language training programmes in Canada, 2019–2023 (left); Student weeks delivered by English and French language training providers in Canada, 2019–2023 (right). Source: BONARD/Languages Canada
In 2023, in-person education accounted for about two thirds (63%) of all student weeks, with 30% of instruction being provided online (for both domestic and international students). The last six percentile of student weeks were delivered using a mixed methodology.
The bulk of students were enrolled in academic preparatory courses, pathway programmes, or general language study, as can be seen in the overview below.
Enrolments in language studies in Canada, by course type, for 2023. Source: BONARD/Languages Canada
Where do students come from?
In Canada, more than three out of every four language learners (76%) are from Asia or Latin America. Highlighting the top 10 sending markets for 2023 is the infographic that follows. In 2023, all of those top sending nations saw growth over the previous year, with the exception of Colombia, which saw a -6% fall.
Top ten sending markets for Canadian language-learning programmes, 2023. Source: BONARD/Languages Canada
Visa status and visa challenges
Numerous students who had a guest visa (designated as “eTA” or electronic travel authorization in the legend below) attended a Canadian language programme, according to the accompanying chart. However, a sizable portion also entered Canada via a study permit or temporary residency visa.
Student numbers by visa type, 2023. Source: BONARD/Languages Canada
The report adds that, “In 2023, the fastest-growing visa category was the Temporary Resident Visa (TRV). The number of students entering Canada through the TRV route increased from 8,559 in 2022 to 16,588 in 2023, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. This also caused a drop in the average course duration seen predominantly in the private sector. On the other hand, the number of students on study permits decreased from 17,191 in 2022 to 15,990 in 2023 due to issues with visa processing and refusals.”
As we have seen in other destinations this year, however, Canadian language schools report that visa issues prevented thousands more students from pursuing their studies in 2023. The report estimates that at least 2,671 students were not able to travel to Canada as planned due to processing delays for temporary resident visas, and that a further 4,479 students were not able to travel due to study permit delays.
This means that visa processing issues disrupted the travel plans for a minimum of 7,150 language students in 2023 – a number equivalent to 7% of the total enrolment for the year. Commenting in a foreword to the report, Languages Canada Executive Director Gonzalo Peralta said, “In 2019, Canada’s language programmes generated CDN$6.7 billion and 75,000 jobs, mostly derived from export revenues. In 2023, that figure decreased to CDN$5.5 billion and 62,000 jobs. This drop was not due to lack of opportunity, promotional efforts, or support from some areas of government, but was primarily due to immigration policy.”
New Zealand hosted over 69,000 international students in 2023
Short on time? Here are the highlights:
New Zealand’s foreign enrolment reached over 69,000 in 2023, up 67% over 2022.
China, India, Japan, South Korea, and Thailand are the top five source markets.
In 2023, the number of international students in New Zealand represented 60% of the pre-pandemic number.
New Zealand’s schools, universities, language institutes, and vocational institutions together hosted 69,135 international students in 2023, a 67% increase in total foreign enrolment over 2022. This represents 60% of the international student base in 2019, when over 115,000 international students were enrolled.
During the pandemic, New Zealand’s borders were closed for longer than any of the other leading English-speaking destinations, fully re-opening only in the summer of 2022. This is part of the reason for the slower recovery of New Zealand’s international student numbers. Another factor is that New Zealand’s international education strategy prioritises balance over limitless growth. The goal is the development of a sustainable sector that brings economic, social, and cultural benefits to the whole country.
Dr. Linda Sissons, Acting Chief Executive of Education New Zealand, commented:
“Over 69,000 enrolments from international students all over the world is good news for our education sector and positive for our communities. It confirms that New Zealand is an attractive place to study, offering a quality learning experience inside and outside the classroom in a safe, welcoming environment. New Zealand is a small country and for many students, rubbing shoulders with people from other cultures gives them a greater understanding of the issues facing our complex world. In this time of fragile geopolitics, the melting pot of campus life can help build greater understanding and tolerance.”
The most growth occurred in the university and English-language sectors The university sector – the largest segment of New Zealand’s overall international education industry – has recovered the most fully of all the sectors, reaching 86% of pre-pandemic volumes for a total of 29,065 students (+21% over 2022). But the English-language sector expanded the most year-over-year, enrolling 9,569 students in 2023 versus only 1,565 in 2022 (+511%), and the schools sector also expanded significantly to 14,125 (+138%).
New Zealand’s Private Training Establishments (PTEs) and Te Pūkenga (New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology) enrolled 59% and 74% more international students in 2023 than 2022, respectively.
Top markets New Zealand education institutions remain heavily reliant on China (35%) and India (17%), which together make up more than half the total enrolment (52%). This reliance on the top two source markets is similar to Canada and the US (51% and 52%, respectively), but higher than what we see in Australia and the UK, where Chinese and Indian students make up 45% and 41%, respectively, of the total foreign enrolment.
