Minister Collier has said there will be huge demands on WA’s future workforce needs.

A Western Australian state Government minister has attacked the Federal Government’s visa process, saying the Federal Government is ‘oblivious’ to the workforce requirements of the resource-rich state.

The state’s Training and Workforce Development Minister Peter Collier has visited Ireland and Britain as part of a delegation promoting the attributes of living and working in Western Australia to potential skilled migrants.

“The one clear message we are constantly being given is that people want to come to WA but are often frustrated by the Federal visa process, which is holding back the ability of skilled workers coming to the State,” Mr Collier said, in a statement.

“The Government has appealed for changes to the Federal migration program to help WA supplement its workforce needs – I met with Immigration and Citizenship Minister Chris Bowen in March to discuss these changes in detail.

“It’s no secret that there will be huge demands on WA’s future workforce needs – it’s been well documented and reported, yet the Federal Government seems completely oblivious to our requirements.”

WA has campaigned to have Perth recognised under the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS), an expansion of the types of skilled occupations that qualify for 457 visas, and review of the allocation of State sponsored visas, among other measures.

Mr Collier had said the response he received from the Federal Government on these issues was not good news for the state.

:: UPDATED – Perth given ‘regional city’ status

But this morning, Immigration Minister Chris Bowen announced that Perth could now be considered a regional city under RSMS, meaning it will have greater access to skilled migrants.

Mr Bowen made the announcement during an address to the Migration Conference of the Australian Minerals and Metals Association (AMMA), this morning.

“Skills shortages are not limited to mining projects, with opportunities for Australians in the resources sector leading to local skills shortages in other parts of Western Australia, particularly in Perth,” said Mr Bowen

“Therefore, for the purpose of greater access to skilled migration, Perth will now be considered a regional city and will be able to benefit from inclusion in the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme.

“This will provide employers with another, easier avenue to recruit the skilled workers they need from overseas and give skilled temporary visa holders in Perth a more streamlined pathway to permanent migration.”

The announcement comes as a report by Monash University’s Centre for Population and Urban Research (CPUR) yesterday called for Australia’s current migration intake to be halved.

“Australia needs a lower, but better-targeted immigration program. The bulk of current migration has little to do with providing scarce skills to the resource industries,” the CPUR report states.

“Rather, it is delivering two major streams. One is a predominantly professional flow to the big cities where the immigrants are being employed in people-servicing industries such as health and welfare. The demand for these services is, in turn, partly driven by migration-fuelled population growth.

“The other stream is a mass of people on temporary visas such as students and working holiday makers. Again, they go to the major cities, and work on a casual basis, reflecting their visa status.”

The report’s authors criticise the pathway to permanent residency provided by the 457 program arguing “this policy must be changed if the temporary influx during the resources boom is not to become permanent, as occurred in Western Germany in the aftermath of its guest worker program in the 1960s.”

Australian companies are continuing to sponsor greater numbers of Irish workers.

Latest figures from the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) reveal a marked spike in grants of 457 primary visas to Irish citizens in the last year until May 31, 2011, with a 65 per cent increase from 2,120 to 3,490.

The four-year 457s are temporary residence visas offered to skilled workers and their dependants who are sponsored by an Australian company.

Primary visa grants refer to people who applied for sponsorship for their own behalf, while secondary applicants are those attached to partners’ applications.

Overall, 457 primary visa grants were 38.3 per cent higher than the same time last year, while May saw a huge increase of 45 per cent month-on-month from April.

The top three citizenship countries for primary visa grants to May 31, 2011 were the United Kingdom (25 per cent), India (18 per cent) and the Republic of Ireland (eight per cent).

Not surprisingly, resource-rich Western Australia  emerged as the hot-spot destination for migrants, with applications from WA up 64.1 per cent compared to the same period last year..

The top three industries for 457 visa grants were healthcare and social assistance (13 per cent), other services (12 per cent), and construction (12 per cent).

:: Incremental rise in salary thresholds

The DIAC also announced last week that the  salary thresholds for the 457 visa programme have been increased.

The temporary skilled migration income threshold (TSMIT) has now risen from $47,480 to $49,330, in line with the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) report on average weekly earnings.

Existing subclass 457 visa holders are unaffected unless they change employer and require a new nomination.

The rise means a sponsoring employer has to nominate to pay the prospective employee at least $49,330 for the application to be eligible for consideration by DIAC.

Market salary rates require employers to provide temporary skilled workers the same terms and conditions as Australians who undertake equivalent work in the same workplace.

