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Government cuts migration program - changes to critical skills list 18/03/09 The Rudd Government will cut the 2008-09 permanent skilled migration program by 14 per cent to protect local jobs while ensuring employers can access skilled professionals in industries still experiencing skills shortages. As has long been the case, the Government can adjust immigration levels according to the economic circumstances of the day and last week Cabinet agreed to cut the permanent skilled migration program in light of the worsening global economic situation. Clearly, the economic circumstances in Australia have changed as a result of the global financial crisis so it is prudent to reduce this year's migration intake accordingly. The changes to the program are:
These changes follow measures announced in December that resulted in only those migrants sponsored by an employer or in an occupation on the Critical Skills List being granted visas under the permanent skilled migration program. Almost half of the permanent visas granted are to applicants already living and working in Australia. The Critical Skills List will remain under constant review and the Government will remove occupations from the list if demand for those skills can be satisfied by local labour. The overwhelming message from business and industry is that Australia still needs to maintain a skilled migration program but one that is more targeted so that migrant workers are meeting skills shortages and not competing with locals for jobs. There are still skills shortages in some sectors, such as healthcare, and these measures will enable industry to continue to source the skilled professionals they need while protecting local jobs and the wages and conditions of Australian workers. The Rudd Government remains committed to a strong migration program but will continue to monitor the migration intake and will set the 2009-10 migration program to reflect the economic climate as part of the Budget process. Skilled migration plays a crucial role in stimulating the economy and combined with the Government's Nation Building and Jobs Plan, will help Australia come out of the global economic downturn. Are you eligible to emigrate? Find out now. Click here for a FREE initial eligibility assessment provided by the Migration Bureau (officially recognised immigration and visa consultants). Source: Media Release from Chris Evans, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Australia Changes to skilled migrant programme - new critical skills list The Rudd Government will revise the migration program for the second half of 2008-09 so that skilled migrants who have a confirmed job, or have skills in critical need will be given priority for a permanent visa to come to Australia. Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, said the changes, effective from 1 January, will ensure that the Skilled Migration program is driven by the requirements of industry and targets skills in critical need across a number of sectors. 'In light of the changing economic circumstances, the Rudd Government has reviewed the Skilled Migration program and consulted business and industry along with state and territory governments Australia-wide about their skills needs’. 'The overwhelming message is that we need to maintain a Skilled Migration program but one that is more targeted. There were concerns that the permanent Skilled Migration program was not delivering the right skills to the right areas and there was an increasing use of the temporary skilled migration program (Subclass 457 visa) by employers to meet their needs’ Senator Evans said about 80 per cent of employer-sponsored visas are granted to people who were already living and working in Australia on temporary visas. Fast-tracking the grant of these visas will provide greater certainty to employers and increase the number of visas granted onshore. Where a person has applied to migrate to Australia without an employer sponsor, they will be given priority if they have an occupation on a list of skills in critical shortage. The list of skills in critical shortage will focus on medical and key IT professionals, engineers and construction trades. The occupations on the critical skills list are the ones most frequently sought by employers through sponsorship. Under the previous arrangements, more than 10 000 applications from engineers, medical professionals and other skilled migrants were sitting in the queue and may have had to wait more than a year before being considered. 'Fast-tracking professionals on the critical skills list will ensure that the economy gets the skills it needs now, not just those applicants who applied first,' Senator Evans said. The government has also given state and territory governments’ greater scope to address the critical skill needs in their jurisdiction. This reflects the different economies that have developed across the country. As a result of these measures, the 2008-09 skilled migration program will be more targeted in delivering the skills needed in the economy, while increasing the number of visas granted to those already in Australia and currently in jobs. While the existing planning target remains in place as a ceiling, the government retains the ability to cap the program below that figure if necessary. The skilled migration program was significantly increased in the May Budget from 102 500 to 133 500 places to ease nationwide skills shortages. Senator Evans said a report released earlier in the year by respected economic analyst Access Economics shows that new migrants to Australia deliver hundreds of millions of dollars to the Commonwealth budget and the broader economy every year. 'The bottom line is that our migration program is vital to keep the economy growing as well as helping Australian businesses overcome skills shortages,' Senator Evans said. 'It must also be remembered that Australia is facing a demographic shift that will see more people retire than join the workforce, so the permanent skilled migration program provides a stable, effective and targeted source of skilled workers for the future.' Source: http://www.minister.immi.gov.au/ Are you eligible to emigrate? Find out now. Click here for a FREE initial eligibility assessment provided by the Migration Bureau (officially recognised immigration and visa consultants). 