In Sunday’s edition of ABC Business Daily (broadcast 27 September), host Rachel Pupazzoni convened a panel of economists, migration lawyers and industry representatives to unpack Labor’s freshly unveiled migration blueprint. The program zeroed-in on proposals to stop international students from rolling through multiple visa subclasses – a practice critics call “visa hopping” – and to introduce a ballot for some Working Holiday Maker (WHM) visas. Dr Liz Allen of the Australian National University told listeners the changes aim to bring net-overseas-migration down to 225 000 by 2028 without “pulling the handbrake on the sectors that rely on migrants”. But Phil Honeywood from the International Education Association warned that preventing most students from bringing dependants could prompt them to choose Canada or the UK instead, costing universities hundreds of millions in revenue and regional towns vital part-time staff. The broadcast also examined new compliance funding to target rogue migration agents and overstayers. Former Border Force commander Roman Quaedvlieg said the challenge would be ensuring enforcement doesn’t deter legitimate skilled entrants: “The integrity dividend evaporates if processing blows out again.” For corporate mobility managers, the discussion signalled likely longer lead times for student-to-work transitions and fewer WHM candidates for hospitality, construction and agriculture in 2027. Companies were advised to broaden recruitment pipelines – especially through the PALM scheme and state-nominated skilled visas – and to audit existing staff who may be planning onshore visa switches. ABC has made the 28-minute segment available on demand, making it a useful primer for HR, education providers and relocation firms looking to understand the political direction of Australia’s migration system.
Source: ABC Business Daily
