The Queensland factor
Since the Australian dollar as high as LKR 126 this week, there is talk again in town about the deepening skills crisis in Australia. This is evident particularly in the mining industry, Queensland showing enthusiasm flying in unskilled workers directly to mining sites. The booming mining industry could mean foreign workers would be flown directly by jumbo jet into outback Queensland as the state scrambles to fill massive job shortages.
Several mining houses are in advanced negotiations with the Federal Government to replace the individual 457 visas with bulk temporary migration agreements to bring overseas labour into outback mines. The proposed Enterprise Migration Agreements would establish a special type of labour agreement to address skill vacancies in major resource projects with capital expenditure greater than $2 billion and a peak workforce of 1500. Outback Queensland is to get a new airport, railway line and even a new town to cater for the thousands of workers needed to open up the mineral-rich Galilee Basin. While retail and tourism sectors languish, the mining boom is putting massive demands on the state’s workforce. Coal miners are lobbying the Federal Government to allow fly-in unskilled workers from overseas as they grapple with a predicted shortage of 40,000 new employees in the resources sector by 2020.
Expected changes in July
Amidst the skills shortage in particular sectors, the Australian government is due to implement new laws in the General Skilled Migration category from July this year. This change is proposed despite the changes occurred to the program last year July. Australia is heading towards a system where the government has more control in the total intake of skilled immigrants. This means, the occupations could be capped, while setting higher standards by giving the opportunity to the highest skilled levels. Currently, the system in place allows all applications to be processed, providing with a positive or negative outcome. Nevertheless, the new system will give authorities the opportunity to select the potential migrants, by all applicants ushered into a pool upon application.
The application process includes the skills to be assessed and government nominations to be obtained prior to making an application. This however, does not mean applicants are considered despite meeting the points requirement. The Department will set the criteria for selection, and applicants who meet those criteria will be invited to forward a visa application. It is yet unclear, how the criteria are set and how the applicants are given the green light to apply. The legislations and procedures are expected to be released in April. The fundamental difference between the proposed and existing systems is, the existing system allows all applicants meeting the points threshold and meeting other criteria an opportunity for a visa. Whereas, the proposed system may never allow a chance for a visa application. It will be interesting to see how the capping of occupations will be carried out. I see capping of occupation as an essential element to control labour forces that drive the economy. The current immigration is more supply driven than demand driven, and given the acute skills shortage Australia is facing in certain industries, capping of occupation can ease the pressure to the system.
Making most of the available opportunities
Since it is yet the month of February, intending applicants do have the chance of making applications, although the limited time factor should not be discounted. Fundamentally, the skills must be assessed and an IELTS test to be taken to prove the English proficiency. These are time consuming and must be very well planned. Some applicants may require a state nomination before they qualify for a visa, and states such as Western Australia can be an excellent option, as the processing time for state nominations can be as short as a week. Should one be interested in making an application prior to July this year, it is always an idea to seek expert opinion.
The Australian migration agent’s registration authority (MARA. www.themara.com.au) provides the full registry of all registered legal professionals and consultants. Your CVs can be forwarded to contact@australianmigrationcentre.com for an obligation free expert opinion or visit us for comprehensive guidance on migration at Australian Migration Centre 5/6 Railway Avenue Nugegoda. Moreover, feel free to contact us on 0112818832 /0112818833 /0772932239/ 0772932237
-Surani Punchihewa The writer is a Migration Consultant, registered with the Migration Agent’s Registration Authority in Australia MARN 0426579. Some of the information in this article is extracted from http://www.couriermail.com.au
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Friday, February 3, 2012
Free IELTS Melbourne Masterclass Australia Migration
| The IELTS Masterclass is a new and free event coming to Melbourne in February. Developed by IDP Education to support test takers aiming for a high band score, especially those that have sat the test before and are now preparing to sit again, the Masterclass will provide clients with :• Insights into how to enhance their English • Interactive tasks to help understand how IELTS is scored • Advice about the common mistakes they should avoid | |
| When? Thursday 9 February, 6:30pm OR Saturday 11 February, 4:00pm The class duration is 90 minutes and, as both February course feature the same content, clients should only need to register for one date. Where? IDP Education, Ground Floor, 373 Lonsdale St, Melbourne Cost? Free - Register Online Today! Attendees should bring printed email confirmation and pen and paper. Over 2000 students in Australia and India have benefited from this class. | |
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Etihad Airways offers complimentary 96-hour UAE visas for guests
The offer is valid for travellers previously eligible for Etihad Airways’ paid-for visa service (available at a cost of AED 300), including passport holders from Bangladesh, Belarus, Canada, China, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Morocco, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Russia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam.
