Australian Visa Information

Developing countries go for 457 visas

2008-05-05T00:48:00.000-07:00

COMPUTING professionals led the list of top 15 occupations for primary 457 visa grants in 2006-07, the Immigration Department said.

As the new temporary foreign workers change the face of Australia's workplaces, business groups last week called for an immediate boost to skills training positions and unions expressed concern that increasing reliance on developing-country workers risked lowering general wages.

Immigration Department figures obtained by The Weekend Australian provide a snapshot of temporary foreign workers brought into the country on skilled migrant visas, which allow the employees to stay for up to four years.

The figures show the breadth of the skills crisis runs across the economy, as industries ranging from the healthcare sector to communications, mining and manufacturing import skilled workers to fill vacancies.

Workers from India, China and The Philippines are flooding into Australia's hospitals, factories and construction sites as employers increasingly look to developing countries to combat chronic skills shortages.

In 2006-07, 46,680 temporary permits, known as 457 visas, were issued to foreign skilled workers.

Health and community services accounted for 16 per cent of all 457 visas issued, communication services 10 per cent, property and business services 10 per cent, manufacturing 9 per cent and construction 9 per cent. Professionals exceed the number of other 457 classes, making up seven of the top 10 skills categories.

But as employers search for workers, Australia is increasingly turning to developing countries to fill its vacancies. Britain contributed the most workers in the past six months (6130), followed by India (3670), The Philippines (1870), China (1850) and the US (1570).

British workers were most likely to work as doctors and nurses or in the property and business service sector. Americans were concentrated in communications.

But the use of Chinese workers grew rapidly, particularly in manufacturing. Indian workers were concentrated in communications and health, while workers from The Philippines were imported for building sites and manufacturing.

The rate at which the visas are issued continues to grow. While 46,680 visas were issued in the 12 months to June 30 last year, 25,750 were issued in the six months to the end of December - a 10 per cent increase on current trends.

While the resource-rich states of Western Australia and Queensland have been driving the so-called "two-speed" economy, the slower growth states of NSW and Victoria took the greatest numbers of 457 visa holders.

The chief executive of the Australian Industry Group, Heather Ridout, said the 457 program had grown quickly and business had become "dependent on it".

"But the economy is also very dependent on it and we're going to be very dependent on it if we want to keep the economy growing," she said.

The director of the Centre for Population and Urban Research at Monash University, Bob Birrell, said the most striking trend was the high take-up rate among citizens from the developing world.

"In the six months since the end of the financial year, China has overtaken the US. That's a pretty good indication of where the program is going," he said. "Five or six years ago, that was not the case."

- Paul Maley, Australian IT

Facing shortage of skilled workers Australia lifts restrictions on working holiday visas

2008-04-22T04:37:00.000-07:00

Good news for Aspirants of Australian Visa- Facing severe shortage of skilled workers, it has lifted restrictions on working holiday and skilled workers visa. In last 20 days, it released about 6000 visas to skilled workers and is likely to release many more visas shortly.

Australia is continuously seeing fall in unemployment rate and as per recent statistics, this year unemployment rate has fallen to a 33-year low of 4.1%. This has prompted the Australian Government to lift the quota for skilled migrants this financial year by 6000 so that more skilled workers can be allowed into the country, as most companies are in desperate need for skilled employees.

Its Immigration Minister, Evans, announced a package of measures to ease labor shortage by attracting more skilled workers to Australia, either permanently or on working holidays. This move is aimed to provide skilled manpower to construction and tourism sector, both of which are facing severe labour shortage.

To encourage working holiday’s visa, backpackers visiting Australia on working holidays will now be allowed an extra year on their visas if they spend three months in construction jobs in regional Australia. Australia is also contemplating to expand the reciprocal working holiday program to more countries, as working holiday workers have almost trebled from 2690 to 7990 during the last financial year. A three-member business panel has been appointed to advice on changing the controversial section 457 visa program. Panel is expected to submit its report by March 14th this year.

Good employment rates encourage Australian immigration

2008-01-24T22:42:00.000-08:00

Employment rates in Australia rose for the 14th month in a row in December. This shows good economic growth in the country and may encourage people to think that Australian immigration is a good way to find employment as well as new surroundings. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the unemployment rate fell to 4.3 per cent from 4.5 per cent in November.

Craig James, chief equities economist at CommSec, said: "The Australian job market is in spanking good health. Not only is the country experiencing the longest period of job gains in 27 years, but unemployment is again edging closer to a landmark three-point-something result." The number of people employed in Australia rose by 20,100 to 10.6 million last month which will no doubt make Australian immigration an even more attractive prospect.

Meanwhile, the strength of the Australian dollar has also increased. It climbed to 87.87 cents in Sydney last week and may reach 88.50 cents this week, according to John Rothfield, a senior currency strategist at Bank of America.

Asia boom, US bust buffeting Australian economy:

2008-01-23T02:15:00.001-08:00

SYDNEY (AFP) — Boom in Asia and bust in the United States are buffeting Australia's economy, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd warned Monday as he outlined plans to rein in inflation.
In his first major speech on the economy since his Labor party swept John Howard's conservatives out of office in November, Rudd pledged to slash government spending to produce a huge budget surplus.

The target would be a surplus of 1.5 percent of gross domestic product in the financial year to June 2009, he said -- about 18 billion dollars (15.8 billion US dollars).
At the same time, the government has vowed to honour election pledges for 31 billion dollars in tax cuts.

Rudd told business leaders at a breakfast meeting in Perth that Australia faced "conflicting economic currents."

These were: "A global economy (led by the United States) which appears to be slowing. An ongoing terms of trade boom driven by Asia Pacific economies. And significant domestic inflationary pressures at home."

Accusing the outgoing government of having allowed these pressures to build, Rudd said his five-point plan included incentives to encourage private savings while tackling skills shortages and infrastructure bottlenecks.

Rudd, who described himself as a fiscal conservative during the election campaign, said producing the budget surplus -- up from the 1.0 percent target of the previous government -- would require discipline.

"That will require a determined, disciplined approach to spending and a hardline-approach to savings," adding that his "razor gang" would cut wasteful spending.

Inflation is expected to exceed the Reserve Bank of Australia's target range of 2-3 percent this year, raising the prospect of further interest rate rises by the central bank.

Rates are at an 11-year high of 6.75 percent after two 25 basis point increases last year, and the effect on mortgage-belt voters is believed to have played a part in the ouster of the previous government.

Rudd noted that the downturn in the economic outlook in the US, Europe and Japan comes as strong growth in the Asia-Pacific region is continuing to drive demand for Australia's rich mineral and energy resources.

"Over coming years, developments in China will increasingly shape both global and Australian economic conditions," he said.

"The Indian economy has become one of our fastest growing export markets and is expected to continue to post impressive rates of economic growth.

"Combined, China and India accounted for around 40 percent of Australia's export value growth in 2006-07."

This economic expansion in the region had heightened the need for careful management of the domestic economy, he said.

"And the most pressing economic challenge domestically is inflation."

Source: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hiE_OyQf0kugnDjywo0gVUEnQc9Q

The future is another country

2008-01-15T00:16:00.000-08:00

It's grey and chilly. Throngs of thirty and fortysomethings lumber through the drizzle to an agricultural hall outside Coventry. I pay the £11 entrance fee and once through the door everything changes. Sunny optimism illumines the interior. Maple-leaf flags hang like bunting while red, white and blue balloons jostle for attention with inflatable kangaroos and surfboards. This is Emigrate, the largest migration exhibition in Britain, at which financial advisers, estate agents and lawyers from more than 60 organisations offer advice to 7,000 visitors on how to gain entry to new lands of opportunity.

