The income threshold for the federal government’s revised visa scheme for highly-skilled migrant workers is expected to be within the range of $120,000 to $150,000.
However, sources involved in the consultation process say the government has indicated that skilled tradespeople are likely to be excluded from this visa stream, even if their proposed salary would exceed the threshold, amid pressure from unions to save high-paid blue-collar jobs for local workers.
“If you’re a tradie, you’re not allowed. It’s only for white-collar workers”, the source said.