The salary threshold at which English language testing can be waived has also been raised to $88,410. Both the TMSIT and the threshold for waiver of English language testing represent an indexation of 3.9 per cent, in line with the ABS report on average weekly earnings

The current median processing time for a 457 visa is 22 calendar days, according to DIAC.

Meanwhile, Australia’s  unemployment rate has remained steady for a second consecutive month, with new data showing a surge in the number of full-time jobs in June, but losses in part-time work.

The ABS data showed a rise of 59,000 full-time jobs, while part-time jobs fell 35,600, leaving a net gain of 23,400 jobs for the month. The unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.9 per cent.

The gain was stronger than many economists predicted. Market watchers forecast a rise of 15,000 jobs for June, but the result showed the biggest monthly gain in full-time jobs since July 2008.

Additional reporting by Luke O’Neill

Dear John,
I have been employing Peter, an Irish lad, on a working holiday visa, for three months. He has asked me to sponsor him so he can keep working here. I’m keen to keep him, but my business hasn’t sponsored anyone before. We are a small business with four employees so I’m not sure I can be a sponsor? Can I sponsor, and what do I need to do to keep Peter?
PJ

Dear PJ,

Employers’ top two options to retain overseas staff are temporary sponsorship via Standard Business Sponsorship (SBS); and nomination for permanent residence via the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS).

Temporary sponsorship visas are becoming increasingly popular with a 39 per cent increase in applications this year and more than 70,000 people currently on 457 visas.

There are three parts to the process.

Firstly, the employer applies to be an approved sponsor. Secondly, the employer applies for the position to be approved.

Thirdly — the final step — the employee applies for the 457 visa.

Approved sponsors need to agree to a number of obligations that are aligned to Australian Fair Work laws.

As a first step in deciding to proceed, employers should be comfortable with the obligation commitments. See them at http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/skilled-workers/sbs/obligations-sponsor

To approve a sponsoring employer, Immigration look to see that the business has a commitment to hiring local labour and the financial capacity to pay for a sponsored employee.

The size of a business is not in itself a deciding factor. However, businesses need to show a track record of training their Australian staff. So to meet the training requirements a business is likely to need at least one Australian resident employee who is receiving training.

The training benchmark immigration use means showing that your business has spent the equivalent of at least 1 per cent of payroll on training in the 12 months before applying.

For a new business, less than 12 months old, a detailed training plan can be used. Training should continue during the sponsored visa period.

Employers then need to look at the position. The duties of the job must align with the duties of an occupation on the Government’s eligible list for 457 sponsorship; available at http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/skilled-workers/sbs/457occupations.pdf

The salary or wage offered must be at market salary rate. This means paying the overseas employee at least the same rate you pay Australian staff in the same position. Or where  no Australian is doing the same job, paying a market rate in the area the business is located.

To be approved, the base rate or guaranteed earnings must be above $47,480 excluding bonus payments or superannuation.

For the final part, the employee needs to have the appropriate level of work experience or qualifications to match the job. This will vary depending on the job offered, usually at least three or five years relevant work history; or a trade or diploma/degree qualification

If you can tick all these boxes, apply as soon as is practical, although Immigration is working on improving time frames, processing can take two months or more.

Consider seeking a full assessment from a registered migration agent before committing. Find an agent at http://mia.org.au/

Lundy: Australia needs to be nimble in matching skills with demand.

The Australian Government is looking to fill its newly-expanded skilled migrant quota “really quickly”, according to the parliamentary secretary in the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs.

Senator Kate Lundy, speaking exclusively to the Irish Echo, said the Government was aware of the increased demand from Ireland for Australian visas and pointed to changes to the points system which improves the chances of  those with English as a first language.

“There are significant advantages when English is the spoken language but also having a high level of skill in their chosen profession is desirable as well,” said Ms Lundy.

The new processing centre in Brisbane would speed up processing times for sponsorship visas, reducing uncertainty for those applying for 457 and other temporary residence visas, she said.

“We’re hoping with the new processing centre and the increased intake that we will be able to fill those quotas really quickly.”

The new centre was not the result of feedback from frustrated applicants who had faced waits of over six months for a decision.  Rather, its creation was “part of a general programme of always trying to be more efficient,” said Ms Lundy.

She said Australia needed to be nimble in matching skills with demand.

“It’s no good having six-month or 12-month lag times because of processing. That’s not responding to our identified skills need [and] the employers who can’t find anybody.”