I join the queue of visitors who are eager to discover how to clinch the golden ticket: an Australian visa. We take our seats and the game-show begins. On the stage, a smiling Australian migration lawyer talks up the prize of a one-way ticket to the land of surf, sun and beer. "Once you get a visa you can sit on the beach for the rest of your life. You don't need to work if you don't want to."

At Emigrate, points win prizes. Later in the day, at stalls dotted around the fair, there are talks on how to gain the differing number of points required for entry by Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Each country has its own list of desired skills and professions and the fair's walls are pasted with posters cataloguing each nation's sought-after occupations. Are you a bee-keeper? A civil servant? Welcome to New Zealand. Hairdresser? Last year Australia was desperate for you.

Now, after admitting large numbers of Chinese and Indian scissor-hands, hairdressers are no longer required. Qualification for permanent residence can be a lottery but there are some certainties. All countries allocate more points for youth, English-language fluency and education. And if you are an entrepreneur with thousands to invest in your new country, Australia, New Zealand and America all want you.

Myths about points swirl around the show. To demonstrate the abundant migration misinformation, the presenter, Ben Willis, a migration agent and lawyer, asks, Paul McKenna-style, for a guinea pig who believes he or she has the 120 points to qualify for permanent Australian residency.

The victim says confidently that he is an engineer, aware Australia is desperate for them. "Do you have a BSc in engineering?" the presenter asks. "No. I switched careers later and took an MSc in engineering," he replies. It is not enough. The BSc would have given him the necessary points but the MSc counts for less.

The volunteer's face falls. The presenter looks vindicated: "My main message is: don't assume you will manage to get 120 points," he says.

Registering the wavering mood in the audience, he attempts to gee them up: "It's worth going through the hurdles or else you'll be stuck on the M1 thinking, 'what am I doing here?' Australia is the best place to be. Once you've made a decision to come, just do it."

To keep wannabe migrants' eyes fixed on the prize, we are introduced by video link-ups to Brits who have leapt through the migration hoops to settle in new countries. At one talk, entitled "Chat with Brits in Canada", we're presented to Maxine, a migratory role model who moved from London to Ontario two years ago: "She got a whopping 79 points! She only needed 67 to qualify!". Canada's craving for her postgraduate social work qualifications ratcheted up her score.

It's a gold rush for the emigration industry. The Office for National Statistics' figures show more British citizens left the UK in 2006 - 207,000 - than in any year since records began in 1991: 49,000 for new lives in Australia, 71,000 upped sticks for EU countries, mainly Spain and France, and 16,000 to the US.

More and more people hanker to move abroad. A 2006 BBC survey found that 13 per cent of 1,000 people asked were planning to emigrate in the near future, twice the number who wanted to leave when the same question was asked three years before.

Yet the British press and politicians have been so mesmerised by the rising number of non-British nationals arriving - which the ONS recently showed had swelled to 510,000 immigrants in 2006, double the number a decade ago - that the British exodus has been ignored.

Of course, emigrating Brits are nothing new. At the height of its imperial power in the 19th century, Britain experienced mass migration not only to colonies and dominions such as India, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa but also to countries with colonial connections, such as the US.

Professor Tim Hatton, a labour market economist from Essex University, estimates the annual emigration rate in the years before the first world war at around 5.3 UK citizens out of every 1,000, though this included a disproportionately high share of Irish emigrants when Ireland was part of the UK.

Even today, according to Jim Hammerton, emeritus professor at Melbourne's La Trobe University, who has written extensively on the history of migration, Brits are cashing in on the "colonial dividend", empire having established "common language and family ties to countries".

A couple at the Emigrate fair support Professor Hammerton's observation. The woman, in her late 30s, pacifying her toddler with an apple, tells me her parents came to Britain from India in the 1960s, and her husband had lived in Australia as a child for 10 years before they met: "I know it's possible to uproot a family and be happy."

Brits are departing their home country in greater numbers than the French or Americans.
The Institute for Public Policy Research estimated that 5.5m British nationals, or just over 9 per cent of the UK population, were living overseas permanently in 2006. It dwarfs the number of French living overseas, which is only about 1.2m, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Yet even the French eclipse the Americans: the OECD finds 1.2m US-born citizens, out of a population of 300m, live overseas, making the US diaspora proportionally much smaller than the French or British.

While the legacy of empire has provided Brits with some choice destinations, this alone can't explain the difference. Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah, IPPR's director of research strategy, suggests the British are more outward-facing than other nationalities: "Brits care about international issues - it's in British newspapers. Whereas American and French societies are more insular." This, he says, helps explain why Britain has, in relative terms, one of the largest diasporas in the world.

If Brits, as Sriskandarajah says, do have a wider view of the world, then cheap travel and improved communications make abroad not as foreign as it used to be and emigrating less daunting.

In fact, for many middle-class families across the world, living abroad is a rite of passage, whether it is gap-year students digging wells in African villages, high-flyers studying for MBAs or investment bankers accepting foreign postings.

Dr Sam Scott, a lecturer in social geography at Liverpool University who has researched European migration, suggests the experience of foreign living and culture is a social aspiration and may be a way some families give themselves a mark of cultural sophistication. He says: "People's social and cultural experiences abroad are useful as a form of class 'capital'. It's about how you change as a person and the networks you enter that set you out as different."

The pursuit of this badge of distinction increases the likelihood of accidental migration, which takes place when the intention to return home is re-routed by, say, romance. Prof Hammerton suggests growing numbers of accidental migrants are making redundant the distinction of permanent migrants and short-term expats living overseas on a work posting.

How, for example, to define Ian Corfield? He is a 35-year-old chief executive of Bank West's retail division, who moved with his wife and two young children from central London to Perth after HBOS, which owns Bank West, offered him the post. "We always wanted to live and work abroad. We weren't sick of Britain; we just wanted to experience a different environment and culture," he says.

For the moment they're keeping their London house but think they might sell up and make Australia their permanent home, thereby blurring the demarcation between expat and migrant.
I ask Paul Beasley, editor of Emigrate, a magazine offering migration news and advice, why so many Britons want to leave. He says unemployment is not an issue but taxes and house prices motivate people to up sticks. "The property market is a big factor; they want their children to be able to get a foot on the property ladder. There is a dream, buoyed by the strong pound, that people can buy their houses outright abroad and have a nest egg."

Indeed, everyone I speak to at the fair raises the issue. At one stand, I ask what I could buy if I sold my one-bed London flat. "You could get a 3,000 square feet, four-bedroom house on an acre of land and three-car garage - a mini-mansion if you moved to Saskatoon," the Canadian consultant enthuses proudly.

Foreign homes allow us to experiment with migration. A survey by Barclays bank showed that 35 per cent of people buying a holiday home planned to relocate or retire there. David Bloor, a 49-year-old maths teacher from east Yorkshire, says that buying a property in Turkey has given him a taste for life abroad and now he hopes to settle farther away. Some commentators dub the fashion for buying overseas homes "pre-emigrating".

Professionals on overseas postings and Brits in possession of foreign properties are making British migration more middle class than it used to be, according to Prof Hammerton. He says traditional "migrations of austerity", when people felt driven out of Britain by hardship, notably in the postwar years and high unemployment in the 1980s, have given way to "migrations of prosperity" as people quit a Britain that is relatively affluent with high employment.

