Unions talk sense on temporary skilled visas

In their submission to the Albanese Government’s immigration review, the AiGroup demanded that the Temporary Skilled Migrant Income Threshold (TSMIT) only be increased to $63,000, which is $22,000 below the median full-time Australian wage of $85,000, which is dragged down by unskilled workers.

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) also recently nominated a modest lift in the TSMIT to no higher than $60,000 – i.e. $25,000 below the median full-time wage of $85,000.

Both proposals should be laughed out of the room. Seriously, how can Australia claim to run a ‘skilled’ visa system when the overwhelming majority of migrants are paid below the median full-time wage, which includes unskilled workers? It’s farcical.

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About the author

Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. He is also a co-founder of MacroBusiness. Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.