In his statements at the Business Council of Australia on 7 Aug 2018 the Minister for
Citizenship and Multi cultural Affairs, Hon Alan Tudge shared his views on Australia’s
skilled migration program.
It was emphatically stated that Australia is built on migrants and the quest to seek the
brightest from the world over remains vital to Australia. Some of the strategies and
key reasons highlighted in his speech on why Australia needs skilled migrants were
as follows:
-Skilled Migration brings in a talent pool and innovation from overseas.
-Skilled Migration leads to economic and population growth which is currently at about 70%.
-The GDP per capita grows with migrants coming into Australia
-Skilled Migrants contribute to the tax considerations, about 80% higher than the Australians
-Younger migrants bring more value to Australia in terms of tax paying, thus the upper age limit was lowered from
49 to 45 om July 1, 2018.
-While Skilled Migrants are extremely important to the development and economy, policies have been amended to
ensure that migrants contribute when they first arrive and not go onto welfare. Extending the waiting period to
access welfare benefits from two years to four years. Perhaps, an undertone to this also reflects in more occupations
becoming eligible for 489 sponsorship.
-Regional migration set for a clear boost to fill the labor gaps in order to optimize the services and curb inflation.
-Skilled Migration to be evenly distributed throughout Australia and removing pressure from the overpopulated
Sydney and Melbourne with a mere 13% of the 111,000 skilled migrants arriving in the year, settling outside these
two major cities.
-South Australia, presumably, to continue as a state absorbing skilled migrants with an additional 15,000 skilled
migrants required every year.
A strong message about the quality skilled migrants being welcomed to Australia was sent by the Minister in
his parting remarks, “Australia has been built on migration. Successive waves of migrants have come to our
shores, help build our economy and made Australia the greatest multicultural nation on earth.”
Speech synopsis by Diamond Sodhi, Source: Department of Home affairs, Australia