Eligible guests must have confirmed overnight accommodation at the Radisson Blu Yas Island, available at promotional rates from USD 70 per person per night.
To book accommodation and apply for a complimentary visa, guests can visit etihad.com/freeuaevisa. A passport copy and passport-sized photograph are required for processing visa applications.
Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer, said: “Not only is Abu Dhabi the place where East meets West, making it ideal for transiting to destinations worldwide, but it is also a world-class destination in its own right. With complimentary visa services on offer, more Etihad Airways guests will have the opportunity to experience the signature Arabic hospitality and exciting attractions of the UAE in a convenient and affordable way.”
Guests booking a 3-night stay will also receive a complimentary Abu Dhabi City Tour. Hala Abu Dhabi, Etihad Airways’ destination management company, is available to all guests for booking custom itineraries, attractions and tours (halaabudhabi.com).
Citizens of the following countries are allowed to enter the UAE without a visa prior to arrival as long as they are carrying a valid passport that will not expire within six months of their arrival date: Australia; Andorra; Austria; Brunei; Belgium; Denmark; Finland; France; Germany; Greece; Hong Kong; Iceland; Ireland; Italy; Japan; Liechtenstein; Luxembourg; Malaysia; Monaco; Netherlands; New Zealand; Norway; Portugal; San Marino; Singapore; South Korea; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; United Kingdom; United States of America; and The Vatican. Immigration officials may grant a tourist visa, which is valid for 30 days, on arrival at the port of entry.
Terms and Conditions apply: Approval of applications is at the sole discretion of the UAE Immigration authorities. Hotel rates are USD 70 per person, per night, including breakfast, 24-hour check-in and 96-hour visa. Booking must be made 72 hours in advance and is subject to availability.
Source:http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/etihad-airways-offers-complimentary-96-hour-uae-visas-for-guests/
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Migrants to Australia warned about job scams
There are thousands of jobs in Australia available for jobseekers, but for many, it is a case of “buyer beware”.
Australian Mining reports that Queensland mines minister Stirling Hinchliffe has warned of mining job scams.He stated that jobseekers should do their research before singing up to agencies which claim to be a recruiting hub for the resources industry.”Shonky businesses are targeting jobseekers wanting to get a foot in the door in the mining industry,” Hinchliffe said.
“We’re hearing about a number of businesses who are overstating the level of assistance they are able to offer jobseekers.The last thing we want to see are the hopes – or the hip pockets – of jobseekers being exploited by unscrupulous operators.These operations – usually set up online or at suburban shopping centres – offer, for a considerable fee, to include the jobseeker’s resume on an exclusive recruitment database that they claim is used by resources companies. As far as we can tell, the database is fictitious and we have no evidence to suggest that these companies have links to resources companies or their recruiters.”
The magazine goes on to outline the case against David Macartney, who was charged with four counts of obtaining money by deception and two counts of attempting to dishonestly obtain money after running a mining recruitment scam in Queensland. The charges allege he defrauded six people out of more than $32,000 after falsely recruiting them to work for a major Western Australian mining company.
Source:http://www.australiamagazine.co.uk/?p=1164
Australian government confirm 92,000 workers needed
Australia’s hospitality and tourism industry is so short staffed the government needs to import 36,000 cooks, waiters and bartenders immediately
It is also looking for another 56,000 workers by 2015, according to Immigration Minister Chris Bowen. Under a new federal plan, tourism and hospitality employers would be able to bring in workers on a two to three year visa similar to the 457 visa program widely used in the mining sector. The vacancies are caused by a number of factors; chief amongst which is the reluctance of Australians to do “menial”jobs.
Experts say high-paying mining jobs are luring young Australian workers from traditional fields such as retail and hospitality, while others would rather go on the dole than muck in and do certain jobs themselves.
“I hate to say it but there seems to be a sense of entitlement among younger Australians,” Tourism Accommodation Australia boss Rodger Powell said.
“They believe jobs in the service industry are too menial or too low paid and they have been brought up to believe they are destined for something better instead of starting from the bottom and working their way up as generations did before them.”
