The Australian Government's Innovation Report

Skilled Immigration
Migration continues to provide highly qualified people for Australia’s labour force. In 2005-06, over 97 000
visas were granted under the Skill Stream, a 25% increase over 2004-05.
Migrants entering under the permanent skilled migration stream are given additional points and priority
processing where their occupation is on the Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL) (occupations in
short supply). In 2005-06, there was a 500% increase over 2004-05 in the number of Skilled Independent and
Skilled Australian Sponsored migrants with occupations on the MODL.
In 2005-06, computing professionals made up 16% of principal applicants under the Skill Stream, and science,
building and engineering professionals and associate professionals made up a further 12%.
A May 2006 report by the Centre for Population and Urban Research at Monash University, Australia’s net gains from
international skilled movement, found that Australia’s net gain from international movement of skilled people has
nearly doubled since the end of the 20 th century (24 000 to 44 000). The gain is largely in professional occupations,
particularly building and engineering professionals (3500 gain), computing professionals (4200), medical
practitioners and nursing professionals (3000) and accountants (2800). The report is available at:
www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/pdf/aus_net_gais_int_kills_mnt_2004_05_.pdf
Professor Peter MacDonald and Jeremy Temple of the Australian National University have argued in their report
Complex problem solvers in the Australian economy that in jobs that require the most sophisticated technological
skills, older workers are not substitutes for young workers. This segment of the labour force is described as complex
problem solvers. The report shows that for Australia, ‘migration is a highly effective way of increasing the supply
of complex problem solver workers when the migration programme is selective of those with high skills’. The
report is available at:
www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/pdf/immigr_supplyof_%20complexproblems_
solversCPSDIMA.pdf
92 Backing Australia’s Ability