Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

The Migration (Skilling Australians Fund) Charges Bill 2017 imposes the nomination training contribution charge, as payable under new section 140ZM of the Migration Act.

This charge is to be known as the Skilling Australians Fund, or the SAF, levy.

The bill is a complementary measure to the Migration Amendment (Skilling Australians Fund) Bill 2017, which amends the Migration Act to provide for the collection of the SAF levy.

The bill provides that the amount of the SAF levy is the charge set in the regulations.

The bill also provides that the SAF levy must not exceed the charge limit.

The charge limit in the financial year beginning on 1 July 2017 is $8,000 for a nomination relating to a temporary visa, and $5,500 for a nomination relating to a permanent visa.

In subsequent financial years the charge limit will be indexed by reference to the consumer price index.

This charge limit provides flexibility for the Australian government to make increases to the SAF levy in future while providing certainty for business as to the limited scope for a potential increase.

For temporary visas, the intention is that the SAF levy payable will be calculated according to the number of years, or part thereof, set out in the nomination.

The charge limit for temporary visas is therefore calculated with reference to the SAF levy for a large business, $1,800 for each year of nomination, for a total of four years.

I commend the bill to the House.

Debate adjourned.