Canberra, Aug 9 (IANS): Immigration to Australia will dramatically drop after a crackdown on skilled migrant visas, a report said on Wednesday.

The Australian government led by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in April abolished and replaced the temporary work visa 457 visa that allowed businesses to employ migrants with expertise in areas as there was a shortfall among Australian workers, Xinhua news agency reported.

About 200,000 migrants arrive in Australia each year but Bob Birrell from the Australian Population Research Institute said the figure would fall by tens of thousands after the 457 change.

Under the new system, migrant workers would need two years of relevant experience in the field before coming to Australia while employers would be forced to pay training levies.

"The business community has had a free run for over a decade and they've been able to bring in or sponsor as many workers as they wanted," Birrell said.

"The business community doesn't realise that the number of migrants they can sponsor for permanent entry will shrink to about a third than the present level (of 48,250)."