Submission into the New Skilled Regional Visas (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2019

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Australian Chamber) welcomes the opportunity to make a submission to the Senate Standing Committees on Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee on the New Skilled Regional Visas (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2019 [Provisions]. This submission supports the proposed Bill. However, it does so in the context that there are some broader reservations about the decision to convert the employer-sponsored Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme into a provisional visa.

We note that the Joint Standing Committee on Migration’s Inquiry into Migration in Regional Australia is relevant to this discussion. In that submission, we highlighted the barriers to regional migration in Australia and the policy changes that could encourage regional migration. In this current submission, we take the opportunity to elaborate specifically on the potential impact of the shift in the employer-sponsored migration pathways for regional workers.