Australia: Fiscal & Monetary Policy

Australia's 2026-27 federal budget introduces sweeping immigration reforms that will reshape how skilled workers are selected, where temporary visa holders can buy property, and how quickly migrant tradespeople can enter the workforce. The changes mark the first overhaul of the skilled migration points test in over a decade and signal a strategic shift toward prioritizing onshore applicants already living in Australia. What do these policy adjustments mean for employers, migrants, and the broader trajectory

We are now only a few weeks away from the Federal Election on 3 May 2025 and are currently seeing both major political parties campaigning to reduce immigration levels.

While the Australian Federal Budget usually provides insights on the size and composition of the permanent migration program for the coming financial year, these planning levels were not released in this week's Budget announcements.