Source:http://www.australiamagazine.co.uk/?p=1195
South Australia updates skilled migration lists
Good news for anyone thinking of emigrating to Australia from the UK, as South Australia adds 28 occupations to their State Migration Plan.
Some 28 occupations have been added to the SSML for 2011/2012, while some occupations were removed from the previous list and now are available for “Off-List”* nomination.
Additionally, there have been some revisions to the IELTS requirements for certain occupations.
You can view the South Australia list by clicking here.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Rule of law for all migrants
AUSTRALIA is arguably the world's most successful immigration nation. However, we cannot take our continued success for granted or be misguided about the reasons for our success. We must continue to decide who comes to this country and the circumstances in which they come.
Our focus on merit-based, non-discriminatory and orderly immigration, and the values that underpin these measures, has helped us overcome the barriers of diverse nationalities and ethnicities to create a nation with a clear sense of national identity.
The Liberal Party has been in the vanguard of these efforts and remains so today. Robert Menzies embraced the ambitious and positive program of postwar immigration and signed the Refugee Convention. Harold Holt abolished the White Australia policy. Malcolm Fraser established SBS, migrant resource services, English language instruction and the special offshore humanitarian program.
Opposed by Gough Whitlam, Labor and the unions, Fraser also responded to a regional refugee crisis, resettling more than 50,000 Indo-Chinese refugees, while stopping boats coming to Australia by establishing offshore processing in places such as Galang in Indonesia.
John Howard increased skilled migration from less than 30 per cent to almost 70 per cent of the permanent program, while doubling the size of this program and halving community concerns about immigration levels being too high.
On our borders, Howard also stopped the boats, while resettling about 150,000 refugee and humanitarian entrants. When he left office, one in 400 protection visas went to those who had arrived by boat. Today that figure is one in five.
Today we face new challenges.
The level of social dislocation arising from Europe's failed immigration policies is now obvious to all and is concerning many Australians. The most serious example is the rise in home-grown terrorism from isolated ethnic and religious communities.
However, we must be careful to address our own challenges, not appropriate those of other continents. Germany and Britain did not follow Australia's planned migration path and have paid the price. In both cases migrants have significantly higher rates of unemployment and lower skills and qualifications than the balance of the population.
By contrast, in Australia we have chosen migrants who are more likely to be successful.
In Australia, our migrant population and their children have achieved equal or better in education, unemployment, labour force participation, median full-time earnings and even incarceration, compared with the rest of the community.
Of course, we should have policies that promote acceptance, reject discrimination, provide support and recognise our diverse backgrounds. We should continue to be conscious of removing barriers to participation in the Australian community. In fact, we should be more insistent about that participation. Our first priority must be to protect the integrity of our immigration program.
Immigration is not a welfare program; it is a nation-building program that seeks to add to our national wellbeing. This program must be driven by our national interest, in selecting those most able to make a contribution.
The government's failures on our borders remain a priority in restoring the integrity of our immigration program. However, we must also start to deal with the growth in temporary migration that is now the dominant source of net overseas migration to Australia. We learned many years ago that capital was mobile and we adjusted our system of financial regulation and policy frameworks to take advantage of this change. Today, people are mobile, for study and employment in particular.
We need policies that can embrace this opportunity, while ensuring we retain the integrity of our immigration program, and ensure that those who come to Australia as workers or students can fully participate in their Australian experience and engage our way of life.
A further challenge is to acknowledge the new fault line for social cohesion in Australia. This was once defined by race, nationality and ethnicity; it is now becoming religion.
This new challenge is different. We are dealing with the borderless, non-racial, ethnically non-specific and non-language-dependent realm of personal beliefs and values. Our response should be the same - remaining true to the values, systems and institutions that have served our nation well. These include freedom of religion. The only constraint Australia places on the practice of religion is that believers respect the rule of one law, the institutions that uphold this law and the values that we live by and aspire to as a nation.
In my experience religion should not be an excuse for separation. People of faith are typically committed to the welfare of others, the primacy of family and the importance of community. We need to focus more on these commonalities. We also need to avoid making exceptions for the differences and encourage a one-rule-for-all approach.
For example, I am opposed to the banning of any form of religious dress. Equally, religious dress should not be afforded any special status or exemption under the law, especially for identity or security purposes. Common sense should prevail.
For the past 60 years we have found a better way to make Australia work as an immigration nation. It is not perfect, but it's better than most.
