A comprehensive workforce strategy includes a streamlined migration policy that complements the national investment in skills, education and training. Our skilled migration program is an essential component of Australia’s workforce planning and development. It enables employers to adapt and respond to workforce shortages in areas of critical skills need. The Federal Government has recently announced some welcome reforms to Australia’s skilled migration program. The end result should be a streamlined migration system; one that is responsive, economical and effective. It should be easy for both workers and employers to navigate, with needlessly complex and onerous requirements removed. 

International education is a cornerstone of Australia's $48 billion export sector. It also plays a critical role in strengthening the nation's skills base. Our December 2024 NSW Business Conditions survey found the majority of NSW businesses (56%) recognised the economic benefits available through supporting Australia’s once-thriving international education sector. Current policy settings, such as caps and limits on student numbers, risk stifling the sector’s growth and damaging legitimate providers. 

A thriving international education sector will not only bolster the economy but also contribute to a more diverse and dynamic workforce, with international students bringing global perspectives and in-demand skills to Australian industries. If the Federal Government continues to pursue policies which bridle our international education sector, we risk further damage to our hard-earned reputation as a welcoming and high-quality education provider. 

Skilled migration has long been a key pathway for employers to meet their workforce needs, and will remain so, especially in regional NSW. However, there remain features of Australia’s skilled migration program that deter employers from making greater use of it.

Opportunities for improvement include to:

• Improve the timeliness of procedural aspects to Australia’s skilled migration program, including responses to inquiries and visa processing times, through ensuring that 75 per cent of skilled visa applications are processed within 120 days, and 90 per cent of Working and Holiday Visa applications processed within 90 days;
• Proceed with improvements to the employer experience of skilled migration processes, in line with commitments outlined in the 2023 Migration Strategy;
• Ensure visa fees do not disadvantage Australia in competing in a global market for talent.
• Increase the NSW allocation of regional skilled visas (subclass 491) from 2,000 to 3,000 places to assist regional employers in meeting their skills needs in areas of critical shortage; and
• Implement the widespread adoption of The Innovation and Early Careers Skills Exchange and the Skills Development Exchange pilot initiatives currently underway as part of Australia’s free trade agreements with the UK and Indonesia by 2026.
• Ensure Commonwealth education policies and programs are developed and implemented for the purposes of education, with migration goals achieved through Australia’s newly reformed migration policy framework.
• Restore the status of Australia’s international education sector as a world-leading example of education and innovation.