20 March 2008

Temporary visa changes could provide Australian immigration boost

Changes to the 457 visa scheme may enable big businesses in Australia to recruit people into sectors such as mining and healthcare much faster to help solve the skills shortage. The changes would be good news for skilled workers who are looking to qualify for Australian immigration.

Speaking to the Age, Chris Evans, the immigration minister in Australia, said that big companies should be trusted to bring in workers with less hassle: " If BHP wants to bring in an engineer, should they have to go through as much red tape as a small construction subcontractor who is looking to source labour for the minimum salary level from a non-English-speaking country." The 457 visas have been controversial since they were introduced and it seems they may be tweaked again in the future.

Meanwhile, figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics have shown that the population in Australia increased by 1.5 per cent in the year ending September 2007. Part of this growth has been attributed to people entering the county through temporary 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.