Learn about the changes in Queensland’s skilled migrant allocations for 2024–2025 resulting from the new immigration regulations in Australia. View the effects on other states and the federal government’s efforts to alleviate the lack of skilled labor in the region.

This year, the Albanese government’s overhaul of the immigration system will result in an increase of almost 10,000 workers allocated to other parts of the country, while Queensland will witness a decrease in the number of skilled migrants it receives.

As each state is expected to get at least 1,500 more permanent skilled migrant nominations in 2024–2025, Western Australia, South Australia, and Tasmania will gain a great deal from the redistribution of state-nominated visa quotas. The goal of this action, according to Federal Immigration Minister Andrew Giles, is to more fairly address the severe skills shortages that exist throughout Australia.

The number of state-nominated permanent skilled migration seats in Queensland will drop from 900 to 600, while the number of temporary visa spaces will drop from 650 to 600. This change comes after the federal Coalition accepted a proposal earlier this year to lessen the impact of migration on housing, which was supported by Queensland Premier Steven Miles.

Tasmania and Western Australia will each receive an additional 1,500 visas, while South Australia will receive an additional 1,900. In addition, Western Australia will receive an extra 1,000 temporary places because of the acute housing scarcity in the region.

Ultimately, under the state-nominated schemes, the federal government intends to allot 26,000 visa spots, which is 14,000 fewer than sought. Approximately half of Australia’s yearly skilled migrant visas are granted through this program; the remaining half are set by the federal government.

Reducing spatial differences in the distribution of skilled permanent workers is the government’s objective. Less than 1% of these visa holders were drawn to Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), and the Northern Territory during the previous fiscal year. The ACT’s visa allotment will rise from 1,200 to 1,800, while the Northern Territory’s will rise from 650 to 1,200 as part of the new measures.

The government is moving away from a “one size fits all” approach to immigration, acknowledging the distinct economic conditions of every area, as highlighted by Federal Immigration Minister Andrew Giles. Changes were welcomed by leaders such as Premier Roger Cook of Western Australia, who pointed out the unique issues faced by the state, such as Perth’s vacancy rate of less than 1 percent.

In the year ending December 2023, Queensland saw a population growth rate of 2.6 percent, which was marginally higher than the 2.5 percent national average. On the other hand, during that same era, Western Australia’s population increased by more than 3 percent, approaching 3 million people.

Furthermore, Western Australia will create around 5,000 additional skilled migrant places through a new Designated Area Migration Agreement, while its State Nominated Migration Program will expand from approximately 2,300 to 5,000 places.