Worried about Australia's migration news? What Vietnamese workers can do now

News · 2026-08-18 · 3 min read

You may have read that Australia could take fewer migrants. If you hope to work there, this can feel scary. Let us look at what is real and what is only talk.

Short answer: nothing has been cut

Right now there are ideas and arguments. There are no new cuts to skilled visas. Politicians want different things, and some of them do not even agree with their own colleagues. So most of the news is political noise at this stage.

Who wants what?

The government is reportedly thinking about a lower intake. One idea is to process the family members of skilled workers outside Australia.
One opposition politician suggested "modest" cuts for backpackers and international students. The rest of the party had not agreed to this first.
The leader of a small party wants the yearly permanent intake to go down from 185,000 to 130,000.

The main opposition has not given any number. It says future levels should depend on how many houses are finished.

What does "permanent intake" mean?

It is the number of permanent visa places Australia gives each year. Today it is 185,000. About 70% go to skilled workers. Most of the other places go to their family members. This means skilled workers are the biggest group, and many businesses want to protect that.

Why employers do not like the idea of cuts

Big employers say Australia needs overseas workers to finish its projects. A national employer group says large building works, such as Olympics projects in Queensland, could stop without them. The mining sector says it needs about 40,000 more migrant workers in the next three years. Mining leaders also say their migrant workforce has grown to more than double the 2021 level, yet there are still not enough workers. In Western Australia, a resources group says migrant workers are even more important to that state than to any other.

A word about working holiday visas

A working holiday visa lets a person travel and work for a short time. The government has made the processing of these visas slower. It has not said why. Industry groups say short-stay workers help farms and regional towns. If you plan to use this visa, give yourself extra time.

Steps you can take today

Some preparation does not depend on politics. You can begin now.

Check your qualifications. Vietnamese vocational certificates and degrees are usually assessed again in Australia. This is called a skills assessment.
Prepare for an English test. Some visas and employers ask for IELTS or PTE.
Ask for a police certificate only when it is requested. For Vietnamese citizens this is usually the Judicial Record Certificate No. 2 (Phiếu lý lịch tư pháp số 2).
Get certified English translations of your Vietnamese documents when the visa rules ask for them.

Stay safe while you wait

Worrying news can make people anxious, and some people use that fear. Deal only with licensed organisations and real employers. Never pay an unlicensed broker. Be careful with anyone who asks for money upfront to "secure" a job or a visa.

The official Australian visa listing shows the rules that apply today. Look there for real changes.

The bottom line

Rules may change later. But the facts today are simple. Employers still want workers. No cuts are in place. Business has a strong voice. So keep preparing, and make your choices from facts, not from headlines.

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