What Amazon’s $20 billion investment means for Australian immigration

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced an additional $20 billion AUD investment in Australian data centres between 2025 and 2029. This marks the largest-ever global tech investment in Australia, and it’s set to significantly shape the country’s employment market and skilled migration landscape.

Below is an analysis of how this investment could impact Australian immigration across three key areas: migration, employment, and industry demand.

Growing demand for ICT talent may further boost skilled migration

Amazon’s large-scale investment will focus on expanding cloud and AI infrastructure, supporting the digital transformation of Australian businesses. This points to:

• A sharp increase in demand for ICT professionals in areas such as cloud operations, AI development, cybersecurity, and software engineering.

• Key occupations like Software Engineer, Cloud Engineer, and Data Analyst are likely to remain in demand on skilled occupation lists, retaining priority in migration programs.

For applicants aiming to migrate to Australia via an ICT-related occupation, this is a strong positive sign. With the Australian Government actively encouraging the tech sector, ICT remains a highly strategic field for points-based migration.

High-skill job creation benefits international graduates and student visa holders

Amazon has highlighted that this project will create a large number of high-skill jobs, while also supporting training and innovation in AI-related fields. AWS has already trained over 400,000 Australians in recent years and is expected to continue investing in talent development.

This indicates that:

• Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) visa holders will likely find increased job opportunities.

• International students who choose to study in ICT, AI, data, or sustainable energy fields will have a clearer pathway to employment in Australia.

In short, opportunities for staying and working in Australia are likely to grow as a result of Amazon’s expansion.

Regional areas may benefit, offering more flexible PR pathways

In addition to expanding its data centres in Sydney and Melbourne, Amazon is building three new solar farms located in parts of Victoria and Queensland.

This could mean:

• More employment opportunities in regional areas, particularly for those applying under the Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491) visa, in fields like renewable energy, data infrastructure, and civil engineering.

For those planning to use regional migration as a pathway to permanent residency (PR), this opens up new job prospects in targeted industries.

Amazon’s investment aligns closely with the Australian Government’s National AI Strategy. In the coming years, we can expect:

• A stronger focus on tech-related skilled migration, study program alignment, and regional employment growth.

• Choosing sectors that address Australia’s skills shortages will likely improve your migration prospects.

If you have any questions or would like professional assistance, please feel free to contact us at Riverwood Migration (Email: [email protected]). We are committed to providing transparent, expert migration services to help you achieve your dream of moving to Australia.