Vietnamese builders: why Australia needs more construction workers right now

Tips · 2026-09-02 · 3 min read

Are you a builder, a carpenter, an electrician or a site supervisor? Have you thought about working in Australia? This article explains why the country needs more people in construction. It also gives you some simple steps to prepare.

A big problem in building

Australia needs more homes. But it also needs more builders. The two problems are connected. Many building companies are closing. More than 67,000 construction businesses shut down last year. This is the fourth year in a row above 64,000.

Nearly half of new building firms do not last past their third year. That is the worst result since the early 2010s.

Why this is a problem for homes

A large apartment project takes many years. Sometimes the builder closes before the project ends. Then buyers and workers are in a hard position. People in the industry also feel less sure about the future. Rising costs, a shortage of workers and money pressure are their main worries.

The target for new homes

A national plan, the National Housing Accord, wants 1.2 million new homes by 2029. Now official projections say this may happen in December 2030 for the whole country. For NSW, it may be as late as March 2032.

Here is the interesting part. Demand is strong. In the March 2026 quarter, 244,000 homes were under construction. This is the highest number since records began in 1984. So the problem is not a lack of work. The problem is a lack of workers and strong companies.

Why this may help skilled workers

When an industry has more work than workers, skilled people from other countries can be useful. Many people in construction say government policy is one of the biggest risks for the next five years. Easier skilled migration for carpenters, electricians, site supervisors and civil engineers could be one way to help. In NSW alone, over 3,000 construction firms closed in two years.

Please remember this is not a promise of a job or a visa. Each visa has its own rules.

What you can do

Look at the official skilled occupation list to see if your job is on it.
Know that your trade or degree is usually checked again in Australia through a skills assessment.
Ask if an IELTS or PTE test is needed for your visa.
Prepare certified English translations of your Vietnamese documents when the visa rules ask for them.
If a police certificate is requested, the usual one for Vietnamese citizens is the Judicial Record Certificate (Phiếu lý lịch tư pháp).

Stay safe

Only deal with licensed organisations and real employers. Do not pay an unlicensed broker. Be careful with anyone who asks you for money upfront to secure a job or a visa. A real employer does not need you to pay to get a job offer.

A positive end

Australia has a lot of work and not enough builders to finish it. If you have building skills, you have something valuable. Prepare your documents, learn the visa rules and move forward one step at a time.

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