Matt Thistlethwaite (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration) Share this | Hansard source

As the shadow minister is aware, there is a certain allocation of a number of visas in different categories that are outlined by the government each year. The overwhelming majority is allocated to skilled migration, to ensure that employers have the skills that they need to meet the demands of industry in Australia.

I mentioned earlier that our focus in terms of providing that labour is to train more Australians. The priority for this government is to train more Australians in traineeships and apprenticeships, particularly in the construction trades, which is why we're making fee-free TAFE permanent. But where there's a need and demand for additional for additional labour, there are opportunities for employers and the states and territories to sponsor skilled workers.

The numbers that are allocated in that program are based on demand. It's up to an employer to make an application to the department or a state or territory government to sponsor a skilled worker. The federal government responds to that application, assuming that the person meets all of the relevant criteria, by granting a visa. So the list is compiled based on the demands of industry and meeting the demands of industry, and that will continue into the future.

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