18 July 2008

Australian states 'should be given more power to sponsor immigrants'

The Australian states should be given more power to sponsor Australian visa holders in local industries. Senator Chris Evans, the Immigration and Citizenship Minister, has revealed he wants the current worker programme to be replaced with a more flexible scheme, reports ABC.net.

He says the local states have a better, more informed idea of the area's needs, with them being able to target the skills needed more directly. The move has been backed up by Michael McLean from the Western Australian Master Builders Association.

"The approach to work more holistically with the state governments is very much supported by the building industry," he told the source. The scheme will involve the states being given the power to sponsor workers who are not on the traditional Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL).

Queensland's government was recently told it was not providing enough state-sponsored immigration to the area. Senator Evans said more of this scheme should be offered to encourage Australian immigration.

Australia needs skilled workers: Anyone applying for an Australian visa should begin by completing the Australian Visa Bureau's online Australian visa application to see if they meet the Australian visa requirements.


Digg del.icio.us FURL Reddit Yahoo!