AUSTRALIA - Measures Introduced to Reduce Skill and Labor Shortages
By Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen &
Loewy, LLP
02/27/2008
The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship has announced the following
measures to ease current skills and labor shortages in Australia.
Increase in Visas Under the Skilled Migration Program
Effective immediately, an additional 6,000 permanent Employer Sponsored and
General Skilled Migration visas have been authorized under the Skilled Migration
program for the 2007-08 year, ending on June 30, 2008. The additional 6,000
visas will bring the total number of permanent visas available in 2007-08 under
this program to 108,500.
Expansion of the Working Holiday Visa Program
Negotiations are underway with certain countries to expand the reciprocal
Working Holiday visa program to additional industries, including tourism and the
primary industry sectors of agriculture, forestry, fishing and mining.
In addition, Working Holiday visa holders who have worked for a minimum of three
months in the construction sector in regional (i.e., non-metropolitan) Australia
will be eligible for extensions. Currently, the possibility of extension is
available only to those working in primary industry sectors.
The Working Holiday visa program allows foreign nationals aged 18 to 30 from
selected countries to visit Australia for up to one year and work for any one
Australian employer for up to six months. The above changes to the program have
not yet been finalized.
Reference Group to Recommend 457 Visa Program Improvements
An External Reference Group has been established to advise the Government on
ways to ensure that the temporary work visa system, also known as the Subclass
457 Visa program, more effectively provides a supply of skilled labor. The group
will focus on addressing labor shortages in the construction, major
infrastructure, tourism, and resource sectors.
Fragomen will continue to monitor developments in these areas and issue updates
as necessary. The content herein is provided for informational purposes only.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the immigration
professional with whom you work at Fragomen Global Immigration Services or send
an email to the appropriate regional mailbox:
canada@fragomen.com,
lar@fragomen.com (for Latin America),
asiapac@fragomen.com, or
emea@fragomen.com (for
Europe, Middle East and Africa).
Source:
http://www.instituteforlegalreform.org/media/displayarticle.cfm?artid=ILLI3714582625
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