Skilled migrant intake is believed to be cut further in the budget to less than 110,000 next financial year. (115,000 currently)

Employer applications for 457 visas have also fallen because of the global financial crisis. The number of temporary skilled migrants entering Australia fell by 35 per cent in March.

Full story here

If was an Oz politician at this moment I would be standing up and banging on about getting all permanent immigration stopped until the downturn was over. Only 457's allowed and only then in very limited occupations.... I think that would make me very popular with a good part of the Oz electorate.

Agreed, especially with a possible election looming in the next 18 months.

The only downside to that argument would be that skilled migrants bring in money, spend money, buy houses, cars, white goods, etc all to keep the economy going.

Obviously your not on a 457 and currently applying for PR then.

Uranus is right, even migrants dont feel the need to happily welcome more migrants in in these times.

So a possible reduction of +/- 5,000 worldwide migrants. Hardly a big deal and probably not hugely different from other years when such things happen without a word to the general public.

Surely that must depend on what the migrant is going to do. Agreed if they are taking jobs from people already in the country but not all are doing that - some are acting as a catalyst for expanding work in Oz.

ponzi scheme getting unraveled.

Thank God you are not Oz politician

Not many years ago the SMI was a lot less than it is today - I think it was about 70k at one stage in the 90s. So 110k is still quite a lot.

More sensationalism.

"Government in 'Sensible Immigration Policy' Shocker!"

ok, I'll let them do it as long as it doesn't hurt to much or leave a scar, otherwise i will withdraw my application.

It looks like the UK is doing the same sort of thing.

http://www.contractjournal.com/Artic...tage-list.html

I would expect that a lot of governments will be making these populist type decisions at the moment. Whether cutting a few thousand immigrants actually helps the economy is another matter, but I suppose it gets good headlines for the ruling party.

I would vote for you 110%.

I would stop any type of visa migrant working approval, and find out who is actually unemployed in the market and what jobs are on offer and match them.
Any 457 that isnt needed and they are unemployed, well sorry first to go, your out. Existing applications, put on hold, and anyone with a recent citizenship who is going to leave to live in Uk as they dont like Aus or cant handle it, well the Government should cancel the citizenship and right to live here, that isnt what they signed up for is it???

I have come across alot of poeple looking for work recently, professional types, so would start to aligning this area first.

The tradies well, I don't have much sympathy for this group, I hoped they saved the $$$ they have earnt over the past few years in the BOOM, the good ones will continue to earn the money that is a fact.

Another political rant, I would cancel the stimulus and push this money into required infrastructure for the people.

Just my rant...

True , example we cant seem to get enough Medical staff. Unless there are nurses out there that cant get work that disagree with me.