STREAMLINED immigration controls are needed to help Australian universities recruit top research talent and compete with their burgeoning Asian counterparts, CSIRO deputy chairman Terry Cutler has warned.

"Foreign postgraduates should be given residency at the drop of a hat," he urged.

"This is all about the global competition for talent and countering an ageing Australian research workforce.

"Why wouldn't you make it as easy as possible?" asked Dr Cutler, who reviewed the innovation system for the Rudd government.

He made the comments to the HES as the Group of Eight called for the postgraduate visa, now limited to course duration, to include an automatic period of temporary residency and clear pathways to permanent residency.

"One area of particular concern for the Group of Eight and the higher education and innovation sector overall is the worldwide shortage of higher degree by research trained individuals," the Go8's submission to the government's immigration points test review says.

Australia faces a shortage of researchers in academic, industry, government and wider professional workforces, the submission says.

The peak National Skills Policy Collaboration had estimated a shortfall of 19,000 science and engineering professionals across industry in the short term.

In the academic workforce alone, the University of Adelaide's Graeme Hugo estimates that universities are likely to lose between one-fifth and one-third of their staff in the next decade.

"Given current levels of domestic student enrolment in higher degree by research training, migration of PhD and research masters-qualified individuals in large numbers will be required if we are to adequately supply demand," the submission says.

It was vital Australia found ways "to build the highest levels of human capital possible" given the global competition for talent, especially for scientific, medical and technological development. The new research higher degree visa category should offer up to three years automatic post-degree residency and clear pathways for permanent residency for overseas students, the Go8 said. It should be open to overseas students that complete a PhD at an Australian university, and a similarly structured visa should be available to research masters students.

Former University of Queensland deputy vice-chancellor research David Siddle has estimated that up to 70 per cent of university research is performed by postgraduates.

Monash University pro vice-chancellor research Max King said the new Australian research visa push was especially important to help counter rich scholarship schemes in the Middle East and elsewhere.