Yesterday the Minister for Home Affairs and Cyber Security, the Hon Clare O’Neil, MP released the final report: Review of the Migration System and the Outline of the Government’s Migration Strategy: A Migration System for a More Secure and Prosperous Australia.
The reviewers identified several vague objectives such as building Australia’s prosperity, fairness and the like. It then followed up with a series of 33 potential reforms.
Key elements of those proposed reforms include adopting a clear set of objectives, ensuring there is a single area of government, developing an evaluation plan, focus on long-term planning (e.g. 10 years), recalibration of the system looking at issues such as allocation of places, consolidation of programmes and reviewing the points test among other things, removal of processes such as getting rid of the requirement for labour market testing, adopting risk-based regulation, easing cash-flow requirements by allowing fees and charges to be paid monthly, along with a wide range of other measures.
In its strategy document, the Federal Government noted that:
- The system fails to prioritise the migrants Australia needs for economic prosperity and security; the government proposes to redesign the structure and settings.
- The system is too complex for employers and migrants – other countries are making simpler, more appealing offers; the government is proposing to simplify the system.
- The system fails to deliver the right outcomes for Australians and migrants post-arrival – the long-term planning process does not integrate migration with issues such as infrastructure, housing and services. Meanwhile, 50% of students who stay in Australia after study end up in jobs lower than their skill level. The Government proposes to create a new “nation building endeavour” ensuring proper investment in housing, infrastructure and services while designing out exploitation from the system.
- The system has abuses – there is a growing “permanently temporary” cohort in Australia; approximately 173,000 migrants have been in Australia for five or more years on temporary visas. The government is proposing to develop clearer pathways to permanent residence.
More concretely, as of 01 July 2023, the “Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold” will be increased from $53,900 to $70,000. Employers must pay – in actual money; benefits such as accommodation and provision of cars – migrant workers at least as much as the amount specified in the Threshold.
The Government proposes to engage in consultation with governments, unions, business and civil society in May and June 2023 and to release a final Migration Strategy in 2023.
