Australia`s largest state has begun to slow down population growth ahead of a major meeting next month to negotiate Australia`s permanent immigration quota, according to a new analysis that reveals key ways to reduce population intake.
Victoria and new states have seen their population growth decline over the past year and are expected to fall again, but the two states will have to cut back on student offers in order to further reduce population growth.
The two states, government, have invested heavily in promoting international education for Melbourne and Sydney, helping to increase Australia`s number of overseas students to more than half a million last year.
While new state governor (Gladys Berejiklian) has asked for a halving of immigration, her own government has previously asked for at least 6000 skilled worker visas in talks with the federal government.
The new state has also invested taxpayer money in the StudyNSW program to attract foreign students, which accounts for a large portion of the state`s emigrants.
The former deputy director of immigration, Rizvi (Abul Rizvi), told Fairfax Media that demographic data over the past five years showed that the ambition to reduce immigration intake by 50 percent was possible.
"according to my preliminary calculations, by 2018-19, the number of net overseas immigrants in the new state could fall to between 50, 000 and 80, 000 a year," Rizway said.
"if the current employer guarantee immigration policy continues to force most overseas students to leave the new state in order to obtain other states of government for temporary and subsequent permanent migration of guarantee, that number could be close to 50, 000."
"to ensure that this number is close to 50, 000 or less a year, the new state of government may stop the business and skilled migration of guarantee, about 6000 people a year, as in recent years."
"it may also stop its StudyNSW program, which encourages overseas students to study in New York."
"if government, Victoria, wants to, it can do the same."
Like the new state, Victoria`s government is aggressively promoting its higher education and designating international education as one of the state`s future "priority industries"-highlighting that changes in immigration policy will curb the industry`s problems.
Australian Prime Minister Morrison is scheduled to meet with state governors on December 12 to listen to their views on the country`s immigration plan, but he has said he hopes to cut the annual permanent immigration quota by 30,000.
According to Rizway`s analysis, the state`s population grew by 137395 as of March, up from 153957 last year. Net emigration abroad stood at 83703, down from 89909 last year.
As of March, the state`s annual growth rate was 113080, compared with 135409 last year. The net number of overseas immigrants was 90060, down from 103198 the previous year.
This suggests that the new state has begun implementing the Begillian target of halving immigration growth from the past 103198, although her government must make decisions on foreign students or skilled workers to achieve its goals.