After China and India, Japan is New Zealand’s third-largest source market (10%), South Korea is the fourth (5%), and Thailand is the fifth (4%). No other country composes more than 4% of the total foreign enrolment.
Speaking to the issue of diversification, Education New Zealand’s Dr. Sissons said:
“Enabling a thriving and globally connected New Zealand through world-class international education is a government priority. We are actively diversifying our recruitment efforts to reach international students in a broad range of countries.”
The federal government has released its budget for the forthcoming year – and says there’s something for everyone.
KEY POINTS
A $300 rebate for energy is part of the federal budget.
There is also more than $160 million allocated to women’s health programs.
Spending on consultants, contractors and labour hire is being cut.
From a $300 energy bill handout to potentially cheaper sweet potatoes, the list of winners and losers from this year’s budget is a mixed bag.
Here’s a list of who’s getting a helping hand, and who’s missing out.
Who are the winners in the budget?
Taxpayers
Some 13.6 million taxpayers will take more of their pay home, in the previously announced changes to the stage three tax cuts.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the average benefit would be $38 a week and they would “provide cost-of-living relief … support women and boost labour supply”.
The cuts were the final step of tax changes legislated by the former Coalition government, removing a tax bracket and taxing income between $45,000 and $200,000 at a rate of 30 per cent.
The new plan spreads cuts across the existing tax brackets, reducing the 32.5 bracket to 30 per cent, and increasing the thresholds for tax brackets.
“We know Australian families and businesses have felt this pain — and that’s why we’ve stepped in to help,” Chalmers said.
Some renters
The budget provides nearly $2 billion over the next five years to raise the maximum rates of Rent Assistance by an extra 10 per cent.
This comes on top of the 15 per cent announced last September.
It’s the first time the maximum rates have been increased in two consecutive budgets for more than three decades, Chalmers said.
The change would mean an increase in the maximum Rent Assistance payment for single parents or couples with one or two children by more than $70 a fortnight.
Patients
The government is promising cheaper medicines for all, by placing a one-year freeze on the maximum Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS) co-payment, instead of costs rising with inflation. There will be a five-year freeze for pensioners and other concession cardholders.
Chalmers said the maximum cost of prescriptions under PBS would be frozen, adding: “This year and next year, no one will pay more than $31.60”.
There’s also $361 million for mental health funding. That will also include a new free national digital mental health service to support 150,000 people at a cost of $588.5 million.
The government is providing $3.4 billion over five years for new and amended listings on the PBS and the Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, including treatments for certain types of heart disease and breast cancer.
Women’s health
The budget has allocated more than $160 million to women’s health.
More than $50 million will go towards maternity care and $49 million towards complex conditions such as endometriosis.
There’s also funding to support women and their families who suffer miscarriages.
There’s also $1 million over two years to support health workers who enrol for a Professional Development course called Managing Menopause.
Some job seekers
Those who can only work up to 14 hours a week will get a $55 increase in fortnightly JobSeeker payments, when it is combined with a higher rate of the energy supplement.
The change will mean around 5,000 people move on to the higher rate of JobSeeker payment.
Housing
The government wants to spend $423 million over five years to help states and territories build more social housing and homelessness services.
The government is making a further $1 billion available to the states and territories to boost housing supply in well-located areas.
There will also be $1.9 billion in loans to help build 40,000 social and affordable homes.
Small businesses
One million businesses will get a $325 energy rebate, slightly more than that being offered to households.
Around four million will also get a one-year extension of the $20,000 instant asset write off until 30 June 2025.
Seniors
Age pensioners and concession cardholders will benefit from the freezing of the cost of their medicines for five years under the PBS measures.
Chalmers said this would mean no pensioner or concession cardholder will pay more than $7.70 for the medicine they need.
Separately, there is $2.2 billion in new aged care funding including 24,000 new home care packages and measures to improve systems to allow people to stay in own homes.
Sweet potato lovers
Lovers of the veggie could save money at the grocer if savings for growers are passed on. The government is changing the agricultural levy and charge on sweet potatoes, by cutting the overall levy rate on sweet potatoes from 1.5 per cent to 0.5 per cent.
Indian nationals
A new program for Indian nationals will provide a pathway for 3,000 Indian graduates and early career professionals aged up to 30 with skills and education in targeted sectors to live and work in Australia for two years.
It will be called the Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early-professionals Scheme (MATES) program and will start from 1 November 2024.
There will be a pre-application charge of $25 and an application charge of $365, both of which will be indexed to inflation in future years.
Students
In addition to the pre-announced measures to cap indexation for student loans at CPI or Wage Price Index, there is also $89 million for 20,000 additional fee-free TAFE and VET places to train more construction workers.
To expand access to universities, there’s $350 million for fee-free uni courses from 1 January 2025.
Commuters
There’s a range of funding for projects across the country, including funding for a rail link between the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane, $1.9 billion for projects in western Sydney including the airport and other road and rail projects, light rail expansion in Canberra, road projects in Victoria and the Metronet rail signalling program in Western Australia.
