Labor’s Silence on Skilled Migration Planning Raises Alarms Across the Sector
The Albanese government is facing mounting pressure to release its permanent migration planning levels for the 2025–26 financial year, amid a near-total stall in one of Australia’s most critical skilled visa pathways. As of today, there has been no invitation round for the Subclass 189 Skilled Independent visa since November 2024 — a delay that leading voices in the sector have described as “unprecedented.”
The absence of formal planning figures for this financial year has effectively frozen the General Skilled Migration (GSM) program. While technically the system defaults to the prior year’s allocations, the Department of Home Affairs has not issued a single 189 visa invitation in more than eight months. This silence is having a ripple effect across both the independent and state-nominated streams, rendering it nearly impossible for migration professionals to advise clients with certainty.
Sector Frustration Mounts
Peter van Vliet, CEO of the Migration Institute of Australia, has publicly called out the government for its failure to provide planning certainty, warning that both agents and applicants are in limbo.
“We haven’t had a general skilled migration invitation round since November 2024, which is unprecedented,” he said. “Australia may miss out on the skills we need to keep our economy moving forward if this isn’t attended to as a matter of priority.”
This planning vacuum has placed significant strain on employers, state governments, and skilled migrants alike. As one of the few uncapped permanent visa categories, the Subclass 189 program is a cornerstone of the skilled migration system — particularly for regional Australia, which depends on both independent and state-nominated pathways to meet chronic labour shortages in sectors such as health, engineering, and trades.
Bureaucratic Paralysis or Policy Recalibration?
Former Deputy Secretary of the Immigration Department Abul Rizvi characterised the delay as a bureaucratic stall, not just for the independent stream but also for state and territory nominated visas (Subclass 190 and 491), where government planning levels are needed before states can re-open their programs.
“All the states nominated programs that are at the moment closed… all their state staff who process these registrations of interest are just twiddling their thumbs waiting for governments to decide things,” Rizvi said.
The delay is also expected to impact healthcare recruitment — a sector already under pressure. In the 2023–24 year, nearly 10,000 registered nurses migrated under the skills stream. That figure is now at risk of decline if the government does not urgently clarify the size and composition of the new program year.
Political Pressure Mounting
Opposition Immigration Spokesman Senator Paul Scarr has called the government’s silence “alarming,” accusing Labor of jeopardising Australia’s global competitiveness in attracting skilled migrants.
“Whether they are carpenters or heart surgeons, the best-qualified and skilled have options. They are not going to wait months and months for the Labor government to get its act together.”
The Opposition has consistently pushed for deeper cuts to net overseas migration in response to public concern about housing shortages and infrastructure strain. However, Senator Scarr’s comments underscore the delicate balance between migration control and workforce demand — especially when essential skills are in short supply.
What’s Causing the Delay?
The likely culprit is political hesitation over how to balance the skilled and family streams. While the skilled stream drives economic outcomes, the family stream — particularly partner visas — is uncapped by law, and growing backlogs have placed further strain on departmental resources. The government may be reluctant to publicly commit to a skills-heavy program at a time when it is also under pressure to reunite families more quickly.
Historically, planning levels are announced alongside the Federal Budget in May. That did not occur this year, and the current radio silence raises concerns that skilled migration is taking a backseat in the government’s post-pandemic immigration recalibration.
Final Thoughts
The skilled migration program is not just a bureaucratic tool — it is a strategic economic lever. Delays in releasing the 2025–26 permanent migration planning levels are not benign; they are actively disrupting lives, businesses, and long-term national planning.
At TooRoo Migration Lawyers, we are closely monitoring the situation and continue to assist clients with strategic advice tailored to current realities — including alternative pathways and bridging strategies in the face of uncertainty.
If you are affected by the current pause in invitations or are unsure about your visa prospects, get in touch with our team for a confidential discussion.
Oliver Jones is a solicitor and immigration lawyer based on the Gold Coast. He regularly advises on Australian employer-sponsored and skilled migration law, and writes about global migration trends.
