In the report, Ceda called on the Albanese government to 'outline how it intends to address the COVID-19 induced drag on the migration system'. It also asked how the country is raising migration and clearing visa processing backlogs.
“New approaches are now required in an environment where advanced economies are simultaneously facing pandemic induced skills shortages and major economic transitions in climate and energy, technology and caring that all demand skilled labour," Ceda said in a new report.
ALSO READ: Australia immigration cap hiked, check details here
Ceda in its report proposed that various lists of skill shortages that qualify for different visas should be considered into one, or they can be replaced by a wage threshold and jobs matching mechanisms.
The economic thinktank called for an essential skills visa to provide a boost to the aged care, childcare, disability and healthcare workforces, reported The Guardian.
"Temporary skilled migrants now account for around 0.7 per cent of the labour force, less than half the level when temporary skilled migration peaked shortly after the mining boom," The Guardian quoted Ceda report.
Since the borders reopened, Australia’s migration system has been playing catch-up. The report claims that the net overseas migration will not fully recover until 2024.
On 30 August, Education Minister Jason Clare suggested some of Australia’s workforce shortages could be eased by allowing international students to stay longer. As per the current rules, few students are entitled to stay only 18 months after they finished their degree or diploma.
Several unions accepted that permanent migration can rise by 40,000 to 200,000 a year, citing the government enacted other protections and levers to encourage wage growth, including a pay floor of $90,000 for temporary skilled migrants, the report added.