5th March, 2009 Australia's four biggest banks - which between them control more than 90 per cent of New Zealand's banking - are among the world's 20 safest, a survey has found. National Australia Bank, owner of the BNZ, beat heavyweights such as HSBC, Wells Fargo and Deutsche Bank to reach number 11 on the US-based Global Finance magazine list. The twice-yearly assessment - which examines the 500 largest banks in the world - is based on a comparison of the long-term credit ratings from agencies Standard & Poor's, Moody's and Fitch as well as banks' total assets. NAB is followed by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia - owner of the ASB Bank - at number 12. ANZ Banking Group is ranked 15th, followed by Westpac in 16th place. The credit ratings of the New Zealand subsidiaries of the big four Australian banks are similar to those of their parents, which are largely uniform. But only the Commonwealth Bank's New Zealand subsidiary - ASB Bank - is on Global Finance's top 50 list, in 18th place. 18. The world's safest bank, says Global Finance, is Germany's KfW. The safest bank with a significant New Zealand presence is the Netherlands' Rabobank. Joseph Giarraputo said ”more than ever, customers are viewing long-term creditworthiness as the key feature of the banks with which they do business." New Zealand's banks - and their Australian owners - have been spared the worst effects of the global financial meltdown mainly because of their staid business philosophies. And they have generally been considerably more conservative in their lending than their American and European counterparts. Are you eligible to emigrate? Find out now. Click here for a FREE initial eligibility assessment provided by the Migration Bureau (officially recognised immigration and visa consultants). Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz Possible Major Cuts to Australian Skills Migration Programme The MIGRATION BUREAU has recently received credible but as yet unconfirmed industry feedback that the Australian Government, due to the global economic crisis, may be planning cuts to Australia’s immigration intake by up to 66 per cent. Further, it is possible that applicants in the remaining 1/3 may be facing an increase in the points system passmark and/or a reduction in the skilled occupation list to reflect the current job market situation in Australia. Cuts may also be made to the family and business migration visa streams. Final details of the changes have not yet been formally advised by DIAC however it is possible that some applicants may be negatively affected by these changes and may no longer be eligible after this change. All persons who wish to apply under the current immigration criteria before this change are recommended to commence an application as soon as possible. NEWSFLASH: More trades occupations can now apply under RPL RPL (Recognised Prior Learning) skills assessments are now becoming a very important part of the Australian immigration programme. ACTS (Australian Construction Training Services) is one of the three major Australian Recognised Prior Learning (RPL) agencies in the UK and they have recently announced that they have added four new trades to their RPL programme. Essentially, this means that applicants WITHOUT a formal qualification but 4 years or more proven work experience in one of the four following occupations can now complete an RPL and a skills assessment to achieve an AQF level 3 qualification certification. This certification then in turn enables the applicant to be ultimately granted the qualification necessary points necessary to consider an application for skilled migration to Australia (formally these applicants were ineligible).These four new trades are as follows;
In addition to these four new trades ACTS can also provide RPL skills assessments for the following trades;
Are you eligible to emigrate? Find out now. Click here for a FREE initial eligibility assessment provided by the Migration Bureau (officially recognised immigration and visa consultants). The Migration Bureau can co-ordinate both your visa application and skills assessment process. TRA to delay implementation of proposed revised assessment standards - solution for some UK and Ireland based tradespersons. Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) has announced its decision to delay the implementation of its proposed revised assessment standards and procedures- the Migration Assessment Policy (MAP) - indefinitely. This means that all applications will continue to be assessed against the current Uniform Assessment Criteria (UAC). A new independent company, Australian Trade Assessments (ATA) has been set up in the UK offering a programme whereby unqualified or partly qualified tradespersons from the UK and Ireland in the following occupations and with significant work experience can obtain an AQFIII Certificate. Through an association with the Master Builders of Australia (MBA) and the Queensland Hairdressing Academy (QHA) AQF III certificates can be obtained for the following occupations: Solid Plastering * Please note that initially, these tests will run in Ireland only for the purposes of obtaining a TRA Pathway E assessment as Vetassess cover the UK for these two occupations. It should also be noted that the Master Builders will also be able to assess against the new supervisor Licensing Requirements for these trade qualifications where relevant. With an AQFIII Certificate applicants can then apply for a skills assessment to the Trades Recognition Australia with Skill Pathway E. An AQFIII certificate does not necessarily mean that applicants will be successful in their skills assessment which is necessary for migrating to Australia under any of the General Skilled Migration visas. Applicants will need to meet the full requirements of the TRA. An AQFIII Certificate enhances new migrants’ chances of finding employment in Australia. The reason for this is that obtaining an AQF III enables new migrants to secure employment immediately on entry. Employers will not generally hire migrants until they have appropriate Health & Safety standards met of which is achieved through obtaining an AQF III.
