Assessing Visa Pathways for Australia’s Temporary Migrant Workforce

Abstract

This article considers the regulation of entry pathways for temporary migrants into the Australian labour market. Australia’s temporary labour migration program accounts for one tenth of the labour market and has increased substantially in the last three decades. Although there is a discrete dedicated labour migration program for temporary skilled workers, there is also a substantial contribution made by unskilled and low skilled temporary migrants through the international student and working holiday maker programs.