Following a series of visa changes announced by the Turnbull government, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten is planning to unveil what would Labor do to answer the ‘Australians First’ policy.
A Labor government would triple the cost of temporary foreign worker visas, introduce new SMART visa and create a new independent body which will decide Australia’s Skilled Occupation List.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten will make the announcement during a pre-budget speech to the McKell Institute in Sydney on Wednesday, AAP reports.
TRIPLE TEMPORARY FOREIGN WORKER VISA COST
Labor would triple the cost of bringing in temporary foreign worker. A four-year visa would cost about $1600 a year, up from the $575 a year for two years under the Turnbull government's new scheme.
The extra revenue from the visa fees would be used to establish a new skills training fund, Mr Shorten will say.
SMART VISA
Labor would also create a new visa, SMART to attract the best and brightest to Australia in the areas of Science, Medicine, Academia, Research and Technology.
Sydney Morning Herald wrote, Bill Shorten in his speech will say this new visa “is designed to help ensure "universities, research institutes, medical, scientific and advanced technology industries and companies and public research agencies to bring the best and brightest here."
SINGLE SKILLED OCCUPATIONS LIST
AAP reports, Labor also would create a new independent, labour market testing body that would determine what skills does Australia need and this new authority would create a single Skills Shortage Occupations List to advise government on skills shortages and future skills needs.
Mr Shorten's new policy comes in response to the government's decision last month to abolish the 457 visa program and replace it with two new temporary skills shortage visas, alongside tougher English testing.
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