Our liberal democracy; our merit-based, skills-focused immigration program; the primacy of English as our only national language and the universal embrace of accessible and enduring Australian national values constitute our better way.
We must not drift from this path in the face of new challenges or policy fashions.
Source:http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/opinion/rule-of-law-for-all-migrants/story-e6frgd0x-1226250755565
Our focus on merit-based, non-discriminatory and orderly immigration, and the values that underpin these measures, has helped us overcome the barriers of diverse nationalities and ethnicities to create a nation with a clear sense of national identity.
The Liberal Party has been in the vanguard of these efforts and remains so today. Robert Menzies embraced the ambitious and positive program of postwar immigration and signed the Refugee Convention. Harold Holt abolished the White Australia policy. Malcolm Fraser established SBS, migrant resource services, English language instruction and the special offshore humanitarian program.
Opposed by Gough Whitlam, Labor and the unions, Fraser also responded to a regional refugee crisis, resettling more than 50,000 Indo-Chinese refugees, while stopping boats coming to Australia by establishing offshore processing in places such as Galang in Indonesia.
John Howard increased skilled migration from less than 30 per cent to almost 70 per cent of the permanent program, while doubling the size of this program and halving community concerns about immigration levels being too high.
On our borders, Howard also stopped the boats, while resettling about 150,000 refugee and humanitarian entrants. When he left office, one in 400 protection visas went to those who had arrived by boat. Today that figure is one in five.
Today we face new challenges.
The level of social dislocation arising from Europe's failed immigration policies is now obvious to all and is concerning many Australians. The most serious example is the rise in home-grown terrorism from isolated ethnic and religious communities.
However, we must be careful to address our own challenges, not appropriate those of other continents. Germany and Britain did not follow Australia's planned migration path and have paid the price. In both cases migrants have significantly higher rates of unemployment and lower skills and qualifications than the balance of the population.
By contrast, in Australia we have chosen migrants who are more likely to be successful.
In Australia, our migrant population and their children have achieved equal or better in education, unemployment, labour force participation, median full-time earnings and even incarceration, compared with the rest of the community.
Of course, we should have policies that promote acceptance, reject discrimination, provide support and recognise our diverse backgrounds. We should continue to be conscious of removing barriers to participation in the Australian community. In fact, we should be more insistent about that participation. Our first priority must be to protect the integrity of our immigration program.
Immigration is not a welfare program; it is a nation-building program that seeks to add to our national wellbeing. This program must be driven by our national interest, in selecting those most able to make a contribution.
The government's failures on our borders remain a priority in restoring the integrity of our immigration program. However, we must also start to deal with the growth in temporary migration that is now the dominant source of net overseas migration to Australia. We learned many years ago that capital was mobile and we adjusted our system of financial regulation and policy frameworks to take advantage of this change. Today, people are mobile, for study and employment in particular.
We need policies that can embrace this opportunity, while ensuring we retain the integrity of our immigration program, and ensure that those who come to Australia as workers or students can fully participate in their Australian experience and engage our way of life.
A further challenge is to acknowledge the new fault line for social cohesion in Australia. This was once defined by race, nationality and ethnicity; it is now becoming religion.
This new challenge is different. We are dealing with the borderless, non-racial, ethnically non-specific and non-language-dependent realm of personal beliefs and values. Our response should be the same - remaining true to the values, systems and institutions that have served our nation well. These include freedom of religion. The only constraint Australia places on the practice of religion is that believers respect the rule of one law, the institutions that uphold this law and the values that we live by and aspire to as a nation.
In my experience religion should not be an excuse for separation. People of faith are typically committed to the welfare of others, the primacy of family and the importance of community. We need to focus more on these commonalities. We also need to avoid making exceptions for the differences and encourage a one-rule-for-all approach.
For example, I am opposed to the banning of any form of religious dress. Equally, religious dress should not be afforded any special status or exemption under the law, especially for identity or security purposes. Common sense should prevail.
For the past 60 years we have found a better way to make Australia work as an immigration nation. It is not perfect, but it's better than most.
Our liberal democracy; our merit-based, skills-focused immigration program; the primacy of English as our only national language and the universal embrace of accessible and enduring Australian national values constitute our better way.
We must not drift from this path in the face of new challenges or policy fashions.
Source:http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/opinion/rule-of-law-for-all-migrants/story-e6frgd0x-1226250755565
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)