Labor says it will examine the idea of encouraging migrants to settle outside the major cities.
A policy aimed at getting more migrants to make rural and regional towns their long-term home is expected to be released later this year by the Turnbull government.
Labor frontbencher Brendan O'Connor, a former immigration minister, said it was an important policy issue.
"The overwhelming number of migrants are attracted to the big cities, Sydney and Melbourne in particular, and there are communities crying out for skills and labour in other areas, so it is a very uneven situation, and I think that therefore it is worthy of examination," Mr O'Connor told Sky News on Sunday.
He said there should also be a focus on the misuse of student and working holiday-maker visas.
Too many people came to Australia on the premise of studying or holidaying, but ended up working full-time, he said.
