The business community has cautioned against a federal government review of the countrys visa system amid concerns about public negativity towards skilled migrants.
The Turnbull government has released a consultation paper flagging a number of possible changes to the system, including biometric testing of applicants, a major reduction in the number of visa types and a mandatory onshore residency period for prospective permanent migrants.
Under the proposals, migrants would have to spend a certain amount of time in Australia before becoming eligible for permanent residency.
The government says most permanent visa categories do not have a provisional stage, allowing applicants to not have had spent any time in Australia before applying for permanent residence.
Its also considering retaining biometric data from visa applicants to assess their risk towards the public.
And it's flagged another option to cut down the number of visa types from 99 to 10, arguing a simpler visa system would allow faster and user-friendly services.
