More and more people are applying to work Down Under via the 457 Visa. This has however resulted in the need for a more efficient and quicker visa processing service.
The Australian government has shifted their immigration focus away from the need for permanent immigration to favouring the temporary worker instead. This is in order not to hinder the job opportunities of locals.
Three new centres have been established in order to cope with the rise in 457 and other temporary visa applications and the increase in demand of Australian companies seeking foreign talent.
As immigration minister Chris Evans says, "Earlier this year, I directed the department to clear a backlog of about 13 000 temporary skilled migration visa applications on hand since March, many of which were outside the acceptable standards of processing."
Such a demand for temporary workers has also resulted in employers and recruitment agents calling for the easing of 457 restrictions in order for them to cope with their needs and the constant demand in sectors such as accountancy and finance.
Australia is suffering from major occupational shortages; therefore much effort has gone into retaining local talent and attracting foreign skills. Australia's high employment rate, together with the need to retain the current economic boom has therefore resulted in the government turning to foreigners coming to the country on a temporary basis.
Immigration department data released last month shows that 110,570 visas were granted to temporary skilled workers and their dependents in 2007-08, up from 87,310 in 2006-07.
Senator Evans noted that accountancy was the top occupation for the permanent skilled migration program - averaging 9,000 to 10,000 places each year for the past three years.
Source: Global Visas, Simon Wallace - 20/08/2008
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