Prof Hammerton also says that migrants are both more wealthy and skilled than was the case in the 1950s. In part this reflects the fact that the middle class is bigger than it used to be and that tougher immigration policies in settler countries weed out lesser-skilled potential migrants, consigning the "Ten Pound Poms", British migrants who received financial assistance from the Australian government, to the history books.

However, if some Brits are migrating by accident after relaxing in their Provence holiday home or putting down family or work roots abroad, most people I meet at the Emigrate fair just want to leave Britain. There is something rather melancholy in visiting a fair with hundreds of people who want to leave the country.

Some of the would-be emigrants say they are fed up with Britain's "uncontrolled immigration".
The Elstons, a couple in their 30s from Nottingham, have been thinking of moving to Australia for the past 18 months. At first it was Canada, but then they changed their minds. "Canada and Australia are very different," I suggest. They shrug their shoulders. "It's more that we want to leave this country than go to another country. I pay too much tax. There are too many foreigners coming to this country due to EU restrictions being lifted," Mr Elston explains. I ask him if he doesn't see the irony that he will be an immigrant in Australia - the kind of person he is complaining about. He shakes his head: "I prefer other countries' immigration policies. They're controlled."

According to Paul Beasley, Gordon Brown's decision not to call an election until 2009 might exacerbate the exodus, not because of the prime minister himself, but because "when a political party has been in power for a number of years, people start to become disillusioned; they begin to feel that politics is a dead game".

But talk around the fair isn't just of policy and property. People at Emigrate speak of their motives for migration in therapeutic and emotional language. They want "space to breathe" to "get away from stress".

Beasley sums it up: "People just feel that life in Britain is becoming more stressful, more difficult. They believe that moving overseas will balance their lives and they will have much less stress."
I talk to Paul, a 43-year-old graphic designer who is planning to move to Australia with his wife and four children: "We want a better quality of life. I don't like Britain. My spare time is pressured. You live for your holiday. I want to be in an environment where the lifestyle is slowed down and you can take advantage of time to be with your family."

Paul's remarks appear to confirm Prof Hammerton's verdict that the "migration of prosperity" has replaced the "migration of austerity". Aspiration for a better quality of life these days need not be a hankering for increased riches but a reaction against the perceived stress of modern life.

Stress has become a "virulent epidemic" in British society, according to David Wainwright and Michael Calnan, authors of a study entitled Work Stress, published in 2002. The idea of being "stressed out" grips the nation. It radically alters how people look at work and the world around them. Work in pressurised Britain seems undesirable, and countries that appear to offer a more relaxed lifestyle are attractive.

Some people I met at the fair lusted for adventure but most were fed up and desperate for sunnier climes and eager to escape the stresses of life in Britain. So much unhappiness made me desperate to get away and I plonked myself in a mini-cab. It wasn't just me that felt infected by the visitors' discontent. "Everyone's been so miserable," my cab driver remarked. "I'll tell you what, we're better off without that whingeing lot. Give me the immigrants any day."

- Emma Jacobs , FT.com

Western Australia immigration for IT skill shortage

2008-01-11T05:25:00.000-08:00

A new committee has been set up by the Western Australian state government to address the IT skills shortage. The information and communications technology (ICT) sector has been recognised as vital to the state's economy and Australian immigration is to be encouraged to meet the problem.

The ICT Skills Shortage Leadership Group was announced by the state industry and enterprise minister Francis Logan this week. "The ICT industry underpins everything we do and the future is strong here in WA. But its sustained growth depends on having enough skilled employees and this new committee will hopefully identify opportunities to help skill the industry," Mr Logan said.

The group will be made up of representatives from universities, TAFE, secondary schools, careers advisors, industry and professional associations, the Department of Education and Training, the Small Business Development Corporation, Scitech and the Curriculum Council.

"It will look at promoting ICT, teaching ICT and the retention and attraction of ICT staff. We will work directly with the ICT industry to identify the skill set they need now and in the future," said Valerie Maxville, chair of the ICT Industry Collaboration Centre.

South Australia needs qualified chefs with Australian visas

2008-01-09T04:26:00.000-08:00

A severe shortage of experienced chefs in Australia is leading to competitive offers from employers. With up to 3,000 jobs unfilled, British chefs with Australian visas can look forward to enticing incentives to working and living in Australia.

In the state of South Australia, the city of Adelaide and the regions around Ceduna, Port Augusta and the Yorke Peninsula are all reporting shortages. Restaurant & Catering South Australia chief executive officer Sally Neville told the Advertiser: "We are probably about 250 chefs short at any given time in SA and probably the same number in front of house staff."

Australian Hotels Association general manager Ian Horne told the newspaper that the problem is getting worse because of the mining boom. "We have a severe shortage," he confirmed. He pointed to the experience of the hospitality industry in Perth, where they are bringing in skilled chefs and cooks from Bali because of the severity of the shortage. "What we are seeing in Perth is just a handful of years away for us," he predicted.

Mr Horne said skilled Australian immigration and good incentive packages are essential to attract chefs. "A lot of poaching goes on - it tends to be about better conditions or better money. It has really been getting progressively worse over the last decade."

Employers warned over 457 visa abuse

2007-12-01T00:30:00.000-08:00

Unions today ramped up criticism of the scheme and Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd called for better monitoring after reports three 457 visa holders had died in the past five months.

Filipino farm supervisor Pedro Balading was thrown off the back of a truck and killed on a Northern Territory cattle station in June, not long after complaining he was being forced to do menial work in breach of his visa conditions.

Two days earlier, Chinese logger Guo Jian Dong died north of Brisbane when a dead tree fell and crushed him.

In the third death, in March, Filipino stonemason Wilfredo Navales was crushed by slabs of granite at his workplace north of Perth.

The 457 visa scheme allows employers to import temporary skilled foreign workers to perform jobs that cannot be filled locally.

Mr Andrews said there would be no changes to the visa program.

"Unfortunately, workplace accidents occur every day and they're tragic," a spokeswoman for the minister said.

"But to say that because a couple (of accidents) occurred with people on a particular visa therefore there's a problem with the visa, it's very much throwing the baby out with the bath water."

Mr Andrews said the government would prosecute bosses who breached 457 visa requirements.
Foreign workers were entitled to the same protections in the workplace as Australians, he said, accusing unions of running a scare campaign.

Mr Rudd said he was sickened to think foreign workers may have died because shonky employers required them to perform work for which they were not qualified.

"The reports, if accurate, are revolting, absolutely revolting," he said.

"We've got to now look very carefully at the effective implementation and monitoring of the 457 system."

However, the Labor leader acknowledged there was a place for 457 visas as they helped plug skills shortages.

The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) demanded a judicial inquiry.

"These deaths are the tip of the iceberg," CFMEU national secretary John Sutton said.

"Only a serious judicial inquiry that shines a spotlight on these deaths and other examples of the exploitation we know is occurring will bring these abuses into the open."

The Transport Workers' Union urged the government not to extend the 457 visa program to the transport industry.

"You simply can't bring over cheap workers to drive 50-tonne trucks and not expect carnage," TWU spokesman Mark Crosdale said.

As of December 2006, immigration department rules required 457 visa holders to be paid at least $41,850, or $37,665 in regional areas.

In 2006-07, the government approved 46,680 of the visas, many for people employed as medical practitioners, nurses and IT specialists.

The fresh complaints surrounding the skilled worker scheme come as a parliamentary committee prepares to hand down its findings from an inquiry into 457 visas.

The inquiry was set up in December after concerns rogue bosses were underpaying foreign workers, ignoring safety standards and employing foreigners in unskilled jobs for which the visa was not intended.