:: Healthcare access

Meanwhile, improving healthcare access for 457 visa holders could be examined under a new council structure which will look at how migrants access State and Federal government services.

Senator Lundy said the newly created Australian Multicultural Council (AMC) would be an appropriate venue to examine Medicare entitlements for 457 and other temporary resident visa holders.

In April, the Irish Echo reported on an Irishwoman who had fallen pregnant prior to arriving in Australia on a 457.

A private health insurer classed the woman’s condition as pre-existing and would not cover her costs.  She subsequently learned she was covered under a reciprocal health cover agreement (RHCA) between Ireland and Australia — but only the pregnancy was classed as ‘emergency care’.

“That would be an issue that we would ask them to investigate and report back to us on,” said Senator Lundy. “That would be a good context for those kinds of significant questions about access to health benefits to be addressed.”

Australian companies are sponsoring more Irish people than a year ago.

New immigration figures to April show 4,500 grants of 457 visas to Irish citizens in the past ten months.

The four-year 457s are temporary residence visas offered to skilled workers and their dependants who are sponsored by an Australian company.

The figures show a 59 per cent increase in the number of such visas granted to Irish citizens, over the comparable period last year.

The top three citizenship countries for primary visa grants to 30 April this year were the UK (25 per cent), India (18 per cent) and Ireland (eight per cent).

Primary visa grants refer to people who applied for sponsorship for their own behalf, while secondary applicants are those attached to partners’ applications.

With just of 2011 passed, Australia has already surpassed the total number of 457 grants for 2009-10.

There were 4200 applications for primary 457 visas, pushing the total to 42,872 for the year so far — 4000 more than the total number for 2009-10.

Primary visa grants are 37 per cent higher than at the same time last year.
The number of Irish citizens granted 457s in Western Australia has doubled, from 350 to 700. Irish citizens accounted for almost a tenth of successful 457 visa grants in WA in this period.

Ireland was also the second highest contributor of sponsored workers to the resource rich state, behind the UK. Northern Ireland nationals are included in the UK figures.

Other states continue to report an increased Irish uptake with; Queensland (33 per cent), Victoria (72 per cent) and New South Wales (43 per cent). The construction and mining industries’ hunger for overseas skilled workers continues unabated. Respectively, they accounted for 12.5 per cent and 7.4 per cent of all 457 grants to primary applicants.

The average nominated salary for an employee sponsored in the mining industry ranges from just over $122,000 (NSW) to almost $175,000 (Victoria), according to the figures.

The Australian government recently revealed 185,000 visas would be the country’s net migration intake target for the next financial year. Over 125,000 of those places will be reserved for skilled migrants, including 16,000 for “regional areas”.

It also said it would also fast-track permanent residency for 457 visa holders who have spent two years in regional Australia in cases where their employer will continue to sponsor them for a further two years. This will make it easier for 457 visa holders to remain in the region where they have been living and working.

Immigration Minister Chris Bowen announced changes to the migrant intake.

The Australian Government is to set up a new 457 visa processing centre in Brisbane which will, they predict, slash waiting times for applicants.

The employer sponsorship visa is a central part of the Australian Government’s skilled migration programme and seen as a direct stepping stone to permanent residency.

The four-year 457s are temporary residence visas offered to skilled workers and their dependants who are sponsored by an Australian company.

Businesses and applicants have been frustrated by the processing times for 457s which have been known to blow out to six months or more.

But the government is pledging to slash that to just two weeks for “decision-ready temporary skilled subclass 457 visas”.

“While processing times for 457 visas have reduced by 30 per cent over the past five years, the government will establish a new processing centre in Brisbane and aims to reduce processing times even further,” Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said.

“The goal is to deliver a 10-day median processing time for applications which are complete at the time they are lodged. This additional processing site, with a significant number of extra visa processing staff, will ensure that applications are allocated and processed as quickly as possible.

“The 457 visa programme benefits Australian industry by providing access to the global market of workers when suitably skilled workers cannot be found locally,” he said.

The programme is uncapped, demand-driven and highly responsive to the economic cycle.  It provides a flexible  avenue for employers to fill immediate and short-term skills vacancies and is on track to record its strongest year yet.

The number of sponsorship visas being granted to Irish nationals has jumped by almost 65 per cent, according to the most recent figures from the Department of Immigration.

Some 3,030 Irish people were granted 457 visas in 2010 up to the period of January 31, 2011. This accounted for just over six per cent of all applications in this period.

The latest figures for primary applicants show a hike of 64.8 per cent in the grants of 457 visas to Irish citizens, up to 2,050 from 1,250 in the same period in 2009-10.

