We are now only a few weeks away from the Federal Election on 3 May 2025 and are currently seeing both major political parties campaigning to reduce immigration levels.
The Coalition is cracking down on both the permanent and temporary migration programs, promising to reduce the annual intake of permanent migrants from 185,000 to 140,000 people and apparently cut Net Overseas Migration from 260,000 to 160,000 people.
Net Overseas Migration (NOM) levels capture the difference between the number of people leaving and arriving in Australia, and includes people on Temporary Visas including Skilled Visas.
The current Government believes the Coalition's apparent plan to cut its projected NOM figures by 100,000 would affect skilled workers that are crucial to construction, aged care and tourism – but while it has criticised the Coalition, greater clarity is needed on its own policies to manage immigration.
It says it plans to bring migration 'under control' but has avoided providing details on the expected size and composition of the Permanent Migration Intake since omitting these details in its 2025 Federal Budget.
As Australia faces a housing crisis much of the focus has been on reducing immigration levels, despite leading migration experts casting doubt on whether a reduced Permanent Migration Intake will free up more housing.
Other pertinent questions, such as whether we are getting the right skills into Australia, appear to be overlooked. If boosting the housing supply indeed requires an additional 130,000 construction workers, both parties seem to be missing an opportunity to share how skilled migration policies can better support this industry.
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Source:
Interstaff's Registered Migration
Agents
ABC Radio National Interview with Abul
Rizvi
The Conversation
The Guardian
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