11/09/2018
Councils get visa powers to attract migrants as population passes 25 million
Local councils will be enlisted as recruiters for nurses, tradies and farmers to help push new migrants into regional areas under changes to Australia’s migration program that give business sponsorship powers to local government. The changes mean thousands of visas will be tied to living in an area rather than a particular employer as Canberra wrestles with a regional skill shortage and Melbourne and Sydney