Tony Abbott’s Coalition will cut net migration levels if it wins government, in a bid to stop Australia’s population reaching its predicted size of almost 36 million in 2050.

Opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison yesterday told The Australian the Rudd government had allowed immigration to rise too high and the population figure that Treasury’s Intergenerational Report predicted last September for 2050 was unsustainable.

Mr Morrison said the Coalition would not allow the average net overseas migration of more than 300,000 a year that had occurred since the Rudd government took power to continue. Read the full story

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Getting your SOL’s mixed up with your MODL’s?  Alan Collette at Go Matilda  has written a  a great article  summarising  the myriad of occupations lists currently doing the rounds.

The Skilled Occupations List, or SOL

The SOL is a threshold list of skilled occupations – if your occupation is not on this list you do not meet one of the basic requirements of a skilled visa application, and as such cannot migrate to Australia under the general skilled program.

This list does not vary very often, but with a reclassification of skilled occupations having taken place in Australia in the last few months there is an expectation that the SOL will be subject to fairly significant amendment within the next year => as ever, if you are an intending migrant and you have an occupation that appears on the SOL as presently constituted it would be prudent to lodge your application sooner rather than later, just in case your occupation is omitted from a new SOL. Read the full story

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The Australian Immigration and Citizenship department have started issuing letters to visa applicants who have applied for Australian Residency under certain visa classes.

The letter confirms that priority will be given to applicants who are applying under the employer or state sponsored visa classes. In addition the letter also confirms that priority will remain for those holding a primary occupation which is listed on the Critical Skills List (CSL)

Essentially though, the letter goes onto confirm that if you do not fall into one of these three categories, it now looks almost certain that the processing of your application will be delayed into the 2010 – 1011 Migration program year.

The key text taken from the letter is as follows: Read the full story

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I read a very interesting letter printed in the Sydney Morning Herald this morning

Within the letter a chap by the name of Michael Jones writes about the strong link between overseas students studying in Australia and perminant Australian residency. He also points out that the $16 billion education industry, our third largest export earner, is largely about selling visas, not education. Very strong words indeed!

Now the thing is… Does he have a point?

I think for starters it’s fair to say that there is indeed a very strong link. Afterall, anyone applying for permanent residency under the skilled migration program needs to show acceptable qualifications and 12 months’ recent, full-time, skilled employment. On the other hand, those with an ‘Australian qualification’ can, after only two years’ study in Australia, qualify for a permanent visa without any work experience, or any intention to work in their field of study. Read the full story

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The Migration Institute of Australia (MIA) has warned the government that work on infrastructure projects will be difficult to accomplish following the decision to put restrictions on the skilled migration program.

While the MIA welcomed the Australian immigration ministers decision to increase the number of humanitarian and family reunion Australian visas for the 2009/10 Migration Program, they were less than impressed with the decision to remove a number of trade-level occupations from the skilled occupation list.

“The MIA awaits with great interest to see how the Government proposes to administer the new job-readiness criteria for trade occupations. It’s hard to imagine a one-size-fits-all assessment system of employability,” said Maurene Horder, CEO of the Migration Institute of Australia. Read the full story

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Following last week’s changes to the Australian skilled migration program, occupations have been removed from the temporary business Australian visa (subclass 457) program in line with the current needs of the Australian economy.

The temporary business Australian visa (subclass 457) program allows employers to sponsor overseas workers to work in Australia on a temporary Australian working visa. While employers must first prove that there are no local workers available to take that position before they sponsor an overseas worker, the Australian immigration department has taken further measures to cut back the program so that Australians have a better chance of employment during the global recession. Read the full story

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The Rudd Government is going to announce its latest budget tonight with an expected deficit of about $60 billion most likely making the biggest headline.

For those looking at making the move down under however, the slashing of a further 7000 places from the general skilled migration intake will be the news that hurts the most!

The cut will take the general skilled migration intake for the next financial year to 108,000.

Added to the decision in March to axe 18,500 places, the total reduction of 25,500 will constitute a 20 per cent cut to the program. Read the full story

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So the ACT and NT have already announced their changes to their sponsered visa programs so it was only a matter of time before South Australia followed Suite.

Important changes have been made to the South Australian sponsored visa programs, with occupations removed from both the Permanent Sponsorship list and the Provisional Sponsorship list.

The previously announced changes have had an immediate effect on the eligibility of many applicants for a South Australian sponsored visa, with the amendments resulting in the removal of occupations from Sponsorship Occupation Lists and the suspension of the Concessional English Program.

