Australian Immigration Minister says "Clearing application backlog our first priority"

Australian Immigration Minister Andrew Giles has stated that clearing visa application backlog is an urgent need and the government is looking at every option to clear the list of currently pending visa applications.

The minister said:

It's an enormous priority. We will leave no stone unturned in dealing with this urgent backlog, whilst also not forgetting to make sure it's consistent with ... our national interests in the immigration portfolio.

An absolute priority for me is dealing with the neglect and gridlocking of the visa system and also citizenship processing that has been result of a long period of neglect of immigration functions of our nation under the Liberal government.

On the long and painful delays facing parent visas, a key issue for the Indian-Australian community, the minister said:

Parent visa an important issue for my electorate

When asked to comment on the issue of skilled temporary workers to be granted permanent residency, the minister said:

what I am concerned [about] is to ensure that we rebalance our immigration system across the board to [a] greater preference for permanent forms of migration.

The minister also commented on the long waiting times for Australian citizenship:

And the last point I will make is that too many Australians have waited too long to become citizens. That’s something that also needs to be addressed.

These comment align well with the Labour government's overall policy of reducing the Australia’s dependence on short-term visa holders and make it easier for foreign workers to become permanent residents.