Changes by the Federal Government to deprioritise offshore skilled migration visa applicants will make it harder for mining and other sectors to drive innovation, lift productivity and reinforce the minerals industry’s position as a key contributor to national economic resilience and the global economy.
Australian mining was built on migration during the Western Australian and Victorian gold rushes, and skilled migrants play crucial roles in today’s mining success by filling urgent workforce gaps and supporting long-term growth.
Although skilled migrants comprise just 1.24 per cent of the Australian minerals workforce, their contribution is critical.
Employing Australians will always be the first priority of the minerals industry: the industry provides more than 290,000 direct jobs and also creates jobs through supply chains and related industries – totalling around 1.25 million jobs in direct and indirect jobs across the country – with projections indicating up to 35,400 jobs are to be added by 2028.
Yet without faster access to skilled migrants, labour shortages especially in critical and hard to fill specialised roles would put project timelines, export earnings, and the broader national economy at risk – not just for mining, but in construction, clean energy, defence, advanced manufacturing, AI and cybersecurity.
Demand from these sectors for specialised skills is already growing faster than migration pathways can adapt, and industry is frustrated and impeded by slow updates, credential barriers and settlement constraints.
Australian mining cannot find enough people to fill critical roles including mining, geotechnical and processing engineers, metallurgists, geologists, electricians, mine surveyors, diesel fitters and drillers.
This talent crunch threatens our ability to take advantage of growing global demand for critical minerals essential to daily life, the energy transition and defence and bulk commodities such as iron ore and coal.
The Federal Government should put these changes on hold and consult with affected industries while focusing on implementing practical measures such as:
- Restoring responsiveness and streamlining pathways by aligning intake with verified industry needs
- Eliminating structural barriers by cutting processing delays, simplifying requirements and modernising administration
- Create frictionless, accelerated permanent residency routes for skills essential to national strategic priorities, including those required for the critical minerals, the clean energy transition and net zero targets, such as STEM, advanced manufacturing, and specific trades.
