Over the years skilled migrants acquire visas that can lead to permanent residency, after undergoing strict vetting and eligibility checks.
As Australia emerges from the COVID crisis, there’s a looming war for manual and low-skilled labour.
Department of home affairs should unashamedly select permanent skilled migrants for their long-term economic potential. Based on latest Grattan Institute report the figures are calling for an even greater focus on skilled migration.
Shortages in aged care alone are projected to approach one million by 2050.
Australia has been built on immigration
The “Joint Standing Committee on Migration” also recommended that temporary skilled workers (visa subclass 482) also be given a pathway to permanent residency and that it be made easier in regional areas.
Boosting the number of skilled worker visas would supercharge the economic benefits of Australia’s skilled migration program and result in nearly $4 billion in extra personal income tax receipts alone over the lifetime of each yearly migrant intake.
The post-pandemic era provides a rare opportunity for Australia to rethink its migration system. Several case studies warrants a closer look at how we define skills and shortages and the balance between the type of workers we want.
