Following the news we posted on Friday about Important changes to Australian skilled-sponsored visas for ACT and NT. It looks like the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and the Northern Territory (NT) governments are at it again with a number of amendments to their skilled occupations lists being announced.

After removing five occupations as part of the announcements last week, the ACT has removed a further two occupations and added another.

Prospective migrants immigrating to Australia through the ACT skilled-sponsorship program as a fitter, metal machinist, metal fabricator, welder first class, sheet metalworker, surgeon or speech pathologist will at this point of time no longer be able to lodge an application through this programme. Pressure welders can now participate. Continue Reading

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After cutbacks to the Australian skilled migration program this week, former New Zealand Immigration Minister Aussie Malcolm reassured New Zealanders that they would still be able to continue emigrating to Australia.

The Australian Government last week announced the Australian skilled migration program would be reduced by nearly 18,000 to 115,000 places, in order to ease competition for Australian jobs during the economic slowdown. The Government also tightened the skilled migration program, so that it is more targeted to the urgent needs of the Australian workforce.

This means that employer-sponsored Australian visa applications, State-nominated Australian visa applications and applications from people with skills found on the Critical Skills List (CSL) have priority for processing. The CSL has also been readjusted so that it can better reflect the needs of the Australian economy. Continue Reading

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The Canberra (ACT) and Northern Territory (NT) governments have made important changes to their State/Territory skilled-sponsored migration programs, including removing occupations from their skills-in-demand lists.

The announcement comes at a time when the Federal Government announced a reduction, and more targeted approach, to the Australian skilled migration program, affecting thousands of Australian skilled migration visa applications.

The Australian skilled-sponsored visa program entitles State/Territory governments to nominate Australian temporary residents or prospective migrants who have skills recognised as being high in demand in that State/Territory. Continue Reading

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Last week, the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) announced that they would downsize the Critical Skills List (CSL) so that the Australian skilled migration program would more effectively bring in the skills needed most in the Australian economy.

Andy Harwood, a registered migration agent from the Australian Visa Bureau, has recommended to all potential migrants to Australia to use alternate migration pathways if they no longer have a skill on the CSL, including the employer/state sponsorship programs and the Australian working holiday visa.

The Critical Skills List (CSL) is a list of skilled occupations that represents those skills that the Australian economy needs most. As part of their more targeted approach to Australian skilled migration, DIAC has given Australian visa applicants with occupations on the CSL and applicants with employer/government sponsorship priority processing so that migrants can fill jobs faster in Australia. Continue Reading

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Not the best news for wannabe migrants I’m afraid. In a bid to protect Australian jobs, the Federal Government is cutting the intake of skilled migrant workers – removing virtually all the trades from the program.

In a sign of the times, the permanent skilled migration program is being slashed by 18,000 over the next three months, with no foreign bricklayers, plumbers, carpenters or electricians allowed in for the foreseeable future.

And the migrant worker program is likely to be cut back further in the May budget.

From the press release issued by The Aussie Ministry for Immigration and Citizenship:

The changes to the program are:

* A 14 per cent cut in the 2008-09 permanent skilled migration program intake from 133 500 to 115 000.
* Removing building and manufacturing trades from the Critical Skills List, such as bricklayers, plumbers, welders, carpenters and metal fitters. The list will now comprise mainly health and medical, engineering and IT professions.

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.

What this means for those migrants who have already applied I’m not to sure but the short term outlook isn’t that great!

As always, when we have more news we’ll report it here at gettingdownunder.com

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Discussions in our forums on the news  :   Click Here
Press release:  http://www.minister.immi.gov.au/media/media-releases/2009/ce09030.htm

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While IT professionals have been losing thousands of jobs in the industry because of the global recession, applications for IT jobs in Australia have increased by 20 per cent, reports The Australian.

Despite the growing unemployment numbers, huge numbers of people are emigrating to Australia while Senator Chris Evans keeps the migration quota at this year’s levels of 133,500 skilled visas.

Peter McDonald, a leading demographer, has encouraged the Immigration Minister to keep its levels despite the rising unemployment problem, because skilled workers would be essential in supporting the economic growth that will be due after the recession has passed.

He also said as the ageing baby boomer population begin to retire, the only way to avoid a skills shortage is using a targeted and open immigration programme. Continue Reading

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An Article that I read on the UK website of the Independent Newspaper made me laugh today.

It talks about the Girona tourist board’s latest attempt to spice up its Mediterranean appeal using an image taken here in good old Perth!

The photo supposedly of the Costa Brava shows a man and a boy gazing out to a deep blue horizon of sea and sky, while gentle waves lap the sand beneath their feet.

The Catalan version tones down the antipodean brilliance of the original, pastes a Costa Brava logo to the man’s T-shirt and adds in Catalan: “Congratulations Costa Brava on 100 years. You really are great.” Continue Reading

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