Source: The Age Newspaper 2007

New push to attract Skilled Migrants to Victoria

2007-11-15T23:29:00.000-08:00

Skilled migrants will be encouraged to move to Victoria, particularly to regional areas, under a new strategy to increase the state’s share of Australia’s skilled migrant intake to 28.5 per cent, from the current 26.8 per cent.
The Premier, John Brumby, and the Minister for Skills and Workforce Participation, Jacinta Allan, today released the next stage of the Victorian Government’s skilled migration strategy, which targets skilled and business migrants.

Mr Brumby said the new strategy, Global Skills for Victoria, aimed to increase Victoria’s share of the nation’s intake of skilled and business migrants to 28.5 per cent by 2011.

“Victoria has exceeded its previous target of attracting 25 per cent of the nation’s total intake of skilled and business migrants,” Mr Brumby said.

“Our government is now investing an additional $8.4 million, bringing Victoria’s commitment to skilled and business migration to $15 million over the next four years.”

Initiatives under Global Skills for Victoria include:

· Establishing two new overseas postings in the United Kingdom and India to provide a local presence for the Victoria Government’s Skilled Migration Program;
· Establishing a Skilled and Business Migration Advisory Committee to help ensure an integrated and streamlined approach to attracting and retaining skilled migrants to Victoria;
· Delivering industry and career insight seminars which will provide newly arrived and new onshore skilled migrants with advice on finding work in their fields;
· Increasing the scope of the government’s Skills Shortages Surveys to provide analysis for the first time across five sub-regions in key industry sectors in metropolitan Melbourne, while continuing the Regional Skills Shortages Surveys;
· Establishing a new Global Skills for Provincial Victoria Program to provide services to attract migrants to regional areas and link them with local employers.

Minister for Skills and Workforce Participation, Jacinta Allan, said the new campaign would continue the Brumby Government’s strong focus on attracting business and skilled migrants to regional Victoria.

“Regional Victoria has enjoyed strong employment, investment and population growth over the last eight years,” Ms Allan said.

“This growth means that regional businesses and industries find it difficult to attract sufficient numbers of highly skilled workers.

“Our new campaign, and particularly our new Global Skills for Provincial Victoria Program, will ensure that sufficient numbers of highly skilled workers are attracted to regional communities to meet the skills needs of regional Victoria.

“Skilled migrants will be attracted to regions around the provincial centres of Ballarat, Geelong, Bendigo, Mildura, Swan Hill, Wodonga, Wangaratta, Shepparton, Warrnambool, La Trobe Valley and Horsham.”

Victoria has grown its share of Australia’s skilled migrant intake from 17.6 per cent in 1998-99 to 26.8 per cent in 2005-06.

Australia's history with immigrants may help the Czech Republic and the rest of the EU

2007-11-07T02:57:00.000-08:00

Australia’s experience with multiculturalism may be an interesting reference point for Europe and the Czech Republic.

Mingling of peoples of different heritages and cultures in Europe has not always been positive. Throughout history, the conquest of various peoples and places has often resulted in oppression and exploitation of minorities.

Yet multiculturalism is of growing significance, with the development of the European Union and the Schengen Agreement, which gives EU residents more freedom to travel quickly across country borders. There’s a new wave of economic migration across Europe, and it affects all of the countries.

As the Czech Republic adopts the Schengen Agreement later this year and continued strong economic growth leads to shortages in particular areas of its work force, the issue has come to the forefront.

So what has been Australia’s experience?

Australia is a nation built on migration. Its population of 21 million has come from some 200 countries. Almost one in four of our residents was born overseas. Since World War II, we have been the third highest recipient of refugees in the world.

Most of this migration has been the result of carefully managed migration policies. Over the past 35 years, these policies have, notably, been non-discriminatory with respect to nationality, race, ethnicity, religion and sex.

Australian officials have actively encouraged and fostered multiculturalism during this time period. They have held firm to the belief that no Australian should be disadvantaged on the basis of their country of birth, cultural heritage, language, sex or religion. Migrants have been encouraged and assisted to retain and respect their heritage, including their language.

While English is our working language, almost 150 languages are taught in Australia today. Over time, our main source of migrants has shifted from Europe to Asia. People from Sudan currently make up the fastest growing birthplace group of migrants to our country.

Although Christianity is Australia’s predominant religion, other religions, including Buddhism, Islam and Hinduism, have shown the biggest proportional increase in recent years.
What has been the outcome of this experience? Has it been a positive one?

These questions were answered with an unequivocal “yes” during the recent visit to Prague by two exceptional Australians of Lebanese heritage.

The first was Professor Marie Bashir, who, as governor of Australia’s largest state, New South Wales, now occupies the first public office created in Australia. Governor Bashir also holds the honorary elected position as chancellor (rector) of Australia’s oldest university, the University of Sydney. A medical doctor, psychiatrist and administrator, her many achievements include being an Australian “mother of the year.”

The other visitor was the governor’s husband of 50 years, Sir Nicholas Shehadie. Sir Nicholas is a former captain and manager of the iconic Australian Wallabies Rugby Union team. He was the first non-Anglo-Saxon Lord Mayor of Sydney, and has been chairman of the Australian multicultural TV and radio network, SBS.

During the couple’s visit to Prague, Governor Bashir led a discussion at a dinner hosted by the Prague Society on the issue of Australia’s experience with multiculturalism.

Both the governor and Sir Nicholas exemplify the richness of Australia’s multicultural heritage. Both have achieved and contributed much to our society.

Governor Bashir spoke of the great opportunities Australia had provided for its migrants, the support it offered them to help them make difficult adjustments to a new society, including special language translation services, and the richness that our migrants have brought to our society and to our economy.

I would also argue that multiculturalism in Australia has led to the development of a cohesive, innovative, progressive and dynamic society.

Australia has been ranked as having the lowest risk of political instability in the world.
Australia ranks third in the world on the U.N. Human Development Index.
Australia is enjoying its 15th consecutive year of economic growth, growth that has been well above the

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) world average.
Over the past 25 years, Australia has become one of the most open and competitive economies in the world. Our standard of living now exceeds that of all G8 countries other than the United States. For five consecutive years, it has been ranked as having the world’s most resilient economy.

Five of our state capital cities are rated by the Economist Intelligence Unit as being among the world’s top 12 “most livable cities.”

Migrants have contributed significantly to Australia’s sporting prowess, including coming in an extraordinary fourth place in the last two Olympic Games.

Migrants also contribute immensely to our rich academic, cultural and culinary life. They have, for example, been instrumental in making Australia — traditionally a beer-drinking nation — the third largest exporter of wine in the world. Our multicultural society also helps our large tourist industry and our position as a place of learning for over 300,000 international students every year.

All this is not to say that social cohesiveness is not an issue in Australia. Every now and then disruptions occur that the media is quick to attribute to ethnic tensions —although that is often only part of the story. But these disruptions are, I believe, dwarfed by the great positives that have come from our cultural diversity.

The issue of an Australian national identity is also one that has been on the government’s agenda. Indeed, in October, it will be introducing two measures to promote social cohesiveness and Australian values.

First, from mid-October, most people who apply for permanent or selected temporary visas to Australia will be required to sign a “values statement,” which confirms their commitment to abide by Australian law and to respect the Australian way of life.

Australian values include: respect for the freedom and dignity of the individual, equality of men and women, freedom of religion, commitment to the rule of law, support for parliamentary democracy, and support for freedom of speech.

Second, from Oct. 1, most migrants to Australia will need to pass a new Australian citizenship test before they can apply for Australian citizenship. The aim of the test is to ensure that new citizens can participate fully in Australian life and take advantage of the opportunities available to them.

