The backlog of migrants seeking permanent residency in Australia is at a record high of 425,000, fuelling calls from business to increase the intake of skilled workers and complicating Labor’s goal of reducing net overseas migration.
Family members of Australian citizens comprise the bulk of the permanent residency applications that are yet to be processed by the Department of Home Affairs. The backlog includes 59,000 skilled workers sponsored by an Australia-based employer, around 40,000 more than before the COVID-19 pandemic.
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