The business community is joining in on calls to release a backlog of more than 140,000 skilled workers waiting on their visa applications to be processed.
A backlog of thousands of visa applications for skilled workers has driven businesses across Australia to breaking point as they struggle to fill staff shortages, causing potential delays for major projects.
Newly-appointed Immigration Minister Andrew Giles has put pressure on the Department of Home Affairs to prioritise a solution after he was sworn into office last week.
There are currently 140,000 skilled workers wanting to come to Australia according new figures released by Home Affairs.
The number of skilled foreign workers in Australia is less than half what it was a decade ago and the number of these workers leaving the country exceeded those arriving in April.
While 8970 skilled foreign workers arrived in Australia in April another 9230 departed, creating a loss of 260 foreign skilled workers. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Sarah Matray
Australia had more than 195,000 skilled temporary visa holders in Australia in June 2014 but in March 2022, there were just 96,000 according to the Department of Home Affairs.
Business Council Chief Executive Jennifer Westacott said that if the problem is not solved quickly, there is potential for Australians to miss out on employment opportunities.
“We need a migration system that moves quickly because investment decisions for big projects or expansions can’t be put on hold indefinitely without Australians losing out on new jobs and new opportunities.”
“Carefully targeted migration is critical to giving businesses rapid access to skills and workers so they can ramp up, expand, invest and create new jobs for Australians.”
The Business Council of Australia Chief Executive Jennifer Westacott AO said that Australia needs a migration system that “moves quickly”. Picture: Toby Zerna
The Morrison Government did not release figures on the number of most visa class applications including the 482 visa for skilled foreign workers.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese affirmed his government’s priority to address the backlog while in Jakarta on Monday saying Australia should be “more welcoming” to visa applicants from Indonesia and other countries.
“It isn’t just in this area we have a problem in processing visas,” Albanese said.
“There is just an extraordinary backlog – it’s something that I raised in briefings before the election with the Home Affairs department that we had in the lead-up to the election when we were getting briefings, because it’s a consistent issue which was raised”
While 8970 skilled foreign workers arrived in Australia in April another 9230 departed, creating a loss of 260 foreign skilled workers.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told Indonesian reporters that addressing the backlog was a priority of his government. Picture: Andri Saputra/ AFP
Former deputy secretary in the Department of Immigration Abul Rizvi told the Sydney Morning Herald that the number of people on bridging visas had “blown out” to more than 300,000 individuals in the past decade.
“Migration agents are tearing their hair out because of the way Home Affairs deals with issues, you can’t actually speak to a human being to find out what’s happening,’ Mr Rizvi said.
“Without more resources, it will remain gummed up.”
Ms Westacott said the problem can’t be solved overnight.
“We are building a strong pipeline of talent for Australia, but it can’t deliver highly skilled workers overnight,” Ms Westacott said.
“You can’t employ hundreds of Australians on a construction job if you don’t have a surveyor, you can’t deliver an infrastructure pipeline without engineers, and you can’t open your restaurant or cafe if you don’t have the staff.”
https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/business-leader-says-shocking-visa-backlog-may-hurt-investment-and-ultimately-cost-workers-a-job/news-story/06f70f0654d8168ed33bf06e5247f369
