Rethinking permanent skilled migration after the pandemic

Presenter: Henry Sherrell
Migration Fellow, Grattan Institute

Abstract
How should Australia select permanent skilled migrants? The Federal Government has recently moved policy in the wrong direction by shifting the composition of the permanent skilled intake towards older, less-skilled migrants. Too many visas are now allocated to visa categories without a proven track record. Removing these visa categories and allocating more visas to skilled workers would have a big effect. In addition, skilled worker visas should be changed to work more effectively.  When we reopen the borders, Australia should unashamedly select permanent skilled migrants for their long-term economic potential. Skilled migrants tend to be younger, have more skills, and earn higher incomes than the typical Australian. This presentation is centred on a recent report released by the Grattan Institute, Rethinking permanent skilled migration after the pandemic. This is the first report in a series on immigration policy from the Grattan Institute.

Biography
Henry is a policy analyst with experience in government, consulting, and research. Henry joined the Grattan Institute in 2020 to work on a migration project. Prior to joining the Grattan Institute, Henry worked as an independent researcher focusing on Australian and international immigration policy. He has worked for the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, the Migration Council Australia, a Federal MP, the Federal Parliamentary Library, and the Development Policy Centre at the ANU. Henry holds a Masters of Public Policy from the Crawford School at the Australian National University and a Bachelor of Arts from the Australian National University.