Improving Australia's skilled migration program

THE Joint Standing Committee on Migration today presented the final report for its inquiry into Australia’s skilled migration program.

Committee Chair Julian Leeser MP said, “Over 500,000 temporary migrants have left Australia since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and the lack of skilled migrants coupled with record low unemployment has led to major skill shortages in many sectors of the Australian economy.

“The government has implemented many of the recommendations the Committee made in Interim report in relation to skills shortages in the economy and their impact on the viability of businesses and their ability to create more jobs for Australians,” Mr Leeser said.

“In this report, the committee has made recommendations addressing a range of issues including a whole of government approach to address skills shortages, providing clearer pathways to permanency to and enabling the best and brightest international students to come and stay here to help us fill persistent skills shortages.

“The report also recommends a number of measures aimed at cleaning up and streamlining the skilled migration system, including consolidating the skills lists, replacing ANZSCO, providing more concessions for regional visas, improving customer service from Home Affairs and streamlining Labour Market Testing and the Skilling Australia Fund,” said Mr Leeser.

A copy of the report and more details about the inquiry are available on the committee website.

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