Australia is considering making it easier for multinational companies to bring their best and brightest staff here. But there’s a catch — you’ll likely need to earn a certain amount.
KEY POINTS
- Australia is considering a proposal to make intra-company transfers easier.
- Immigration Minister Andrew Giles says it is ‘an important idea that deserves serious consideration’.
- It’s possible a new scheme could be advanced by next year.
The Albanese government is considering a proposal to make it easier for global companies to bring their best and brightest staff to Australia.
Simplifying the process for intra-company transfers is something that is being advocated for by the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) as “low-hanging fruit” that could help relieve the skills shortage in Australia.
Australian companies including biotechnology multinational CSL and medical device company Cochlear have both advocated for easier intra-company transfers for years, to share specific expertise and improve skill sets between countries.
Trusted employers could get access to visas
At the moment, companies that want to send their staff to Australia must use the standard pathways available to all migrants, such as applying for a temporary skill shortage visa or permanent skilled visa.
Between 20,000 and 60,000 temporary skilled visas are issued every year, with 32,062 granted in 2021/22. But Mr Ball (CEDA chief economist) said it could take six months for an employee to get to Australia using this system.
