The Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) has published a report which explores Australia’s migration program under the Temporary Skilled Shortage (TSS) 482 Visa, and its predecessor the 457 visas. The report focuses on hot topics, statistical data and interesting facts surrounding the Australian migration program.
How is the report useful? It enables the public to increase their understanding of Australia’s visa system, and assists businesses by promoting predictability & sustainability for the Australian economy. The report also increases the program’s exposure to political settlement, during a time where there has been challenges from both state and federal governments.
Some of the interesting facts taken from the report include:
- Overall, TSS/457 visa holders tend to earn more than their permanent skilled counterparts and the overall Australian population. 42% earn a salary of $78,000 to $156,000 or more, with the average salary being $95,000. The pragmatists amongst us, would conclude that these skilled migrants, not only increases competition/skills levels amongst the industry, however it also increases the overall salary levels, thus living standards etc.
- With an Australian workforce of 12.8 million (data taken from ABS as of June 2019), there is approximately 154,000 (as of March 2019) TSS/457 visa holders. This figure represents less than 1% of the Australian workforce. Two-thirds of these visa holders reside in Sydney & Melbourne, and the top three citizenships are from the United Kingdom, India and the Philippines.
- Skills shortages remain evident within key sectors. By way of example, CEDA’s research indicates Australia will need 18,000 more Cyber Security Specialists by 2026, when Australia only produces 500 graduates a year. This raises questions, whether segments of the program should be implemented using an individualistic approach, versus collectivism.
- Overall, the report is a great read. It provides extrinsic motivations towards shaping Australia’s migration program, and addresses localised insecurities through transparency and non-sensationalism.
To download the full report, please visit:
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Written by Robert Lu.
Robert is the Immigration Manager at Oz Migration Solutions. He has been working in the industry for the last 12 years, passionate about immigration and a true believer in “Big Australia”.
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