Meeting Australia's Labour Needs: The Case for a New Low-Skill Work Visa. (June 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Howe, Joanna; Reilly, Alexander
• Is Part Of: Federal law review. Volume 43:Number 2(2015)
• Page Start: 259
• Page End: 287
• Publication Date: 2015-06
• Subjects: Law -- Australia -- Periodicals; 349.94
• DOI: 10.22145/flr.43.2.4
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0067-205X

Abstract

This article examines whether Australia's regulatory settings for temporary migrant labour are working effectively and argues that a backdoor currently exists which permits the entry of low skilled migrant workers on visas which are not for a work purpose, namely the international student visa and the working holiday maker visa. We propose that an explicit visa pathway be created for low and semi-skilled workers so that the working conditions of these visa holders are more appropriately monitored and to enable Australia's temporary labour migration program to better meet skill shortages in the economy.