The Productivity Commission has emphatically backed immigration as a mainstay of Australia's economic wellbeing, but urged the government to double the $55,000 fee for parent reunion visas to help offset the massive cost to taxpayers of what are mostly older, unskilled and non-English-speaking arrivals.

The commission estimates the ee for so-called "contributory visas" covers only a fraction of the budget cost of the more than 7200 people who arrive here every year. Because they require more government services and welfare, and pay relatively little tax –compared with working-age migrants – they will ultimately cost the community $335,000 to $410,000 each.