ISAS Insights

The state visit by Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to India in early April 2017 concluded with the signing of a number of economically significant agreements. While it would usually be considered an important development in bilateral relations, terse statements released by the Australian prime minister in the wake of the visit showed that not all was well between the two nations. This was compounded by the abolishment of the 457 visa, popular with many skilled Indians seeking economic opportunities in Australia. The restructuring of the visa appears to be in line with the anti-globalisation sentiments in developed countries, where the issue of freer movement of skilled labour from relatively less developed economies such as India continues to be one of the key hurdles faced at the negotiating table.