The federal government has accused the opposition of trying to bring back the "White Australia" immigration policy by banning foreign apprenticeship visas.
The Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone says the opposition leader Kim Beazley is showing racial prejudice by planning to abolish the trade skilled training visas if he wins the next election.
But Mr Beazley says the program is taking jobs from Australians and giving them to foreigners.
He urged Australia not to have a situation develop where young people have their conditions undermined by the importation of foreign apprentices.