The test is multiple choice and includes questions about the responsibilities and privileges of Australian citizenship, Australian values, Australia’s geography, history and peoples, and the Australian system of government.

Europe has given Australia much, including through migration. I would be very happy if Europe could, as it ponders its future, take a very positive message from Australia’s experience with immigration and multiculturalism.

— The author is the ambassador of Australia to the Czech Republic. He is based in Warsaw, The Prague Post

Skills shortage to bite

2007-11-02T05:30:00.000-07:00

The economy's sparkle could fade, along with the Prime Minister's re-election prospects, if interest rates go up.

ECONOMISTS are warning that the No. 1 "success disease" of the Australian economy — skills shortages and associated wages pressure — could soon fuel inflation, as both sides of politics brace for the most keenly awaited price figures in years.

As financial markets increased predictions of an election campaign interest rate rise, a survey of economists by BusinessDay found a broad consensus that wage pressures are likely to re-emerge as a threat to inflation, stoked by the lowest unemployment for decades and booming economic growth.

The Business Council of Australia is urging whichever side wins government to increase efforts to shift at least 1 million extra people into the labour force to lift productivity.

In a paper released this week, it argued that governments should be doing more to sweep away financial, tax, infrastructure, child-care and age impediments to work, rather than focusing only on lowering the jobless rate.

Consumer inflation figures this morning are expected to show the average cost of living increased by 0.8 or 0.9 per cent during the three months to September 30.

Economists are roughly divided over whether such a result will convince the Reserve Bank to lift its official interest rate to an 11-year high of 6.75 per cent following its November 6 meeting. But calculations by the futures market show that financial markets are pricing in a 57 per cent chance of an interest rate rise, up from 50 per cent on Monday.

So far, wage pressures have remained in check, pinned down by labour market reform, higher labour force participation, booming migration and possibly tax cuts.

But Macquarie Bank economist Rory Robertson warned that the tightening labour market would be high on the Reserve's list on November 6.

"The ongoing strength of domestic demand, combined with the ongoing tightness of the labour market and all the worries about wage and price pressures down the track, are such that the Reserve Bank just needs a bit more evidence that there is a genuine inflation threat and it hikes," Mr Robertson said.

Australian National University economist and labour market expert Bob Gregory said the key consideration for the Reserve would be whether future wage increases were matched by productivity gains.

He said a key issue was whether productivity growth would stall as falling unemployment forced businesses to hire less-skilled workers.

"That is, given how hard skilled labour seems to be to find, you would have thought wages would have gone up much more," Professor Gregory said. "The general interpretation of that is the weakening of the centralised wage-setting system has meant wage increases in Western Australian mining have not spread as quickly to, say, Victorian manufacturing, as it would have in a more centralised system."

Access Economics director Chris Richardson said industrial relations reforms of the past meant wage increases were closely linked to productivity improvements, lifting the overall speed limit of the economy, although he warned it was now starting to "run into resistance".

"It hasn't blown a tyre yet because the system is different now," Mr Richardson said. "But that doesn't mean it will never blow a tyre and we are clearly, day by day, worker by worker, getting to the point where wages growth is picking up."

Prime Minister John Howard has said tax cuts may have also played a role, as higher disposable incomes had made workers less likely to chase big pay rises.

BT Financial Group chief economist Chris Caton agreed that tax cuts could have played a role, but suggested it would be unlikely to last.

"Skills shortages is of course a success disease — you only get it when the economy has done well," he said. "Obviously the Reserve Bank would be concerned that labour markets are now so tight that has to add to wage pressures."

Source: THE AGE - Josh Gordon and Nassim Khadem

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/10/23/1192941064559.html

Australian citizenship test goes into effect

2007-10-26T02:34:00.000-07:00

The new Australian citizenship test for permanent residents wishing to become Australian citizens commenced on 01 October 2007. Unlike the United Kingdom, migrants applying for permanent residence under schemes such as General Skilled Migration and the family streams are not required to take the test.

The test, comprised of 20 multiple choice questions, is computer based and drawn from a resource booklet released by DIAC entitled 'Becoming and Australian Citizen'.

"We believe that it is important for new citizens to demonstrate that they have at least basic English and they understand the responsibilities and privileges of being an Australian citizen," said Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews.

"Australian citizenship provides for an overriding commitment to Australia, our laws, our values and our community. A citizenship test provides the means of ensuring that prospective citizens have such an understanding," he added.

According to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC), 33 people sat the test on the first day in Queensland and Victoria. Reports state that most applicants found the test to be easier than they expected, and that one person failed.

"Everyone's passed except for one person who got a high percentage but failed on one of the values questions," said a DIAC spokesperson. Final pass and fail figures for the first day are expected to be available soon.

74 more people are expected to sit the test the on 02 October 2007 at DIAC offices in Sydney, Adelaide and Perth.

"The pass mark for the test is 60 per cent, including answering correctly the three mandatory questions about the responsibilities and privileges of Australian citizenship," Andrews said.

"For those who have not passed the test, a print out of their results will give them information about their test results. This will help them to prepare to sit the test again. People can sit the test as many times as they need to in order to pass," he added.

The citizenship test is only for applicants 18 to 59 years of age. People with mental or physical handicaps that keep them from understanding the nature of their application will also not be required to sit the test.

Test sites will be located in all Australian capital cities and in major regional centers.

More Kiwis than Brits move to Oz

2007-10-22T02:33:00.000-07:00

The number of New Zealanders crossing the Tasman increased by nearly 5000 in the past year, outstripping the United Kingdom as the largest source of permanent migrants to Australia. Department of Immigration statistics released today show 23,906 New Zealanders migrated to Australia in the 2006-07 financial year, up from 19,033 the previous year.

The number of UK migrants remained steady at 23,223 in 2006-07, having topped New Zealand for the previous three years.

Numbers of New Zealanders migrating to Australia annually has almost doubled in the past four years, with just 12,366 Kiwis crossing the Tasman in 2002-03.

The biggest trans-Tasman drain happened in 2000-01 when 26,106 New Zealanders migrated to Australia, before a pronounced dip in the next two years in the wake of the terrorist attacks in the United States.

A study of more than 300 New Zealand migrants this year by PhD graduate Dr Alison Green, of Queensland's Bond University, cited economic benefits, a better climate, wanting a change, and a sense of adventure as factors in their move.

But while Kiwis generally said they were "highly satisfied" with their new lives in Australia, they retained a strong sense of loyalty, Dr Green's study found.

"They largely consider Kiwi culture to be distinctly different from Aussie culture, are fiercely patriotic, and often view New Zealand as better," she said.

In releasing the statistics from a report documenting settler arrivals between 1996 and 2007, Australian Federal Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Kevin Andrews, said New Zealand and the UK accounted 33.6 percent of all settler arrivals in the past year.

The report said the next largest source countries were India (13,496 settlers, up from 11,286 the previous year), China (12,009, up from 10,581) and the Philippines (5561, up from 4871).

- stuff.co.nz

Small businesses advocate Australia immigration to address skill shortage

2007-10-19T23:54:00.000-07:00

Small businesses in Western Australia and other parts of the country are being forced to close because they can't find enough skilled people with trade and technical experience, reports Perth's Sunday Times. Both local authorities and the federal government recognise that Australian immigration is the only answer to the labour shortage.

The owner of a steel security company, Ian Saggers, told the Sunday Times he was closing his business because he has not been able to find anyone to train his staff to use the equipment. This is despite owning what is potentially a multimillion-dollar turnover business.

