Labour market deregulation and temporary migrant labour schemes: An analysis of the 457 visa program

This article examines Australia's main temporary labour migration scheme, the 457 visa program, through the concept of 'labour market deregulation'. In this article, 'deregulation' is not equated with the removal of regulation; rather it is defined to mean the removal of a particular kind of regulation - protective regulation. Applying this concept to the 457 program, the article identifies three protective purposes: protection of the employment opportunities of local workers; protection of the working conditions of local workers; and protection of the working conditions of temporary migrant workers. It argues that this program was deregulated under the Coalition government (1996-2007) while being subject to partial re-regulation under the ALP Government (2007-2013). The significance of this study is twofold: it provides a specific analysis of the 457 program, up to and including the most recent changes, and it suggests an analytical approach to examining the regulation of temporary migrant work.