See below for submissions related to migration.
ACCI is deeply invested in ensuring that the migration settings in this country are fit-for-purpose and can deliver workers in a timely and efficient manner, while balancing the need to ensure Australian citizens have access to jobs that are appropriate to their skills, qualifications and interests.
The points test is an important part of Australia’s migration system. As other areas of the migration system are reformed and net overseas migration levels are being reduced, appropriate settings within the points test will be important to ensure Australia’s migration system operates effectively and delivers the skilled workforce we need for the future.
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) welcomes the opportunity to provide input to the Department of Home Affairs’ consultation process into the Migration Program for 2023-24.
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) welcomes the opportunity to make a submission to the review of Australia’s migration system.
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) welcomes the opportunity to provide input to the Department of Home Affairs’ consultation process into the Migration Program for 2022-23.
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and industry (ACCI) thanks the Government for the opportunity to comment on the exposure draft of the Migration Amendment (Protecting Migrant Workers) Bill 2021 (the Bill), and the accompanying Context Paper. There is much in the aims of the legislation, and in the execution of many of the amendments which ACCI supports or has to date not identified problems with. This reflects employer acceptance of the need for some level of change in the wake of the high profile matters that gave rise to the Migrant Worker Task Force (MWT) , and also noting the Fair Work system significant changes made in 2017, which for example increased fines tenfold.
The Australian economy is on the mend from the impacts of the COVID pandemic with both business and consumer confidence picking up. Although business conditions have improved, there
is no denying that the economy has experienced a two-speed recovery with some sectors bouncing back while others hang on for survival. Closure of Australia’s international border and imposition of domestic border restrictions has resulted in some sectors of the economy suffering greatly.
ACCI JSCOM Inquiry
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ACCI has sustained a strong involvement with migration policy over several years, providing a highly considered and evidence-based perspective on the business impacts of migration policy. ACCI has consistently emphasised that the needs of business and the broader community must form the pillars from which Australia’s migration program is built. This submission sets out the case in support of returning permanent migration to the planning cap of 190,000 places in the 2021-22 program year. The current crisis has reduced Australia’s migration program to a trickle in relation to off-shore applicants and substantially altered the composition of the program in relation to on-shore applicants. This has significant economic and fiscal consequences for Australia. The Government should seize every available opportunity to increase Australia’s permanent migration intake especially in the skilled migration area given, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our demography and population growth, due to very low Net Overseas Migration, particularly permanent migration. There is no doubt the economic and fiscal benefits arising from increased migration will contribute to Australia’s recovery in the post-pandemic environment. The submission also makes the case that regardless of the size of the cap, the proportion of migrants that are employer sponsored should remain proportionally high and as accessible as possible for both regional and urban Australian businesses. This is especially necessary in the recovery period when businesses will need access to experienced skilled migrants to fill the skills gap in a tough economic environment.
The Australian Chamber-Tourism welcomes the opportunity to provide input into the Joint Standing Committee on Migration’s inquiry into the Working Holiday Maker Program. As the peak body for business groups operating in tourism, Australian Chamber – Tourism is a long-standing advocate for the working holiday maker program. The working holidaymaker program encourages cultural exchange and closer ties between arrangement countries by allowing young people to have an extended holiday supplemented by short-term employment. Working holidaymakers are an important component of the visitor market and have consistently supplemented short-term labour market needs, particularly in regional Australia.