Australia will introduce stricter visa requirements for skilled workers from overseas, the government said. "The new system will be manifestly, rigorously, resolutely conducted in the national interest," Mr Turnbull said on Tuesday.

The 457 visa programme is used mainly to hire foreign workers in the restaurant, IT and medical industries - the majority came from India, the UK and China.Critics of 457 said Australian workers lost out to foreign counterparts. In its place, two new temporary visas will carry additional requirements and draw from a smaller list of eligible professions.

A four-year business visa which allowed people to live in Australia with their immediate family. According to government statistics, 95,758 people were living in Australia on 457 visas last year, with the highest proportion coming from India (24.6%), the UK (19.5%) and China (5.8%).

Yes, according to Mr Dutton. He described the possibility of eventual citizenship as a "significant part of the attraction" of the 457 visa. The new four-year visa will also result in fewer permanent residents because of the eligibility changes, he said.