Australia says no more chefs,we need engineers and doctors
Source: Agencies |
February 9, 2010, Tuesday
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Print Edition
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Australia will dump 20,000 low-skilled migrant applications to re-focus its immigration intake on high-skilled jobs critical to the economy, the government said yesterday.
The move was welcomed by Australia's mining sector, where major firms like BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto have been expanding their export and China-related projects, but is struggling with a shortage of skilled workers.
Australia's mining sector said tens of thousands of skilled workers would be needed to meet the demands of new projects, such as the Chevron Corp led US$39 billion Gorgon liquified natural gas project.
"We need the people on the job now and the demand going forward will be even greater as these projects get off the ground," Australian Mines and Metals Association Chief Executive Steve Knott told Australian radio.
But the switch will be a blow to the Australia's overseas student education sector, the country's third largest export earner worth US$13 billion. The sector is reeling from bad-publicity over recent attacks on Indian students in Sydney and Melbourne.
Many overseas students from Asia seek residency in Australia after completing vocational courses at private colleges, usually in low-skill careers such as hairdressing and catering.
Education experts have been calling on Australia to overhaul its foreign student sector after reports of fraud and that students were the system purely to gain residency in Australia.
"We had tens of thousands of students studying cookery and accounting and hairdressing because that was on the list and that got them through to permanent residency," Immigration Minister Chris Evans told Australian radio yesterday. "We want to make sure we're getting the high-end applicants."
Evans said the immigration intake would focus on health workers, including more doctors and nurses, as well as engineering and mining.
Australia's changes echoes a similar tightening in the United Kingdom, where tougher visa rules have been announced to stop people entering on student visas and taking short courses, then opting to stay in the country.
Evans said Australia's government would abolish the current list of skills in demand, which contains 106 occupations, and review a points test used to assess migrants.
Last year 170,000 people applied to live and work permanently in Australia as skilled migrants, but there were just 108,100 places available, he said.
All lower skilled applications lodged before September 1, 2007, when English language skills and work experience requirements were easier, would have their applications withdrawn and application fees worth A$14 million (US$12.15 million) refunded, Evans said.
The move was welcomed by Australia's mining sector, where major firms like BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto have been expanding their export and China-related projects, but is struggling with a shortage of skilled workers.
Australia's mining sector said tens of thousands of skilled workers would be needed to meet the demands of new projects, such as the Chevron Corp led US$39 billion Gorgon liquified natural gas project.
"We need the people on the job now and the demand going forward will be even greater as these projects get off the ground," Australian Mines and Metals Association Chief Executive Steve Knott told Australian radio.
But the switch will be a blow to the Australia's overseas student education sector, the country's third largest export earner worth US$13 billion. The sector is reeling from bad-publicity over recent attacks on Indian students in Sydney and Melbourne.
Many overseas students from Asia seek residency in Australia after completing vocational courses at private colleges, usually in low-skill careers such as hairdressing and catering.
Education experts have been calling on Australia to overhaul its foreign student sector after reports of fraud and that students were the system purely to gain residency in Australia.
"We had tens of thousands of students studying cookery and accounting and hairdressing because that was on the list and that got them through to permanent residency," Immigration Minister Chris Evans told Australian radio yesterday. "We want to make sure we're getting the high-end applicants."
Evans said the immigration intake would focus on health workers, including more doctors and nurses, as well as engineering and mining.
Australia's changes echoes a similar tightening in the United Kingdom, where tougher visa rules have been announced to stop people entering on student visas and taking short courses, then opting to stay in the country.
Evans said Australia's government would abolish the current list of skills in demand, which contains 106 occupations, and review a points test used to assess migrants.
Last year 170,000 people applied to live and work permanently in Australia as skilled migrants, but there were just 108,100 places available, he said.
All lower skilled applications lodged before September 1, 2007, when English language skills and work experience requirements were easier, would have their applications withdrawn and application fees worth A$14 million (US$12.15 million) refunded, Evans said.
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