Migration Amendment (Temporary Sponsored Visas) Bill 2013

The majority voted in favour of a motion to agree to the Migration Amendment (Temporary Sponsored Visas) Bill 2013 as amended.

This means that the members can now decide whether to pass the bill through the House of Representatives by giving the bill a third reading.

Debate in Parliament

While considering the bill in detail, the House of Representatives agreed to a government amendment that introduced new labour market testing requirements and legislatively established the Ministerial Advisory Council on Skilled Migration, which must have union representation. Liberal MP Scott Morrison argued that the amendment was designed to “choke the 457 scheme” and do “the bidding of the unions”.(Read MP Morrison's comments here. )

Background to the Bill

The Migration Amendment (Temporary Sponsored Visas) Bill 2013 was introduced by Labor MP Brendan O'Connor to “enhance the government's ability to deter sponsor behaviour which is inconsistent with the policy intent of the subclass 457 visa program and other temporary employer sponsored visa programs”.(Read MP O'Connor's comments here. ) At the time this bill was introduced, the 457 visa program was receiving extensive media attention with claims that it was being misused.(See ABC News. A simple explanation of the 457 visa scheme can be found on the Department of Immigration and Border Protection’s website here.)

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