Annual migration intake to be capped at 160,000 with foreign workers to be lured to the bush

Foreign workers will be lured to the bush for at least three years with a promised fast track to Australian residency under a plan to end congestion in Sydney. Scott Morrison will also promise to cap Australia’s annual migration intake.

• New migrants forced to live in country towns
• Country towns cautious on migrants moving in

Foreign workers will be lured to the bush for at least three years with a promised fast track to Australian residency under a plan to end congestion in Sydney.

Scott Morrison on Wednesday will promise to cap Australia’s annual migration intake at 160,000, down from 190,000, and will set aside 23,000 places exclusively for people who agree to live and work in regional areas.

It effectively limits migration to cities at 137,000.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will announce plans to cap Australia’s migration intake to 160,000. Picture: AAP Image/David Mariuz

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Mr Morrison said in the past two decade the infrastructure and services in Sydney, Melbourne and south east Queensland had not kept up with population growth.

“I want Australians to spend less time in traffic and more time with their families,” he said.

“Migrants are an invaluable part of Australia’s economic and social fabric. Our plan manages population growth by adopting well targeted, responsible, and sustainable immigration policies.”

The Daily Telegraph exclusively revealed last year the federal government was discussing slashing the immigration ceiling for the first time in six years and was planning to force new ­migrants to live in regional areas.

Foreign workers will be lured to the bush for three years, with a promised fast-track to residency to ease congestion.

Despite last year calling on state premiers to explain precisely how many foreigners could call their state home, Mr Morrison will today declare it’s his job to have a plan for managing Australia’s population.

The Telegraph can also reveal the states broadly rejected the push to make them accountable for migration levels.

State treasurers were last month unwilling to sign up to a raft of federal government proposals on a national migration plan circulated to night before the first Forum on Population instead agreeing to watered down commitments to establish two working groups.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, who called for a return to Howard-era immigration levels is glad Mr Morrison is listening. Picture: AAP Image/Dean Lewins

Under the plan migrants would need to prove that they have lived and worked in regional Australia for three years before being able to access permanent residency.

As a further incentive they will have access to a larger pool of eligible jobs and be given priority processing for permanent residency.

Extra resources would be pumped into enforcement and visa holders who don’t comply with the regional requirements could be removed from Australia.

The government will tempt international students to study at regional universities by giving them access to an additional year in Australia on a post-study work visa.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, who has called for a return to Howard-era immigration levels, said she was pleased Mr Morrison was listening.