Revamping Australia's Migration System: Five Key Changes Proposed by the Albanese Government

Date: 27 April 2023

Major reform to Australia’s migration system is on the horizon, with the release of a landmark review proposing significant changes for the 1.8 million temporary migrants with work rights. The proposed changes would impact skilled migrants, exploited workers, working holidaymakers, international students, and parents and families.

SKILLED MIGRATION

The review suggests the creation of three tiers of regulation for migrants, including:

a “light-touch” approach for highly skilled migrants on high salaries – for fast turnarounds on highly-skilled worker visas and to quickly fill skills shortages.
a mid-level cohort of migrants who earn above the temporary skilled migration income threshold, and
a lower-wage cohort in sectors experiencing skills shortages.

The review also suggests that the government should revamp the Business Innovation and Investment program and global talent visa, but it does not propose eliminating them.

EXPLOITED WORKERS

The reviewers expressed concern about the current system’s potential for exploitation of temporary migrant workers. The review proposes allowing temporary migrant workers to move from their current job and be given up to six months to find work with another employer within the same sector or type of work. Employers of temporary visa-holders would have to register, with those who have a history of serious workplace breaches being deregistered and ineligible to employ visa-holders.

WORKING HOLIDAY MAKERS

The review suggests restoring the original purpose of the working holidaymaker program as a cultural exchange by no longer tying migration outcomes to work performance. The government is considering limiting working holidaymakers to one year, subject to international agreements, such as Australia’s free trade deal with the UK, which allows UK citizens to apply for up to three successive working holiday visas with no requirement to undertake specified work.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

The review suggests that Australia is not focused enough on capturing high-potential international students. To improve the integrity of the system, the review proposes:

Moving from a “genuine temporary entrant” criterion to a “genuine student” test.
Changing the English language requirements to align with applicants for skilled visas.
Providing a temporary graduate visa to students automatically upon study completion, which would last long enough for the government to identify high-value potential graduates who will succeed on a permanent skilled visa.

PARENTS & FAMILIES

The review finds family reunion is “an important component of a strong and stable community.” However, wait times mean it can take up to 40 years for parents to join their children on a permanent basis in Australia. The review proposes the introduction of a parent visa lottery to prevent further backlogs and a “cheaper, more attractive temporary visa product for parents that might in the long term replace a permanent parent program.”