Australia is amid a major rethink of its regional migration policy, aiming to attract more skilled foreign workers to areas beyond its major cities. The goal? To help fill critical labor shortages in regional communities and make it easier for expatriates to settle and thrive outside the country's urban centers.
As part of this effort, the government has released a new discussion paper titled 鈥�.鈥� It builds on the national migration strategy introduced in December 2023 and brings together insights from local councils, businesses, state and federal bodies, and organizations involved in immigration.
At the heart of the strategy is a vital but straightforward idea: regional needs must guide immigration policy. That's why regional visas have been marked a top priority, with a continued focus on bringing in skilled talent.
To better direct this talent, the government has designated 13 priority zones鈥攔egions where employers can recruit more foreign workers under Designated Area Migration Agreements (DAMAs). However, feedback from stakeholders during discussions in June 2025 suggests that the DAMA process may be too complicated, particularly for local businesses trying to navigate it.
The recently introduced 鈥溾�� visa, designed to address labor shortages, could serve as a model for updating other regional, employer-sponsored visa programs.
For these reforms to succeed, stronger collaboration between local communities, territories, businesses, and all levels of government is essential.
The latest discussions have raised several pressing questions:
- How can we simplify the sponsorship process for local employers?
- Would a new 鈥渞egional excellence pathway鈥� help attract top international talent?
- Can each region customize its list of in-demand jobs based on real-time labor needs?
- How can we reform the Working Holiday Visa program to better protect foreign workers from exploitation?
Another important topic is the kind of support communities can offer foreign workers鈥攈elp with housing, paperwork, and local integration, for example. But what about the rules for permanent residency? Earlier this year, the government stated that it doesn't plan to change those rules. Instead, it aims to work more closely with the to help skilled migrants settle in the regions that need them most.
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