ACTS can also provide RPL skills assessments for the construction occupations listed above. Victoria’s economy continues to grow; business investment up Victoria’s economy grew by 3.2 per cent in the 2007-08 year, Treasurer John Lenders said. “Sustained growth has placed Victoria in a solid position to address the global financial crisis,” he said. Mr Lenders said the State Accounts data (released in November 08) by the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed that over the past decade Victoria’s Gross State Product had grown at an average annual rate of 3.2 per cent – the highest of the non-resource states.“Today’s data highlights the sound fundamentals of the Victorian economy,” Mr Lenders said. Budget 2008-09 - Record skilled migration program to boost economy Tuesday, 13 May 2008 The Rudd Government has moved to ease pressure on employers struggling with the skills shortage by adding an additional 31 000 skilled migrants to the 2008-09 Migration Program. The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, said on the 13th May, the extra places allocated to the permanent skilled migration program represented a 30 per cent increase on 2007-08 when the Howard government added just 5000 places. ‘The permanent skilled migration program is a capped scheme that has not been allowed to grow sufficiently in the past to respond to the skills shortages now faced by employers,’ Senator Evans said. ‘This record increase in the number of places in the permanent skilled migration program, since the introduction of managed migration in 1947, will help ease Australia’s skills shortage and help fight inflation.’ The increase is further to a special one-off allocation of 6000 extra skilled migration places announced by the Rudd Government in February 2008. Overall, permanent skilled migration will make up 133 500 places in the Migration Program, which totals 190 300 for 2008-09. The Family stream will be increased by 6500 places to 56 500. This increase in the Family stream includes a boost of 4000 places to the parent visas. ‘This significant increase of permanent skilled workers in 2008-09 will ensure a better balance in our skilled migration program overall,’ Senator Evans said. ‘Australia’s skilled migration program is structured to target skills to meet the needs of the job market by maximising the use of employer-sponsored migration.’ Research has shown that the labour market participation rate for permanent skilled migrants is now more than 90 per cent. ‘The program also works with state and territory governments to foster state-sponsored migration and uses the Migration Occupations in Demand List to get the right workers into the right jobs,’ Senator Evans said. The increase in the Migration Program from 2008-09 will cost an additional $1.4 billion over four years for settlement services and ongoing core government services such as health, education and employment services. The additional cost to the Budget will be more than offset by revenues from income tax, excise duty, GST and charges paid by the new migrants, estimated at some $2.9 billion over four years. The states and territories will be paid $1.0 billion in GST. The Rudd Government has also committed $19.6 million to improve the processing and compliance of the temporary skilled migration program, which includes the uncapped 457 visa scheme. ‘This is the first stage of a series of reforms aimed at restoring integrity and public confidence in the 457 program,’ Senator Evans said. ‘The Rudd Government is committed to ensuring the 457 visa scheme operates as effectively as possible in contributing to the supply of skilled labour while protecting the employment and training opportunities of Australians and the rights of overseas workers.’ Senator Evans said the use of 457 visas to employ temporary skilled migrant workers has grown rapidly in recent years. A total of 39 500 subclass 457 visas was granted in 2003-04 compared with 49 700 in just the first half of 2007-08. Senator Evans said the temporary skilled migration program is expected to exceed 100 000 places in each of 2007-08 and 2008-09. A working party led by Senator Evans and the Deputy Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, and including the Treasurer and Minister for Trade, will develop a longer-term reform package which will be considered as part of the 2009-10 Budget. The working party will consult with state and territory governments, industry and the unions as well as with industrial relations expert, Barbara Deegan. Ms Deegan is examining the temporary skilled migration program to address concerns about the exploitation of migrant workers, salary levels and English language requirements in order to improve the integrity of the scheme. Ms Deegan is due to present her report to the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship and the Deputy Prime Minister in October. Source: Press release, Senator Chris Evens, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Are you eligible to emigrate? Find out now. Click here for a FREE initial eligibility assessment provided by the Migration Bureau (officially recognised immigration and visa consultants). For information on the Migration Bureau Click here. New laws to protect overseas workers pass Parliament Thursday 4 December 2008 The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, on December 4th, welcomed the passage through