As a result of planning levels being achieved, one occupation has been removed from the South Australian Permanent Sponsorship list:

Hairdresser (ASCO: 4931-11)
Applicants who list this as their nominated occupation in the points test will no longer be eligible for sponsorship by South Australia. Additionally, there have also been a number of occupations removed from the South Australian Provisional Sponsorship list:

Construction Project Manager (ASCO: 1191-11)
Biochemist (ASCO: 2113-17)
Life Scientists (nec) (ASCO: 2113-79)
Agricultural Scientist (ASCO: 2114-19)
Agricultural Advisor (ASCO: 2114-21)
Statistician (ASCO: 2293-13)
Health Information Manager (ASCO: 2299-11)
Social Professionals (nec) (ASCO: 2529-79)
Hairdresser (ASCO: 4931-11)

Also affected is the Concessional English Program, which has now been temporarily suspended while it is held under review. Previously, this allowed people with less advanced English language skills to meet the eligibility requirements of a South Australian sponsored visa application. The provision only applied to Australian skilled visa applicants applying for the Skilled Regional Sponsored visa (subclasses 475 and 487), but has now been withdrawn until further notice.

However, applicants that have already submitted their application online and are planning on providing documents that support their claim for points according to the Concessional English Program will be able to send these documents to Immigration SA, provided they do so before 31 May 2009.

Additionally, Immigration SA have also provided concrete processing times for existing and new State Sponsored visa applications. Permanent sponsorship applications (i.e. for the Skilled Sponsored visa (subclass 176)) will be processed within 4 weeks and provisional sponsorship applications (i.e. for the Skilled Regional Sponsored visa (subclass 475)) will be processed within 6-8 weeks.

These changes come after the Federal Government’s recent changes to the General Skilled Migration Program, which included a reduction in the number of occupations listed on the Critical Skills List (CSL).

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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. Read the full story

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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. Read the full story

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As the British economy hits rock bottom, thousands of skilled workers are looking abroad to start up a brighter, more stable life in a different economy.  

Traditionally, Australia and New Zealand have been a favourite destination for British skilled migrants, but it seems now their economies are also feeling the rippling effects of the American and British recessions.  

There has been much debate as to whether Senator Chris Evans (Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) would lower the record rates of immigration to Australia in the 2009-10 Budget in response to his country’s prospective financial troubles.  

Evans has decided to keep this year’s record 133,000 skilled visas as a ceiling until the Government assesses the country’s economic situation in time for the mid-year Budget.

This means that Australia still has plenty of places for skilled workers to move to Australia, and you could be joining the thirty-odd thousand other Britons moving to Australia permanently every year through the Australian migration program.  

Now we all know Australia has a better climate, nicer beaches, and the promise of a more comfortable, outdoor lifestyle than the UK, but, in this economic climate would skilled workers actually be better off by moving from the UK to Australia?

How much money can you earn in Australia compared to the UK

The following is a comparative table showing the median salaries for selected jobs in Australia and the UK, sourced from payscale.com (updated February 2009).   The results are based on the person having 10-19 years experience in that job, and the Australian salaries have been converted using the curencyconverter.com tool.    

A quick look at the table suggests the trend for higher salaries in Australia for skilled positions is evident, excluding the rather major difference for solicitors.  

Cost of living in Australia versus the cost of living in the uk

A higher salary doesn’t mean much if you are paying higher prices for the everyday basics.   The following table shows the cost of basics as supplied by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) for December 2008.

The table shows Australia is not the winner in every case, and in fact, the UK is the cheapest place in the world to buy bread.   Yet, although the overall picture gives the impression that the cost of living in Australia and the UK is vacillating, a closer look shows that the expensive staple items are considerably cheaper in Australia than in the UK, which would keep your wallet plumper for longer.  

For example, a family of four that consumes 2kgs of beef a week could save up to £303 after migrating to Australia from the UK, and a person filling up a car with 30L of petrol every week could save up to £280 per year.   These are substantial savings.

Whereas milk, bread and flour may be cheaper to buy in the UK, the items that you need to outlay more cash on a weekly basis (such as meat and petrol) are cheaper in Australia.

The Economist’s Big Mac index makes things loud and clear to understand.   The famous index compares the cost of a Big Mac in hundreds of countries as a way of comparing the cost of living around the world.   During February 2009, the index showed that a Big Mac was cheaper to buy in Australia than in the UK.

A cheaper cost of living coupled with a higher chance of getting a better salary in Australia means that you would have more spending power and an increased cash flow.

Australia property prices compared to the UK

In most countries, an increased cash flow means a higher standard of living and the opportunity of living in a nicer home.  

Property prices across Australia have a huge variance, particularly because there is a massive difference between rural, coastal and city houses.   The same can be said for the UK, where just in the city of London, house prices can be almost triple the cost of similar types of houses elsewhere in the UK.    

As a result, it becomes difficult to compare accurately house prices from specific regions in Australia with regions in the UK.   Yet the Reserve Bank of Australia has released a report that shows the trend in housing prices and affordability, called “Some Observations on the Cost of Housing in Australia”, written by the Head of Economic Analysis Department Anthony Richards.  

