The Trade Skills Training Visa (471) was introduced in November 2005. In April Kim Beazley, leader of Australia’s opposition Labor Party, said that he would like to abolish these foreign apprenticeship visas, which were “ruining the job prospects of young Australians”. “The Howard Government brought in the Trade Skills Training Visa (subclass 471), giving apprenticeships [...]
Immigration
Immigration
Apprenticeship Visas for Australia – Disagreements
Family Immigration Stream Increased To Cope With Partnerships
The government has announced that family stream places will be increased by 4,000 – to 46,000 – in the period 2006 – 2007.The intention is to meet an increased demand for partner places in the annual immigration programme. Demand is increasing because of: the increased mobility of young Australians bringing partners back from overseas the [...]
Matching Skilled Workers to Employers
The government has announced that the increased numbers in this year’s immigration programme – 20,000 extra places – will be maintained next year. The migration programme in 2006-07 of up to 144,000 places will be made up of 97,500 places in the Skill Stream and 46,000 places in the Family Stream. “This year we [...]
Good English and Relevant Work Experience Essential for Success
“Skilled migrants with general skilled migration visas are achieving higher levels of labour market success than ever before.” This was the conclusion reached in an independent evaluation of the general skilled migration categories carried out by three of Australia’s leading immigration experts *. Australia already has the best skilled migration programme in the world, but we cannot afford to stand still,” [...]
New Minimum Wage for Overseas Workers
The minimum salary that employers must pay temporary skilled workers in Australia has been increased to be $41, 850 for most professionsThis is an increase of more than 7 percent from last year’s level.The minimum salary does not override normal Australian employment conditions. If awards or workplace agreements demand a higher salary, then the higher [...]
Australia Immigration Arrivals Increasing
In the six months to December 2005 65,804 migrants arrived in Australia – up almost 9 percent on the same period in the previous year. Europe (mainly the UK) at 24.4 per cent provided most migrants, followed by Oceania (mainly NZ) at 16 per cent. Other major sources of migrants included Southeast Asia (13.8 per [...]
Skills Shortages Bite in Western Australia
Western Australia’s economic growth fell dramatically last year as it struggled to find enough skilled workers to meet surging demand. Growth fell from 8 percent in 2003-04, to just 3 percent in 2004-05 – when the skills shortage was at its height. As the shortage hit businesses, wages and prices rose and business investment growth [...]