WA will be able to handpick permanent migrants to service the booming resources sector and other areas of critical need under a massive overhaul of the skilled migration program to be unveiled today.
Under the changes, Immigration Minister Chris Evans will revoke and refund 20,000 applications from would-be skilled migrants and instead give top priority to those who are sponsored by employers and States for high-level jobs.
The overhaul is geared towards making Australia’s skilled migration super-responsive to urgent shortfalls in qualified mining and health sector workers, while also tightening permanent visa criteria for overseas students studying courses in low skill occupations.
Senator Evans will immediately abolish the Migration Occupations in Demand List, which gazettes 106 areas of preferred workers, replacing it by April with a more targeted Skilled Occupations List drawn up by the independent Federal authority Skills Australia in consultation with the States and business.
It means doctors, nurses, engineers and high-value professions and trades will have priority over low-skilled workers such as hairdressers and chefs.
In WA, as yesterday’s Olivier Jobs Index showed, the most sought after workers are in engineering, trades and services, and building.
In a marked departure from the existing skilled migration scheme, States will be asked to draw up their own migration plans to allow fast-tracking of applications for migrants sponsored by States or companies for specific jobs.
The bar will be raised for unsponsored skilled migration applicants, with criteria such as proficiency in the English language, work experience and overseas qualifications to be made tougher.
The overall annual skilled migration intake will remain unchanged at 108,100 people.
The changes are likely to have a significant impact on the burgeoning multi-billion-dollar overseas student market where hundreds of thousands of foreign students have come to Australia to undergo trades training, enticed by the prospect of permanent residency.
The Government believes such courses are skewing the migration program, leaving new permanent residents with poor English and little prospect of finding work in their nominated field of expertise.
Foreign students in Australia studying in areas dumped from the new skilled occupation hit list will be given 18 months after completion of their studies to find sponsorship from an employer or sent home.
The Government believes the new regime will help the clampdown on unscrupulous migration agents, many of whom are Indian-based, who con students into believing completion of an Australian course gives automatic entitlement to permanent residence.
The bar will be raised for unsponsored skilled migration applicants, with criteria such as proficiency in the English language, work experience and overseas qualifications to be made tougher.
The overall annual skilled migration intake will remain unchanged at 108,100 people.
The changes are likely to have a significant impact on the burgeoning multi-billion-dollar overseas student market where hundreds of thousands of foreign students have come to Australia to undergo trades training, enticed by the prospect of permanent residency.
The Government believes such courses are skewing the migration program, leaving new permanent residents with poor English and little prospect of finding work in their nominated field of expertise.
Foreign students in Australia studying in areas dumped from the new skilled occupation hit list will be given 18 months after completion of their studies to find sponsorship from an employer or sent home.
The Government believes the new regime will help the clampdown on unscrupulous migration agents, many of whom are Indian-based, who con students into believing completion of an Australian course gives automatic entitlement to permanent residence.
Source : www.thewest.com.au
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All the latest NEWS from Perth 
Premier says WA needs skilled Chinese workers
Posted in Immigration News, tagged 2011, activity, allowances, Ansteel, Australian labour, Chevron's Gorgon LNG project, chinese, Chinese steel maker, Chinese workers, CITIC Pacific's Sino, Colin Barnett, conference in Perth, contemplates, deep water port, developing, expected, federal government, foreign, foreign worker, in 2011, include, iron, Iron project., labour shortages, major, massive, media, mill, Mr Barnett, natural gas, new, Oakajee, peak, perth, planned, Pluto Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project, port, Premier, PREMIER Colin Barnett, Premier says, premier's comments, prevent, project, projects, relax, Resources, sector, severe, skill shortages, skilled, skilled worker, skilled workers, skills shortages, State, steel, trades, trades areas., viability, WA, WA needs, WA projects, WA's, WA's first steel mill., Woodside Petroleum Ltd's, work, Workers, yesterday on July 28, 2009| Leave a Comment »
PREMIER Colin Barnett may ask the Federal Government to relax foreign worker allowances to prevent labour shortages at major WA projects.
WA faces severe shortages of skilled workers in 2011, when there is expected to be peak activity in WA’s resources sector, Mr Barnett told a media conference in Perth yesterday.
The premier’s comments come as a large Chinese steel maker, Ansteel, contemplates the viability of developing WA’s first steel mill.
Other massive projects planned for the state include Woodside Petroleum Ltd’s Pluto Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project, Chevron’s Gorgon LNG project, a new deep water port at Oakajee and CITIC Pacific’s Sino Iron project.
“I expect we will face serious skills shortages if these projects go together at the same time,” Mr Barnett said.
“Hopefully, we can build these projects with Australian labour but I expect there will be skill shortages, in particular trades areas.
“We need to be prepared to bring in some of their (Chinese) workers.”
Source : www.news.com.au
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