Parliament with bipartisan support of new laws to better protect temporary overseas workers in Australia. The Migration Legislation Amendment (Worker Protection) Bill 2008 was introduced after extensive consultation with industry and unions to strengthen the integrity of temporary working visa arrangements including the subclass 457 visa program. The subclass 457 visa program is an uncapped scheme driven by labour market demand which enables employers to sponsor overseas workers to fill nominated skilled positions in Australia for up to four years. Almost 60 000 primary visas were granted to overseas workers in 2007-08 and while the vast majority of employers did the right thing, there have been concerns about the incidence of employer breaches in the program. A total of 192 sponsors were formally sanctioned and a further 1353 employers were formally warned in 2007-08. This compares with 95 sanctions and 313 formal warnings issued in 2006-07. The new laws will enable specially trained officers with investigative powers to monitor workplaces and conduct site visits to determine whether employers are complying with the redefined sponsorship obligations. The powers will be similar to the powers of workplace inspectors under the Workplace Relations Act 1996. Employers found in breach of the obligations in the Migration Regulations could be fined up to $33 000 and the department will retain the ability to cancel an employer’s approval as a sponsor or bar them from making further applications for overseas workers. The new laws will also enable the Commissioner of Taxation to disclose tax information to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship in order to ensure correct salary levels are being paid to visa holders. The Government is consulting the Skilled Migration Consultative Panel, which comprises business and industry groups, state governments and unions, over the development of regulations setting out the obligations of employers of temporary overseas workers. The recommendations of the recently released Deegan report into the integrity of the subclass 457 visa program will inform development of the employers’ sponsorship obligations. Source: http://www.minister.immi.gov.au/ Are you eligible to emigrate? Find out now. Click here for a FREE initial eligibility assessment provided by the Migration Bureau (officially recognised immigration and visa consultants). For information on the Migration Bureau Click here. Residency Applications: High Failure Rate reported. Up to 50% FAIL..... Industry feedback has indicated that an estimated 30% of applicants under some visa classes who lodge their application online and directly with the immigration authorities get it WRONG AND FAIL because they did not use a registered migration agent to compile and double check their application and immigration eligibility first. It is estimated that a further 20% of applicants who do not use an agent become confused and frustrated with the application process and find it difficult or impossible to get answers to their specific concerns or questions from the immigration authorities. As a result, they unnecessarily drop out of the application process. Overall, this equates to an estimated up to 50% FAILURE RATE for "do-it-yourself" applicants applying directly to the immigration authorities under some visa classes. This compares with a SUCCESS RATE OF 98.5% for applicants that apply through officially-recognised migration agencies such as the Migration Bureau. Grant King of the Migration Bureau, one of the largest international immigration agencies, commented that "We believe this failure and drop out rate is unacceptably high. Every day we receive many concerning phone calls from applicants who have tried to apply online or directly with the immigration authorities and have got it wrong. Many fail outright. They are generally very stressed and are frustrated by the delays and problems that this causes, not to mention left out of pocket. We are able to assist at this late stage, but it is more difficult and time-consuming to correct an incomplete or incorrect application. Additionally, it is difficult to go back to re-lodge or change an application after an original submission has already been made to the authorities. It is also more expensive". "We want to protect applicants from these risks and ensure that applicants secure the right of residence that they are entitled to in the quickest possible time. To do so, the key is for new settlers to use an officially -recognised agent BEFORE applying and to instruct the agent to compile, double-check and lodge your online or physical residence visa application on your behalf - this will avoid unnecessary delays and risk, and means that you will receive your visas as soon as possible, and not be one of the thousands of applicants who are unnecessarily refused every year. So the moral of the story is to get it right the first time" said Mr King. For a FREE assessment of your eligibility to lodge a residence visa application, please Click here. Back to top Victoria, Australia targets UK doctors August 26th, 2008 The Victorian Government has announced new initiatives to encourage more doctors from the UK to consider moving down under in light of a simplified registration process for doctors. An online registration site <www.health.vic.gov.au/workforce/register> has been developed to provide doctors with