However, allegations have been raised that employers misuse the 457 visa to bring in cheap labour rather than to genuinely fill skill shortages.
In a video posted on Facebook, the PM said the changes would be about putting Australians first. "We are an immigration nation, but the fact remains: Australian workers must have priority for Australian jobs", said Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
Turnbull said the 457 visas will no longer be "passports to jobs that could and should go to Australians".
Since the economic crash in Ireland in 2008, the 457 visa has been particularly popular with Irish construction and healthcare workers looking to move to Australia.
What will it be replaced with?
However, stressing the importance of temporary work visas for businesses seeking skilled workers, Turnbull announced plans to replace the visa with a new model.
"It's important that businesses still get access to the skills they need to grow and invest".
Democrat Ossoff, Republican Handel will go to run-off — Georgia congressional race
The Atlanta Journal Constitution has reported that Republicans and Democrats have spent a combined $14 million on ad blitzes. Democrats, meanwhile, will have to continue to keep their base motivated and engaged for what's a decidedly more hard climb.
The 457 visas are to be replaced by two visas, a temporary two-year visa created to recruit the best and the brightest, and a four-year visa with tighter eligibility rules, including a high command of the English language and a criminal check.
He said the government would work with companies to ensure they met labour market testing requirements, and warned "there will be a particular focus on companies that have an unnecessarily high proportion of 457 or foreign workers in jobs as well".
In this August 10, 2016 photo, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull addresses the media from the government offices in Sydney.
Elsewhere, others praised the potential change of direction, suggesting the public had "lost confidence" in the policy.
The ITPA has accused some companies of abusing 457 visas.
The PM went on to say that the abolished program will be replaced with the new Temporary Skills Shortage Visa, a new system "specifically created to recruit the best and brightest in the national interest" that will impose tougher requirements on businesses looking to employ foreign workers. The 457 usually requires sponsorship by an employer.
A statement issued by shadow immigration minister Shayne Neumann and shadow employment minister Brendan O'Connor said that Labor is concerned that the government "is just rebadging the same visa system with the same dodgy loopholes". Last financial year that had fallen to 96,000.
Comments