The Productivity Commission’s suggestion of selling Australian visas which some estimate will be in the order of $50,000 per visa rubs against the Australian ethos of a fair-go.
Australia already has the SIV which is a pathway for the wealthy. Perhaps that scheme needs to investigated and improved. Instead what we have are proposed changes to the SIV which could actually see the wealthy turn away from Australia. Amidst all this we now have suggestions of making everyone pay absurd amounts of money for a visa. Is Australia’s skilled migration program not doing its job?
The implicit suggestion of the Productivity Commission’s investigation and the view of the quarters that support it is that migrants enter Australia and take advantage of all it has to offer namely its well-developed health and education facilities, and infrastructure and therefore they should pay for that privilege.
Radio reports even had some suggesting that migration agents be allowed to facilitate loans for visa applicants so that they can make the application.
How exactly does all this help attract the best and the brightest, to support the Australian economy over the long term?