Skilled tradespeople such as machine operators are being lured to the high-paying jobs offered by mining operations in the north. Many trades are on the Migration Occupations in Demand List (Australian MODL), entitling applicants for an Australian visa to extra points.

Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews recently acknowledged: "The reality in Australia today is we've got the lowest unemployment rate for 33 years, in states like Western Australia and Queensland in particular, it's almost impossible to find some workers, in particularly skilled areas, and we're crying out for workers, without which we wouldn't be able to continue to run the economy of Australia."

Western Australia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) chief executive John Langoulant told the Sunday Times they are calling for increases in the number of skilled workers being brought in from overseas.

"The chamber has been working with government and employers to develop innovative ways to solve the problem,' he said. "The chamber advocates the use of skilled immigration schemes to help industry and business meet their growing short-term labour needs. However, improvements can be made to the present system by allowing more overseas skilled workers to enter the country.'

16,000 Indians seek to make Australia home

2007-10-19T01:03:00.000-07:00

As many as 15,865 Indians sought permanent residence in Australia under the skilled migration programme in 2006-2007, making them the second largest group in the category after Britons. The figure seems to belie fears that freed terror suspect Muhammad Haneef's case would deter prospective Indians from making Australia their home.

Partha Mukherjee, an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, and Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, came to Australia three years ago with his wife under the skilled migrant programme.

He says, "I had power, position and wealth in Mumbai, but chose to migrate to Sydney for the quality of life this country offers. I wanted a balanced work and family life." Mukherjee works as an engineering consultant and teaches international business at the university.

However, his three children are doing their schooling and college in India. He says, "I feel if you really want to achieve high, India and the United States offer more opportunities for success."

India ranks second amongst the top five countries of origin for skilled stream entrants. Britain leads the way with 24,800 skilled migrants coming Down Under, followed by India (15,865), China (14,688), South Africa (4,293) and Malaysia (3,838).

Despite steady economic growth for the last decade or so, Australia is facing a serious skills shortage with the ageing workforce retiring in greater numbers.

The top occupation for skilled stream entrants is accountancy (10,688), followed by computing professionals (4,044) and registered nurses (2,088). Other top professions included mechanical engineers, civil engineers, marketing specialists and general managers.

A growing number of people also want to bring their spouses back to Australia and form a family and live here. A total of 50,079 family stream visas were granted for the year, representing 33 percent of the total migration programme.

For instance, Mamta, 29, came to Australia last year on a spouse visa, which she got six months after getting married. Her husband, an electrical engineer, had come to Sydney four years ago under the skilled migrant programme.

India ranks third with 3,634 migrants coming here under the family stream. Britain once again leads with 6,540 family stream entrants followed by China (6,037), Philippines (3,098) and Vietnam (3,040).

Joe Hockey, the federal minister for employment and workplace relations noted, "The inclusion of architects and quantity surveyors among Migration Occupations in the Demand List (MODL) will be welcomed by employers, particularly those in the resources and construction industries.

"Changes to the MODL will also benefit Australia's international competitiveness as a provider of high quality aircraft maintenance and servicing."

The MODL includes 38 managerial and professional occupations, one associate professional occupation, 10 computing specializations and 46 trade occupations. Occupations and specializations identified on the MODL gain extra points for people applying for a points-tested General Skilled Migration visa.

The average age of skilled stream entrants (primary) is 31 years. Out of a total of 148,200 permanent visas granted during 2006-07, 97,920 were permanent skilled visas, representing 66 percent of the total migration programme.

Australia is competing for skilled workers with other developed countries in Europe, the US, Canada and New Zealand.

South Africans sought to fill skills gap

2007-10-18T00:04:00.000-07:00

SOUTH Africans are to be recruited to fill council jobs in Western Australia as statewide skills shortages sparked by the booming mining sector threaten to decimate local government services.
The move comes on the heels of a new survey showing that difficulties attracting and retaining staff in the state are having a negative or very negative effect on a record 71 per cent of businesses.

State Local Government Association president Bill Mitchell said the shortage was so serious that the prospect of councils having to reduce services was "a very real possibility and probability".
Long delays for planning approvals and engineering work were likely if skilled staff could not be found.

Mr Mitchell said councils taking part in the South African recruitment drive would pay success fees of about $4000 for every vacancy filled but considered it well worth the money. The association gave a shopping list of 80 jobs to recruiters, who will travel this week to South Africa hunting for town planners, engineers, accountants and environmental health officers.
Local government is Western Australia's third-biggest employer, with about 14,000 jobs, but Mr Mitchell said more than 10 per cent of jobs were unfilled as the sector competed with the booming resources industry.

The latest Commonwealth Bank-Chamber of Commerce and Industry business expectations survey found a record 76 per cent of businesses were worried about labour shortages, and many reported having to pay higher wages and incentives to keep staff.

Mr Mitchell said many councils were helping to pay HECS debts for new employees as one of a range of incentives.

In the September quarter, the index of non-wage labour costs surged to its highest level since the survey began in December 1997, and 38 per cent of respondents said they expected to raise prices in the next quarter as a result.

West Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief economist John Nicolaou said overcoming labour shortages must now be a priority for the state and federal governments. "While shortages are still most pronounced among skilled workers and professionals, critical shortages have now also been observed among lower-skilled labouring jobs and junior workers," Mr Nicolaou said.

With business expansion and growth set to continue at a rapid pace, he said, labour shortages would remain a problem for some time. More than 40 per cent of respondents reported they wanted to hire more staff in the coming quarter.

Western Australia's record low unemployment rate of 3.1 per cent is causing problems for the state Government, which has more than 900 vacancies advertised. Last month alone, more than 3300 new jobs were created in the state.

Police have been forced to recruit overseas to cope with a shortfall of about 120 officers. The force's recent recruitment drive in South Africa attracted about 300 applications, which are now being worked through.

Police Minister John Kobelke said that in the past 18 months more than 270 officers had been recruited from countries including Britain, Ireland, South Africa, Singapore, Denmark and The Netherlands.

Mr Mitchell said councils would spend about $200,000 this year promoting local government as a career that offered a better quality of life for workers than the resources industry.

"You can get big money in the mining sector, but you need to weigh up lifestyle with a job that is two weeks on and two weeks off against what we offer - like flexible hours, childcare, job-sharing and the like."

- Amanda O'Brien, The Australian

Option to work in Australia after studying

2007-10-16T04:10:00.000-07:00

STUDENTS keen to gain solid work experience after graduation can now look to doing so Down Under.
Under new regulations introduced recently, students in Australia who have met certain criteria can work for up to two years in the country.