The following table is extracted from this report, which shows that Australia has been better off internationally than its major competitors in terms of income and relative house prices, despite there being a low level of housing accessibility and persistently high level of average housing prices.  

The Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA) confirmed in December 2008 that the Australian average median house price reached $447,659 (£203,660) in the September quarter – a decrease of $459,795 from the June quarter – with only Sydney having a median house price above $450,000.   In the Department for Communities and Local Government live tables, the average median house price in the September quarter for 2008 was sitting at £233,459.  

This difference in average house prices and the trend to have better income ratios in Australia and the UK means you would have a great chance of a better lifestyle in Australia, living in a nicer home with an increased cash flow.

The Australian weather compared to the UK

It will come as no surprise that Australia gets far more sun than the UK.   In fact, Australia gets around 300 days of sunshine annually, which is 70% of the year.   Moreover, when the rains come rolling in from the ocean or across the desert plains, it is not something the locals complain about; the tropical storms can give hours of entertainment and can be a quick relief for stifling heat.  

See below for a breakdown of how averages of temperature (degrees) compare in UK and Australian cities:

How many public holidays do you get in Australia compared to the UK?

In Australia, be prepared to put your feet up for longer.   In the UK, along with the standard annual leave provided by employers, the Government provides workers eight annual public holidays.   In Australia, most workplaces give the same leave entitlements as UK companies, but the Australian Government has been slightly more generous.   Each state or territory has a different amount of public holidays, but all have at least 10 days off or more.   For example, in Tasmania you’ll be given 21 days off every year, plus your 4 weeks annual leave.    

The following shows the amount of public annual holidays in the UK and each Australian state or territory:

Sound appetising?   It’s advised that you beat the Budget and submit your application before the Australian Government considers restricting its migration program, and before you know it you’ll be enjoying a beer on the beach and soaking up the Australian sun!

About this Article Produced exclusively for Getting Down Under by the  guys over at Australian Visa Bureau.     Australian Visa Bureau is an independent immigration advisory service providing advice, information and case management to individuals, families and businesses.

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The 2007-08 Migration Report released by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) shows that Australia’s migration programme is well on track to reach its targets and fill critical skills gaps in the job market, and that the UK continues to be the major source of Australia’s migrants.

The report shows that at the end of last year’s financial year, migration was 0.1 per cent below its planned levels, meaning Australian immigration officials gave 158,630 people permission to move to Australia.

The United Kingdom, India and China provided the largest sources of people emigrating to Australia (New Zealand citizens are excluded from statistics in the migration programme). UK residents accounted for 17.7 per cent of the migration programme (which is down on the year before from 31,401). From India and China came 22,148 and 20,729 nationals respectively, with India taking over China as the second largest source country. Read the full story

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It was only a few months ago back in June when I wrote with a cheerful tone about the increase in the number of places available for wannabe Aussies during the 2008 – 2009 Migration Program.

A recent interview given by the Australian PM Kevin Rudd hints at a bit of a rethink which may have implication for many folks dreaming of a new life down under,

During an interview with the Fairfax Radio Network in Melbourne. The Aussie PM recognised that the current immigration rate was an increase on the previous year to meet employer demands for more skilled workers, particularly in mining and resource intensive Western Australia and Queensland.

He then goes onto say however that “as with all previous governments, and mine’s the same, whenever we set immigration targets we will adjust them according to the economic circumstances of the day,” Read the full story

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Australia is a popular destination. Gone (or nearly) are the associations with convicts from Mother England and bars filled with muscle-bound sheep-shearers (women not allowed). Now if you ask for someone’s impression of Australia they’re likely to say “cosmopolitan”, “outdoor living”, “beaches”, “scenery”, “Great Barrier Reef”, “sophisticated” even. However, if you want to go there, unless you are a citizen of New Zealand, you are going to need a visa or travel permit.

There are different visas depending on your reasons for wanting to go to Australia.

For social or recreational reasons including a holiday, sightseeing, visiting family and friends or other short term (less than three months) non business or work related reasons, you can apply for an Electronic Travel Authority (Visitor) or a Tourist visa or a Sponsored Family Visitor visa.

If you wish to participate in Australia’s Overseas Student Program, you will need to do a registered course full-time and in order to do that, you will need a Student Visa.

For business visits of less than three months you will need a Business (Short-Stay) visa, which will permit you to visit Australia for the purposes of conferences or business meetings. If you are actually organising a business event or conference, you may need a different visa. For longer term employment in Australia, you will need to be sponsored by a company who are prepared to employ you for up to four years.

If you are between 18 and 30 and fancy working your way around Australia, you can participate in the Working Holiday Program which allows you to take up casual employment.

