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17 September 2026
Builders have welcomed today’s announcements relating to skilled migration and the construction workforce as a step in the right direction for building more homes. This follows relentless advocacy from Master Builders Australia that qualified tradies must be a priority through the system, particularly as Australia grapples with a housing and workforce crisis.
The peak body is also due to appear before the Inquiry into the value of skilled migration Friday morning to testify on how broken the current skilled migration system is and how dire the sector’s workforce shortages are.
The reforms specifically welcomed by the peak body were:
- Treating housing trades the same as university qualifications in the points test
- The updates to Ministerial Direction 119 to ensure the skilled migration program supports priority processing for construction
While these announcements are positive, the real test will be in their implementation and whether they deliver a fast and meaningful increase in the number of skilled migrants being attracted, processed and able to get on the tools as quickly as possible.
Master Builders Australia warns more reform is still needed including establishing a dedicated Construction Skills Pathway to fast-track qualified tradespeople and expanding the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) program to include non-licensed construction roles.
CEO Denita Wawn said the current system is not delivering for construction.
“As of September 2025, around 7,040 skilled visa holders were working in core construction trade occupations nationally. That is a number wholly inconsistent with the scale of this challenge.
“At the same time, an estimated 18,400 permanent migrants already living in Australia hold building and construction qualifications but are working below their skill level, blocked by slow, costly, and fragmented skills recognition and licensing arrangements.
“The Workforce Blueprint report released earlier this month shows construction is currently short 141,000 workers, with that gap projected to grow rapidly if governments do not lift their game on domestic training and deliver a better skilled migration system.
“Today’s announcement represents progress, but it will not be enough on its own to meet Australia’s housing ambitions. If the Government is serious about delivering the National Housing Accord, it must adopt a pro-construction approach across all barriers to supply ahead of MYEFO, not push us further backwards.
Analysis has found that each skilled migrant working in residential construction over a 30-year career can contribute to the building of 21 detached homes.
Media contact: Dylan Hafey, Adviser, Media & Government Relations
0497 330 064 | dylan.hafey@masterbuilders.com.au