Ai Group Tells Canberra to Repair Skilled Migration, Not Shrink It: What It Means if You Are Aiming for Australia
News · 2026-08-25 · 3 min read
One of Australia's heaviest-hitting employer bodies has picked a side in the skilled migration argument. The Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) says the intake should stay where it is and the machinery behind it should be fixed. For anyone chasing sponsored jobs for South African tradespeople, that is a position worth following closely.
The submission and the people behind it
The message came in a submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Migration, which is running an inquiry into the value of skilled migration. Innes Willox, chief executive of Ai Group, told the committee that business needs a system it can predict, not one that swings with politics. Housing, infrastructure, manufacturing, health and aged care, he said, all depend on migrant workers to fill jobs that local training simply cannot supply quickly enough.
This is more than a press statement. For employers who hire from overseas, and for skilled workers planning a future in Australia, it shows which way policy pressure is likely to push over the next 12 months.
Four asks, and why each one counts
1. Keep the intake steady. Ai Group is not asking for more places. It wants permanent skilled migration held at current levels. With job vacancies in construction, energy and care still running ahead of the local workforce, any cut could stall big projects that are already in progress.
2. Make it easier to get qualifications recognised. Employers and migrants both complain about how slow and patchy it is to have overseas qualifications and licences accepted in Australia. Ai Group wants that sped up, especially in occupations with critical shortages, which would shorten the wait between a visa grant and a first day on the job.
3. Faster, steadier visa processing. The submission points directly at the Skills in Demand visa and the Subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme). Delays in both are causing real uncertainty for businesses. When an employer is trying to plan staffing months ahead, unpredictable processing can hurt as much as the shortage itself.
4. Tell the public why migration matters. The most unusual request is for a proper communication strategy that shows ordinary Australians how skilled migrants keep essential services, housing and infrastructure going. It reflects a growing view in industry that public opinion, and not only policy design, decides how much migration politicians are willing to support.
A touchy moment to speak up
The timing is delicate. Migration numbers are politically hot, and some people want the intake cut as a way to ease housing costs. Ai Group rejects that framing head-on. Reducing skilled migration, it argues, would make the pressure on housing delivery, infrastructure timelines and business investment worse, not better.
For employers, migration agents and applicants, the message is simple: Australia's skilled migration settings are far from decided. The committee hearings over the coming months could shape processing times, occupation lists and sponsorship pathways for years.
Your move from South Africa
None of this changes the rules today, but it is a sign of where things may head. If you are a tradesperson, have your trade certificate and work references in order, because recognition of overseas qualifications is exactly what is under discussion and most trades are assessed again in Australia anyway. Book IELTS or PTE early if your visa will need an English score. Then keep an eye on official Australian government updates as the inquiry moves towards recommendations.
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