This applies to students who:
have successfully completed the principal course of study for which their student visa was granted, and want to undertake a period of supervised work experience for professional registration either in Australia or in their home country; or have successfully completed the principal course of study at the diploma or higher level for which their student visa was granted, and want to undertake a supervised occupational training programme in a closely related field for up to 12 months.
Subject to meeting a number of conditions, these students can apply for an occupational trainee visa subclass 442 to work in Australia.
“What this means is that students will be able to remain and work in Australia upon graduating so that they can gain relevant work experience which will hold them in good stead on their returning to Malaysia and joining the workforce,” said Studylink Sdn Bhd senior education adviser Tony Tan.
According to him, the new regulations also provide for the visa subclass 485, which allows overseas students who do not meet the criteria for a permanent General Skilled Migration visa to remain in Australia for 18 months to gain skilled work experience or improve their English language skills.
They may apply for permanent residence at any time if they are able to meet the pass mark on the General Skilled Migration points test. One of the main conditions of this visa is that students must have studied for two or more years in Australia.
On job opportunities in Australia, Tan notes that as the mining industry is Australia’s largest single exporter, it also has the biggest and widest range of job vacancies, ranging from those in engineering to others in science-based fields like geology, environment, chemistry and geophysics.
Students graduating from business streams, he adds, are very highly sought in the same industry, and there are also numerous vacancies in accounting/finance, business administration, marketing, health and safety, human resources, information technology and even law and public relations communications.
Meanwhile, the Australian Education Roadshow is on again, with universities from Australia, government and private schools, TAFE institutions, and hotel and language schools sending representatives to meet Malaysian students.
Organised by Studylink, the fair will be held at the Sheraton Hotel, Subang on Sept 20, Armada Hotel, PJ (Sept 21), Seri Pacific Kuala Lumpur (Sept 22), Trader’s Hotel, Penang (Sept 23), Syuen Hotel, Ipoh (Sept 24), open day at Studylink office, SS15, Subang Jaya (Sept 25), Seri Pacific Hotel, Johor Baru (Sept 26), Katerina Hotel, Batu Pahat (Sept 27), Classic Hotel, Muar (Sept 28), and Equatorial, Malacca (Sept 29).
All application fees to institutions will be waived during the 10-day roadshow.

- the star online

Bracks to urge migrant boost

2007-05-08T03:23:00.000-07:00

PREMIER Steve Bracks will push for an increase of 10,000 skilled migrants to Australia in the next financial year as skills shortages continue to bite in the regions.

Employer groups are urging the Federal Government to increase the skilled migrant program by 20,000 each year for the next two years, after the unemployment rate last month hit a 32-year low of 4.5 per cent.

The Federal Government last year froze skilled migration levels at 97,500 places in 2006-2007, claiming it would be "unwise" to have a big jump in the intake following a 20,000 increase the preceding year.

While in office, the Howard Government has more than doubled the size of the migration program, while the number of skilled migrants has tripled.

The Age believes the Federal Government will announce a modest boost in the budget but is unlikely to risk a backlash by massively increasing the intake.

However, changes will be made to the controversial temporary foreign worker visa program, which has been dogged by criticism from Labour and unions, which claim it has been exploited to undercut local conditions.

Under the changes, to be announced today by Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews, new penalties will be introduced for unscrupulous employers, while those with a good track record could fast-track visa applications to fill skills shortages.

Skilled migration is a sensitive issue in an election year amid fears that employers are importing cheaper workers and depriving young Australians of jobs.

But Mr Bracks said Victoria remained "willing and able" to take more skilled migrants.

He said the state accepted 30 per cent of the nation's intake of skilled migrants, even though Victoria only accounted for 25 per cent of the population. "But we can do better," he said.

Ballarat, Bendigo, Shepparton and Mildura are four of the fastest-growing regional cities, resulting in a shortage of skilled workers including builders, doctors and other health professionals and accountants.

Victoria has a reputation as the gateway for immigration. In 2005-2006 it attracted the largest share of migrants granted state specific or regional migration visas of any state or territory.

The Victorian Government has also warned that the proposed citizenship test could dissuade potential migrants and adversely affect the state's skilled migration program, which it says is crucial for its economic future.

Federal Vocational Education Minister Andrew Robb last week said Australia would tackle demographic challenges by harnessing technology and underemployed workers rather than resorting to a huge migration boost. He said he believed hiring skilled foreign workers to plug skills shortages would remain a low priority for businesses.

But the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Business Council of Australia and the Australian Industry Group are lobbying the Government to increase the number of skilled migrant visas by 20,000 in 2007-2008 and by the same size the following year.

Look who's coming to Australia

1997-98
Total migrant intake 67,000
Family intake 31,310
Skilled intake 34,670

2005-06
Total migrant intake 143,000
Family intake 45,000
Skilled intake 97,500

2006-07
Total migrant intake 144,000
Family intake 46,000
Skilled intake 97,500

2007-08
Bracks would like an extra 10,000 skilled migrants. Employer and business groups would like an extra 20,000.

- Jewel Topsfield, theage.com.au

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2006-08-31T02:45:00.000-07:00

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Applying for Australian Visa

2006-05-03T00:34:00.000-07:00

Having a complete and correct form, paying the correct fee and satisfying other requirement such as being inside or outside Australia, as required, is very important when applying an Australian visa.

For most visas where an application is made overseas, you must be outside Australia when a decision is made and for visa applications in Australia, you must be in Australia when the decision is made. If you make a visa application in Australia, you must ensure that you have a visa to return before leaving the country; otherwise, if your application is refused, you may have no right of review. If you apply for a visa in Australia, you’re usually granted a bridging visa to remain within the law if your current visa expires while a decision is being made regarding your application.

You must be careful to indicate the visa class under which you wish to be considered, as your application cannot be considered under any class other than the one noted on your application form. An Application for Migration to Australia form (47) must be completed by all applicants wishing to travel to Australia to live permanently and applications must be sent or delivered to a DIMIA office or an Australian mission overseas with all relevant documentation and the fee.

Family members who apply at the same time can usually apply on the same form and pay just one fee (a child born after an application is made, but before it’s decided, is included in the parents’ application). In certain circumstances, a spouse or dependent child can be added to an application.

Applications for some visas, such as visitors’ visas, may be decided while you wait. In this case, if you’re granted a visa you’re usually given a visa label in your passport. If your application for a visitors’ visa is refused, you're given a notice of refusal. For all other visas, you’re notified of the decision by letter. If you’re refused a visa, you're notified why and, if applicable, where you can apply for a review of the decision and the time limit for doing so.

If you plan to travel to or from Australia while your visa application is being considered (assuming this is possible), you should inform the DIMIA, as a visa will be refused if you’re in the ‘wrong place’ when a decision is made.

Extensions & Restrictions

If you wish to stay longer than your visa allows, you should apply for another visa. If your visa expires while you’re in Australia and you haven’t applied for an extension, you’re committing a criminal offence and can be fined, given a suspended prison sentence of up to six months or even deported. If you’re deported, you're usually barred from entering Australia for one to three years. People deported for criminal or security reasons are permanently excluded.

Who’s Eligible for Australian Working Holiday Visa?

2006-04-26T01:27:00.000-07:00

The Working Holiday Visa gives young people the opportunity to travel around Australia over a 12 month period, with the option of part-time or casual employment. This visa is for tertiary educated people aged 18 to 30 to have an extended holiday in Australia. Working Holiday visa is also the largest visa category for temporary residents and accounts for around 45 per cent of the total.

Those eligible for a working holiday visa include (spring 2005) nationals of Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, South Korea, Sweden and the UK. If you hold a British, Canadian, Dutch or Irish passport you may apply in any country; others must apply in the country of their nationality. Applicants must satisfy the following criteria:

The prime purpose of the visit is a temporary stay in Australia and permanent residence isn’t intended.
Employment is incidental to the holiday and is to be used to supplement the money that you bring with you.
Employment hasn’t been arranged in advance except on a private basis and on your own initiative.
There’s a reasonable prospect of your obtaining temporary employment to supplement your funds.
You can show that you have reasonable funds to support yourself for some of your time in Australia and pay for your return air fare. The minimum amount required is around £2,000 in the UK, although it isn’t necessary to have a return ticket at the time of your entry into Australia. It helps to have relatives or friends in Australia who can provide extra funds if necessary.
You meet normal character requirements and health standards, where necessary.
Full-time employment isn’t taken for more than three months with one employer.
You don’t remain in Australia longer than 12 months and leave Australia when your working holiday visa has expired.
You don’t remain in Australia longer than 12 months.
You sign a declaration not to undertake any studies in Australia apart from an English language course of a maximum of ten weeks.