guidance on Victorian registration requirements. It helps connect doctors to vacant positions. The introduction of the Competent Authority Pathway makes it easier for non-specialist doctors to work in Australia. It enables eligible doctors working in the UK to apply for advanced standing toward the Australian Medical Council (AMC) certificate. Doctors who are granted advanced standing will be exempt from the AMC examinations, both Part A (MCQ) and Part B (Clinical). Instead, General Registration may be granted, following successful workplace based assessments while working under supervision. More information about the Competent Authority Pathway can be found at www.amc.org.au. Applications can be lodged online. For doctors who would like to move to Victoria long-term, the fast track to General Registration assists in gaining permanent residency. For UK specialists who want to work in Victoria, there is the Specialist Pathway and the Area of Need (AON) Specialist Pathway. The Specialist Pathway is centred on the qualification of fellowship. Doctors apply to the relevant college in Australia to have their qualifications, skills and experience compared against the Australian standard of fellowship. Any college-determined conditions will need to be fulfilled which is likely to include a role with appropriate oversight or supervision. The AON Specialist Pathway, on the other hand, is centred on a job in an Area of Need. This is any position or location in which there is a lack of specific medical practitioners or where there are medical positions that remain unfilled. In this pathway, the relevant college makes an assessment about whether the doctor, who must be the preferred candidate for the position, can adequately perform the role. Doctors who follow this pathway are often assessed for fellowship at the same time. Victoria offers UK doctors excellent professional and lifestyle opportunities. Melbourne, Victoria’s capital, is one of the world’s most liveable and cosmopolitan cities. It is the sporting and cultural capital of Australia. Outside Melbourne, the cities and towns are home to stunning coastline, mountains and scenic national parks. Seasons are on average 10 degrees warmer than the United Kingdom. The Victorian public health system is among the best in the world. Victorian hospitals treat some of the most complex cases in the country and are at the forefront of medical research. There are opportunities to work in a diverse range of interesting and rewarding settings; from smaller health care centres serving regional farming communities to large tertiary hospitals in the cities. Doctors who want to learn more about living and working in Victoria are invited to register their interest at: www.health.vic.gov.au/workforce/register Are you eligible to emigrate? Find out now. Click here for a FREE initial eligibility assessment provided by the Migration Bureau (officially recognised immigration and visa consultants). For information on the Migration Bureau Click here. More Migrants now Using Agents The Emigrate Australia reader survey looked at various issues of the immigration process including demographics, family factors, motivations and the immigration process. Other significant trends for Australia include Western Australia taking out a clear victory as the preferred destination for UK migrants (followed by South Australia) and financial motivations rising in comparison to lifestyle and climate factors. Most respondents indicated that the WAITING was the most difficult part of the process. Therefore, there is a strong case for using an immigration consultant, who can help the applicant AVOID DELAYS and assist with QUICKER PROCESSING by presenting a 100% correct and complete application. Secondly, the application process and preparing paperwork was also perceived to be a difficult part of the process. Again, there is a strong case for IMMIGRATION CONSULTANTS who can make the application process smoother and clearer and provide personalised assistance and representation in this bureaucratic process. The vast majority of readers indicated the more appealing lifestyle and safer place to bring up children, with climate being a major factor for emigration to Australia. If you would like to know if you meet these pass marks, we will work it out for you for FREE. Click here to complete a free initial eligibility assessment provided by the Migration Bureau (officially recognised immigration and visa consultants). Migration Bureau attends training at Australian High Commission The Director of the Migration Bureau, Grant King and his London office team have had a busy year attending numerous events at the Australia High Commission to receive immigration policy training and information on State Government regional sponsorship opportunities for clients. Grant and his team received training from the South Australian, Western Australian, Victorian, and Queensland Governments, as well as meeting staff from the Australian Department of Immigration (DIAC). For more information visit www.migrationbureau.com
Australia Pass Mark Watch – current points-tested visa pass mark update The current points tested Skilled Independent Class visas are the most popular type of visa for migrants. For you to migrate under this class you will have to satisfy certain conditions and meet the pass and pool marks.  |
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