Australian Skilled Worker Visa Stream

Business bemoans silence on skilled worker intake
The Australian Financial Review, 24 November, 2007

The major parties have been silent on the issue of skilled migration this election campaign.

But if business had its way, the parties would be competing to see who could boost Australia’s skilled migrant intake the most to ease the skills shortages in the economy.

Some estimates have a shortfall of as many as 300,000 new labour market entrants over the next five years. The Western Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry says the state will have 400,000 new jobs to fill over the next decade. The Minerals Council of Australia says the mining industry will need to employ an extra 70,000 workers by 2015.But neither Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews nor his Shadow, Tony Burke, has touched the politically sensitive issue of migration in their party election pitches.

Andrews will say little more than the government is prepared to assess the skilled migration program year by year. He’s quick to take a swipe at the unions, saying they have tried to sabotage the government’s current efforts to attract permanent and temporary skilled migration.

The government’s preferred methods of bring in bringing in temporary skilled workers, the 457 visa, has come under fire following allegations of rogue employers abusing workers brought in under the scheme.

In response, the government has attempted to increase the responsibilities and costs of employers wishing to bring in 457 workers. But these laws have been bogged down in parliament in June 2007 and missed their anticipated October 1 start date.

Business organisations such as the Australian Industry Group are opposed to the the changes, which they say will increase the cost and difficulty in bringing in much-needed 457 workers.

There also have been calls to widen the 457 visa to include semi-skilled and even unskilled workers - a move ruled out by Andrews in the past.