The Australian Department of Immigration & Border Protection (DIBP) announced in the 2015 Budget that up to 190,000
permanent migration places will be available in 2015-16 migration programme.
Some changes to the programme have been announced which will affect how
the Child and Orphan relative categories will be managed.
At least 3,485
additional permanent
Child visa places will be available outside the managed
Migration Programme.
Child category visas (excluding Orphan Relative) will no longer be counted under the
managed Migration Programme. This is in response to the Government’s commitment
to reform and improve the processes relating to inter-country adoption.
The Child category will continue to be carefully monitored while it
transitions to a fully demand-driven model by 2019-20.
Orphan Relative visas will now form part of the 'Other Family' category within the
Migration Programme with 400
places allocated to Orphan Relative visas.