A visit to Australia for medical consultations or treatment requires that you have Medical Treatment Visa.

You can also get a Retirement Visa if you wish to spend some of your retirement years in Australia and a Transit Visa if you want to stop over on the way to somewhere else.

If you want to immigrate to Australia permanently, you will need to participate in the Migration Program which covers people with special skills who will contribute to the Australian economy and people who have family members already in Australia and who are prepared to sponsor them. There is also a Humanitarian Program for refugees.

If you are permanently resident in Australia but are not an Australian citizen, you will need a Resident Return Visa to allow you back in, should you leave on a temporary basis.

Each visa carries different conditions and may require additional paperwork to accompany the application. The one thing all the visas have in common, however, is that you will need to be specific about the length of your proposed stay. If you apply for a visa for three weeks but once you arrive, decide that you want to extend that to two months, you may have a problem.

It is possible that you will have to undergo a medical examination and/or chest x-ray in order to complete your visa application. This is unlikely, however, for a stay of up to 3 months, unless you already have a serious medical condition.

The best place to start for detailed information is the Australian Government Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs website.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Australian Visas

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Skilled migrants who have been granted visas under the general skilled migration visa categories are achieving significantly higher levels of labour market success than ever before, the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, Senator Amanda Vanstone and the Minister for Education, Science and Training, the Hon Julie Bishop MP announced today.

A major evaluation of these categories has confirmed good results and has also identified some areas where targeting to the needs of the labour market can be enhanced.

The independent evaluation of the general skilled migration categories has been conducted by three of Australia’s leading immigration experts, Dr Bob Birrell, Associate Professor Lesleyanne Hawthorne and Professor Sue Richardson.

Australia already has the best skilled migration programme in the world, but we cannot afford to stand still, Minister Vanstone said. Read the full story

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The following is the text of the Minister’s announcement for the budget of changes to the skilled migration program.

It should be read with her announcement on Monday of the points and technical changes foreshadowed to the skilled migration program arising out of the evaluation program

I’ll put that in a separate post. Strangely, the release is dated 1 May but must have been embargoed until Budget Night, which is why it only turned up this morning.

Government Successfully Matching Skilled Workers to Employers

As issued by Minister on Monday 1 May 2006

On the back of a record jump in migration of 20 000 extra places in the Skill Stream this programme year, the Howard Government will maintain the Skill Stream at that increased level through 2006-07.

Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, Amanda Vanstone, said with the 2005-06 programme still to be completed, it was impossible to accurately identify the impact of last year’s 20 000 increase for this financial year.

Consequently, it would be imprudent to have a further jump in the Skill Stream until we are sure of the impact of the additional 20 000 places’s Senator Vanstone said.

This year we have worked extremely hard to increase the proportion of skilled migrants sponsored by employers or States and regions.

We have done this by matching skilled migrants with employers through a number of avenues including skills expos, both onshore and offshore; the availability of Regional Outreach Officers; and for the first time this year Industry Outreach Officers, who we have seconded to key industry groups, to support employers.

Employer sponsored migration is up 22 per cent from the same period (July-March) in the previous programme year putting it at record levels in 2005-06. In the nine months to the end of March some 12 000 employer sponsored visas were granted.

Growth in state sponsored and regional migration (SSRM) visas is up 50 per cent over the same period.

As well the Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL) has proven a vital tool. The number of the Skill Stream intake with occupations on the MODL, including their families, will increase four-fold to almost 40 000 people in 2005-06 compared to approximately 10 000 in 2004-05.

The figures demonstrate that we are matching skilled migrants to areas of need to a greater extent than ever before, Senator Vanstone said.

This is why these migrants are performing exceptionally well in the labour market. We intend to further refine that matching in the upcoming financial year.

The Migration Programme concentrates on the skills that business and industry are looking for but will also meet legitimate close family reunion needs.

“There will be a modest increase in the size of the Family Stream, up 1000 extra places to 46 000. The 1000 extra places will be available for spouse visas. This is on top of an extra 3000 places added to the planning levels for this year, with a total of 37 300 spouse visas in 2006-07.

The increased demand for spouse visas is driven by two main factors “ the increasing global mobility of young Australians and the larger sponsorship base created by the increased skilled migration intake.

Recent research shows that spouse migrants (many of whom are young and skilled) are also performing well in the labour market with high employment and participation rates. This is a good news story.

The total migration (non-humanitarian) programme for 2006-07 in the range of 134 000 to 144 000 places. This will comprise 97 500 places in the Skill Stream and 46 000 places in the Family Stream.

To ensure our Migration Programme remains world class the Government commissioned an evaluation of the general skilled migration visa category by some prominent Australian academics, Senator Vanstone said.

The evaluation report will be released shortly and the Government will consult with industry and other stakeholders on the recommendations.

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