Migration has served Australia well and the current method of accepting immigrants is right for Australia, a draft report from the Productivity Commission has found.
The report said Australia's current method of screening immigrants – giving priority to immigrants based on merits like education and skills – has helped Australia’s economy.
"The focus on education and skills targets immigrants with characteristics that enable them to integrate successfully and deliver good labour market and economic outcomes," the report stated.
That means a boost for Australia, with its ageing population.
The also highlighted the economic benefits of attracting working-age immigrants to Australia, projecting higher participation rates in Australia's workforce if net overseas migration was higher.
Friday's report from the Productivity Commission also said accepting immigrants based on visa charging would not suit Australia.
In March of 2015, then-Treasurer Joe Hockey wrote to the Productivity Commission and asked for the report to examine the possibility of accepting immigrants based on alternative methods for determining intakes, including through payment.
“This should include examination of a specific scenario in which entry charges for migrants are the primary basis for selection of migrants,” Mr Hockey said in his letter to the PC.
The report on Friday said the overall effect of a price-based system could be detrimental.
“By changing the composition of the migrant intake, a price-based immigration system could reduce the demographic dividend from migration, while realising few of the gains normally associated with a market-based system,” the report said.
