Australian Immigration minister lauds temporary visas

Chris Evans, the Australian Immigration Minister, has revealed that the number of people entering the country through the temporary skilled migration programme increased over the last year, according to Radio Australia. Some 110,000 people are now involved in the scheme, which is also known as the 457 visa programme.

The minister pointed out the number of foreign workers entering Australia on a temporary visa has risen by 27 per cent over the past 12 months. He also revealed IT specialists, nurses and business professionals were the most common workers taking part in the programme.

Around a quarter of the workers are from the UK, Senator Evans told the news provider. Another 14 per cent are from India, while nine per cent come from the Philippines and six per cent from China, the United States and South Africa.

In related Australian immigration news, Senator Evans told ABC News that Western Australia is benefiting from the 457 programme. Some 12,457 visas were granted to workers in the province, with the mining, construction and manufacturing sectors being the main fields using the scheme.

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.