New South Wales (790), Victoria (470), Western Australia (440) and Queensland (270) are the states favoured by Irish 457 applicants.

:: Gillard Government pushes regional migration as Minister concedes scheme may be tough to police

Meanwhile, the Minsiter for Immigration Chris Bowen has admitted that the new skilled permanent residency visas earmarked for regional areas will be virtually impossible to police.

The Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme visas — 16,000 of them next year — are available to those skilled applicants who are prepared to commit to living and working in country areas.

“For the first time, the Federal Government will specifically allocate permanent visas for regional areas,” Mr Bowen said.

The minister acknowledged that there was no easy way to monitor those granted the visas to ensure that they stayed in the region to which they had been sponsored.

“That is a challenge for us,” he said.

The government will also fast-track permanent residency for 457 visa holders who have spent two years in regional Australia and where their employer will continue to sponsor them for a further two years.

The Minister for Immigration has announced a modest increase to Australia’s migrant intake.

Minister for Immigration, Chris Bowen.

While the full detail of the proposed changes have yet to emerge, the small increase in the permanent visa numbers is lower than was expected.

However, there was more positive news for work visa hunters in the temporary resident area with faster processing times promised for 457s.

As his cabinet colleague Wayne Swan revealed the 2010/11 Budget Chris Bowen revealed that the net migration intake target for the next financial year would be 185,000 visas.

Of these places, over 125,000 will be reserved for skilled migrants including 16,000 for “regional areas”.

‘For the first time, the Federal Government will specifically allocate permanent visas for regional areas,’ Mr Bowen said.

The government will also fast-track permanent residency for temporary business (subclass 457) visa holders who have spent two years in regional Australia and where their employer will continue to sponsor them for a further two years. This will make it easier for 457 visa holders to remain in the region where they have been living and working.

The Minister also announced the establishment of a new processing centre in Brisbane, specifically charged with cutting the processing times for 457 visas.

‘While processing times for 457 visas have reduced by 30 per cent over the past five years, the government will establish a new processing centre in Brisbane and aims to reduce processing times even further,’ Mr Bowen said.

‘The goal is to deliver a 10-day median processing time for applications which are complete at the time they are lodged.

‘This additional processing site, with a significant number of extra visa processing staff, will ensure that complete applications are allocated and processed as quickly as possible.”

The Minister’s announcements underpinned the government’s sensitivity about immigration issues, despite the obvious economic benefit to the country of importing skilled migrants.

“It is critical that Australia’s skilled migration program is driven by Australia’s skills needs, rather than the desires of prospective migrants,” he said.

The Minister also announced a “new model for selecting skilled migrants” which is “expected to come into effect on 1 July 2012″.

The new model concludes a series of reforms to ensure the skilled migration program is more focussed and efficient, demand-driven and tailored to employers’ needs.

‘Under this model, the government will be able to select migrants like a business manages its workforce – selecting the best candidates, altering the skill composition of its workforce, and speeding up or slowing down recruitment as circumstances change,’ Mr Bowen said.

The model will be a two stage process whereby potential applicants first register their claims for skilled migration through an online Expression of Interest (EOI), and subsequently may be invited to make an application for a visa.

This is a significant change from the current situation, as applicants for independent or state/territory sponsored migration will require an invitation to lodge a visa application.

The model will, according to the government, ensure a match between the number of applicants and the number of available program places and consequently, the selection of the best and brightest migrants as well as streamlined processing times.

Watch for more coverage of the migration changes in the next print edition of the Irish Echo.

Applicant wanted to stay in Australia to pay mortgage on Irish house

The Government has given the green light to plans to speed up the approval of temporary 457 visas for workers in the mining industry.

The proposal is one of 31 recommendations laid down by the 2010 National Resources Skills Taskforce to address the emerging skills shortage in the resources sector, all of which have been approved by the Government.

Under the plans, the processing time of a 457 temporary business visa will be cut from two-three months to within five working days.

Other initiatives include the fast tracking of adult apprenticeships to 18 months for 1,000 workers, as well as a $200m critical skills investment fund to train up to 39,000 critically needed workers over four years.

Mining chiefs have long been calling for more skilled workers in the sector, with a shortfall of up to 36,000 tradespeople predicted by 2015. The country’s mining boom and major projects planned for Western Australia and Queensland in particular are set to fuel the demand for skilled workers in the coming years.

