It could become a lot easier for skilled workers to be granted permanent residency in Australia under recommendations set out in a new Parliamentary report.
Earlier this year, Immigration Minister Alex Hawke asked a parliamentary committee to look into Australia’s skilled migration program and how it could be improved or tweaked.
It’s part of the government’s broader plan to help Australia’s economy recover from the pandemic, in part by addressing some of the country’s critical skills shortages.
What did the inquiry look at?
Essentially, the joint parliamentary inquiry – meaning it was made up of both House of Representative MPs and senators – was asked to look at whether the skilled migration program is working.
That includes whether the skills listed as part of the program are actually the ones we’re short on in Australia, how expensive it is for businesses to sponsor skilled migrants and generally how difficult the scheme is to navigate.
Currently, occupations with skills shortages include vets, chefs, and civil and electrical engineers.
The timing of the inquiry is also important.
Australia’s skills shortage was exacerbated last year with the sudden departure of migrants on temporary visas at the start of the pandemic.
It’s also worth noting this isn’t the first time the treatment of, and conditions for, temporary workers has been looked into.
In 2016, a Senate inquiry found widespread exploitation, dangerous working conditions and illegally low rates of pay, among other things.
How reliant is Australia on migrant workers anyway?
It turns out, very.
Since March, 2020, over half a million migrant workers have left Australia and according to many industries, the result has been significant gaps in the workforce.
Liberal MP Julian Leeser, who…