Who are the losers in the federal budget?
Working holiday makers
Those from China, Vietnam and India wanting to come to Australia on working holiday visas will face a new visa pre-application ballot process from this year.
The ballot process will charge applicants $25, which the government says will help manage demand and application processing times for these countries.
Most job seekers
There is no increase in the JobSeeker payment, despite repeated calls from welfare groups and Australians struggling amid the cost of living crisis.
Universities
Will have limits placed on how many international students can be enrolled by each university based on a formula including how much housing they build to support them.
A new National Student Ombudsman will begin on 1 February 2025 to allow higher education students to escalate complaints regarding the administrative actions of their education provider. The government says it will explore arrangements for cost recovery from 2026–27.
Public Service Contractors
The government will save $1 billion over four years by cutting its spending on consultants, contractors and labour hire. The government will also commission a second Audit of Employment to measure how the public service is delivering on the government’s commitment to reduce spending on external labour.
Bulk billed patients
Patients will now only have one year to lodge a Medicare bulk bill claim, down from two years.
The government said reducing the time frame will “enable quicker responses to fraud and non-compliance in Medicare” and bring in $33.6 million over three years from 2025-26.
Congratulations 𝐌𝐬. 𝐒. 𝐓𝐮𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐥 for the approval of a 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝟓𝟎𝟎 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭!
Lodgement Date: 20 December 2023
Visa Grant Date: 08 March 2024
Course: Master of Public Health (MPH)
This is the student visa grant of Ms. Sania Tufail to complete her degree in Master of Public Health (MPH) program at Central Queensland University.
With our dedication, Ms. S. Tufail was granted a CoE, allowing her to apply for her visa application and complete her studies. After more than two months of waiting, she has finally been granted a visa to complete her unfinished course.
Congratulations to Ms. S . Tufail and we wish her all the best for her future endeavors in Australia.
Congratulations 𝐌𝐫. 𝐒. 𝐒. on your 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐚 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭 (𝐒𝐂 𝟖𝟎𝟏) in a record breaking time of 3 months.
Visa Lodgment Date: 25 November 2023
Visa Grant Date: 29 February 2024
Course: Bachelor of Business (Islamic Business) at the National Academy of Professional Studies
Mr. S has been our loyal customer for many years. We first assisted him with his student visa application and then graduate and working visas. In 2022, Mr. S. met the love of his life and he decided to get married to his beautiful wife. Therefore, he decided to engage us with his partner visa application.
Due to some issues with his previous visa, we had to assist Mr.S to address Schedule 3 criteria to satisfy immigration that his relationship was genuine.
In October 2022, after constant communication with the Department, Mr. S was granted his provisional partner visa (subclass 820). And now, he has officially become an Australian permanent resident.
The processing time has been credibly shorter for our client (only in 3 months). Fortunately, well preparation was key to their success with a direct visa grant, no further information required.
We are extremely pleased to assist our client in achieving their migration goals in such a short time.
We wish Mr. S and his loved ones a blessing celebration and best of luck with your future in Australia!
If you are considering to apply for a spouse or de facto visa with your Australian/PR partner or you need our migration assistance, do not hesitate to contact our registered migration agent for expert advice!
Congratulations to 𝐍. 𝐓𝐚𝐡𝐢𝐫 for the grant of the 𝟒𝟖𝟓 𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐚 for his wife from Pakistan.
Visa Lodgement Date: 25 December 2023 Visa Grant Date: 07 February 2024
N. Tahir is a loyal client of EMK Global. We assisted him with his admission and then graduate visa application successfully.
N. Tahir recently got married and he wanted to bring his wife to Australia. Since their marriage is new, it has been very challenging for us to prepare their documents to convince the Department of their genuine relationship.
We sat down with N. Tahir and instructed him necessary steps and important documents required. After only 1.5 months, his wife has been granted the subsequent visa to join him in Australia.
We wish the couple happy moments together in Australia!
If you are planning to bring your loved ones to Australia, feel free to reach out to EMK Global for migration assistance.
Congratulations to 𝐙. 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐡𝐳𝐚𝐝𝐢 for the grant of the subsequent visa for her husband and child from Pakistan.
Lodgement Date: 18 December 2023 Visa Grant Date: 08 February 2024
Z. Shahzadi came to Australia to study a Master’s program at Central Queensland University. After a few months living in Australia on her own, she felt missing her husband and son a lot.
Z. Shahzadi discussed her circumstances with our professional team and we assisted her to apply for a subsequent visa for her husband and son from Pakistan to join her in Australia.
Given the special circumstances of Z. Shahzadi and multiple reminders sent to the Department of Home Affairs, after less than 2 months, her husband and child have been granted a student subsequent visa.
We wish them all the best with their reunion in Australia. If you are planning to bring your loved ones to Australia, feel free to reach out to EMK Global for migration assistance.
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