The initiatives are set to be trialled in Queensland, where it is reported 40 groups of 25
apprentices will be fast tracked into employment. Skills Minister Chris Evans told the Courier Mail he also expects an increase in foreign workers.

“You’d expect in the period of growth to see more 457 workers coming in. But I want to stress that the Government’s priority is still to make sure that there are job opportunities for Australians first.”

Meanwhile, the Business Council of Australia (BCA), which also voiced its concern over labour shortages in the resources sector, is welcoming the move to address the issue, saying it is “vital” for Australia’s short and medium term economic viability.

“The BCA continues to emphasise the importance of ensuring that skilled migration arrangements, including the temporary 457 visa programme, allow business to meet their requirements in a responsive and timely way,” acting CEO Maria Tarant said.

“Meeting the demand for skilled tradespeople in the economy will require a combination of flexible and relevant training arrangements, together with responsive and effective skilled migration policies.”

The Minerals Council, the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association are also said to have approved the plans.

By Claire McGreal

Numbers of Irish people sponsored in WA last year rose by over 90%

The number of sponsorship visas being granted to Irish nationals has jumped by almost 65 per cent, according to the latest figures from the Department of Immigration.

Some 3,030 Irish people were granted 457 visas in 2010 up to the period of January 31, 2011. This accounted for just over six per cent of all applications in this period.

The four-year 457s are temporary residence visas offered to skilled workers and their dependants who are sponsored by an Australian company.

The latest figures for primary applicants show a hike of 64.8 per cent in the grants of 457 visas to Irish citizens, up to 2050 from 1250 in the same period in 2009/10.

Primary applicants are people who apply for sponsorship for themselves and secondary applicants are those attached to their partner’s application.

New South Wales (790), Victoria (470), Western Australia (440) and Queensland (270) are the states in which most applications were granted.

But WA is the state which has seen the most marked increase in 457 visas granted to Irish citizens. In 2010, grants of sponsorship visas to Irish citizens increased by 92.1 per cent up to 440 grants from the previous figure of 230 in the same period in 2009.

This means Irish citizens accounted for almost a tenth of successful 457 visa grants in WA last year.

The demand for workers in WA is being powered by the ongoing mining boom and the nominated occupations among all granted applications reflects this.

Grants of 457 visas for project administrators, enginerring professionals and management consultants each increased by well over 100 per cent last year.

The state’s professional, scientific and technical industry recorded a 460 per cent jump in the number of workers it successfully sponsored.

Nationally, the department’s figures reveal that the UK continues to account for the largest number of visa grants, accounting for 25.5 per cent of all successful applications last year. Northern Ireland nationals are included in this figure.

Meanwhile, Australia is starting to feel the pinch of a new skills shortage, according to economists. Access Economics, a leading consulting firm, explained in its most recent business outlook report that a continued shortage of workers would limit economic growth over the forthcoming year.

The Australian government will reveal the new skilled migration target in May.

By Luke O’Neill

The Department of Immigration will fast-track sponsorship 457 visas for workers involved in rebuilding flood-affected areas of Queensland.

The measure was one of many announced by Prime Minister Julia Gillard as part of a rebuilding effort that will cost the Federal Government $3.9bn.

The package also includes a much-debated flood levy, which will see those earning over $50,000 contribute a couple of dollars of their income per week in the 2011-12 tax year.

Under the skilled labour measures, the Department of Immigration will dedicate a special team to process qualifying 457 visas within five working days. The short time frame for processing applications will apply solely to ‘decision ready’ applications.

‘Decision ready’ applications are those that require no further documentation or clarifications.

Ms Gillard made the announcement in a speech at the National Press Club last month.

“Skilled labour will be as important as funding for rebuilding. The 457 visa program for temporary skilled migrants has proven to be very responsive to prevailing economic conditions. The program is entirely demand driven by employers,” Ms Gillard told reporters.

“There will be extra resources, assistance to employers and simpler processes to ensure a five-day turnaround for ‘decision-ready’ applications for workers in a host of nominated occupations to work on rebuilding Queensland.”

Construction recruiters are not reporting an increase in Irish jobseekers inquiring about the scheme.

“None of the insurance work has started yet. Now that will be a month away and at that point we will see the skills requirement and the 457 visas will come into play then,” said Andrew Northcott of Brisbane-based Labour Solutions Australia.

“I think it’s a fantastic step for the Government to take because it was taking many months for those 457s to be processed. There are some great skills that Australia needs to tap into.”

An agent from Contec Recruitment said there were already many people seeking work in the state so it was unlikely that any will sponsor.