From November 2005, individuals who do three months of harvest work in Australia will be able to apply for a second working holiday visa. People from all countries with which Australia has a working holiday agreement will be eligible.

Applications can be made in person or by post (preferred). You should apply for a working holiday visa at least four to five weeks before your intended departure date, and, if you’re applying by post you should send documents by recorded delivery. If your application is approved, your visa is valid for 12 months from the date of first entry to Australia. If your first arrival date in Australia won’t allow you to have your full 12 months there, you can apply for an extension, although there’s a fee. If you plan to apply for an extension, you should apply around two months before the expiry of your temporary entry permit. An extension of stay beyond 12 months after your first entry isn’t possible.

IS AN APPLICATION UNDER THE EMPLOYER NOMINATION SCHEME?

2006-04-05T03:02:00.000-07:00

A new list known as Employer Nominations Skilled Occupations List (ENSOL) took into effect on 2 April 2005. It is a list of occupations which may qualify those whose occupations are in this list to apply for permanent residence under certain conditions.

It is an alternative which can be available to applicant who would fail under the Skilled Migration Scheme because they are over 44 years old, cannot pass vocationalEnglish or their occupation in not in the Skilled Occupations List (SOL).

The ENSOL is a more extensive list than the Skilled Occupations List (SOL) or the restrictive Sydney and Selected Areas Skilled Shortage List (SSASSL). However, it requires an offer of employment for three years with an employer in Australia. The employer must be able to prove its financial capacity to employ the employee and provide a record of training of Australian citizens and permanent residents, among others. The sponsoring employer must be approved by the Department of Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs for the visa application to succeed.

Under the current legislation, an applicant under the Employer Nomination Scheme
must:
1. obtain a suitable skills assessment from the assessing authority similar to that required under the skilled migration scheme and must have been employed in the occupation to which the appointment relates for at least 3 years before making the application, unless exceptional circumstances apply or
2. be paid a salary for the position listed in the ENSOL that is at least the
amount of salary specified in a Gazette Notice. or
3. has worked full time in the same occupation in Australia for two years as a holder of a qualifying visa and with the sponsoring employer for one year immediately before making the visa application.

Unlike applications under the Skilled Migration Scheme, the Employer Nomination Scheme may allow employment of visa applicants over 44 years old as well as those who do not meet vocational English (e.g passmark of at least 5 each of reading, writing, speaking and listening in IELTS) in exceptional circumstances.

Thus, even if your occupation is not in the s Skilled Occupations List (SOL) or the restrictive Sydney Sydney and Selected Areas Skilled Shortage List (SSASSL) as long as it is in the Employer Nominations Skilled Occupations List (ENSOL) and you are being paid the required minimum salary or even if you are over 44 years old or you cannot pass the English test, if the sponsoring employer can prove “exceptional circumstances” and that you are required for its business operations for at least three years, you could be granted permanent residence. The key to this broad based permanent resident visa is finding a qualified sponsoring employer.

The Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) is designed to allow Australian Employers to recruit highly skilled staff from overseas or temporary residents already in Australia to fill vacancies which they have been unable to fill from the local labour market or their own training programs.

DO YOU HAVE A CONDITION “8503” ON YOUR VISITOR VISA ?

2005-11-30T02:06:00.000-08:00

“8503 No further Stay” is a condition commonly seen printed in the upper right hand section of visa labels in the passports of tourist and sponsored family visitors.

The full text of this condition can be found in Schedule 8 of the Migration Regulations and reads as follows:
8503. The holder will not, after entering Australia, be entitled to be granted a substantive visa, other than a protection visa, while the holder remains in Australia
The application of this condition bars the holder from applying for any visa while in Australia other than a protection visa, bridging visa, criminal justice visa or enforcement visa.
This condition does not expire with the visa. The words “while the holder remains in Australia” means that if the visa holder overstays and becomes unlawful, the condition will remain in effect and bar all visa applications, except those stated above, while they remain in Australia. The ceases ceases only if it is granted a waiver or if the visa holder leaves Australia.

The Migration Regulations require that this condition is applied in all cases involving sponsored family visitors on short stay visas. However, in other visitor visa applications, condition 8503 is discretionary and is used only in those cases where there are good reasons to grant the visa but the assessing officer has some concerns about the applicant’s true intentions. It is used as a tool to reduce the non- return rates for high risk countries without fear that th eymay overstay or seek further stay (temporary or permanent) after arrival. as well as give queued parents the opportunity to visit their children in Australia for extended periods Condition 8503 is usually given with the full knowledge of visa applicant. Applicants who are interviewed are usually are informed of the restrictions it imposes and that the condition will be applied. Normally, applicants are required to sign an acknowledgement that they have been so advised.

Applications for substantive visas other than a protection visa would not be accepted as they would be regarded as invalid while condition 8503 remained in effect. Whilst there is provision for the waiver of Condition 8503 such waivers can only be considered in those cases where the use of condition 8503 was discretionary. The condition is mandatory on short stay sponsored family visitor visas and therefore in such case, this condition cannot be waived.
In any case, waivers are difficult to obtain even where its imposition was erroneous or incorrect.
The Migration Regulations set out the circumstances in which a waiver may be granted.
Evidence must be provided that compelling and compassionate circumstances exist which have arisen since the visa with condition 8503 was granted, that represent a major change to circumstances over which the visa holder had no control. All of these conditions must be met for a waiver request to succeed. Marriage, for example, is not regarded as a circumstance beyond a visa holder’s control.
Unfavourable decisions on waiver requests are reviewable by the Migration Review Tribunal.

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR WORK?

2005-10-26T00:51:00.001-07:00

Recent developments allow new job opportunities in the healthcare industry. Long term unemployed Australian permanent residents and Australian citizens can undergo retraining to work in aged care facilities. New job placements may allow overseas qualified registered nurses from the Philippines, as sponsored employees before obtaining their nurse registration in Australia. Medical practitioner or doctors are now not only listed in the Skilled Occupations List (SOL) but also in the list of occupations in demand (MODL) which entitles the applicant to additional points under certain circumstances.

Pharmacists, radiographers, physiotherapists are still also listed as occupations in demand. Filipinos in these professions could capture this market if they act on time. As a general rule, Philippine educated nurses and other healthcare professional are required to pass an English Test as the first step before undertaking skills assessment in their profession. However, for those who have attempted the test and failed, there are loopholes appearing in limited cases and grabbing the opportunity can have its own rewards.

One way is to enrol for retraining in Australia which can take one to three years depending on the course content or curriculum of their Bachelors in Nursing degree. The English proficiency component could be packaged with the Australian degree in Nursing.We can assist in the enrolment and in obtaining the student visa for those qualified for this program.
Another way is to attend a short term re-training program where job placement is assured by the training organization. We can also assist in enrolling those qualified for this program.
Although the program is targeting long term unemployed Australian permanent residents
and Australian citizens, there is no restriction on Filipino nurses on tourist visa to attend the course if their visa allows them to study for the period of the course. There is also a possibility of converting their tourist visa into a working visa if their visa does not have a condition of “no further stay”.

By Atty. Imelda Argel, Bachelor of Laws (UP), Master of Laws (University of Sydney)

National Visas Offers Visa Processing :

Skilled Visas

Partner Visas

Business Visas

Employer Sponsored Visas

Student Visas

Parent Visas

Retirement Visas

Working Holiday Visas

Visitor Visas

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR WORK?

2005-10-26T00:51:00.000-07:00