OZ cuts immigration numbers

pclancy

If you're coming down looking for trade and building work you might now have issues....

Taken from [url]www.stuff.co.nz:[/url]

Australia's record immigration intake will be cut for the first time in more than a decade as the Government tries to preserve jobs in a deteriorating global economy.

The Immigration Minister, Chris Evans, will announce a 14 per cent cut to the skilled migration program today, capping the number of workers to enter Australia next year at 115,000, down from 133,500 in 2008-09.

Skilled workers make up the majority of migrants.

The decision to cut back on foreign workers comes as pressure mounts on the Government after last week's jump in unemployment to 5.2 per cent.

"The economic circumstances in Australia have changed as a result of the global financial crisis," Senator Evans said. "It is prudent to reduce this year's migration intake accordingly."

The cuts will be coupled with deletions to the critical skills list, which specifies which jobs are open to migrants. Trades in building and manufacturing will be removed, forcing companies to find bricklayers, plumbers, welders and carpenters domestically.

Professions still experiencing skills shortages will be immune, such as nurses, doctors, engineers and information technology workers..

Senator Evans says Australia needs a more targeted list "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 health care, 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."

The move is likely to please unions but upset businesses, which have warned against "short-sighted" migration cuts.

The national secretary of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union, John Sutton, has argued for construction to be removed from the list. Imported workers were not needed when big companies were sacking Australian workers, he said.

But the Australian Industry Group has said a time lag in migration meant the consequences of adjusted migration numbers and a shortened critical skills list could take up to two years to show.

By that time, economic conditions could be vastly different, the chief executive, Heather Ridout, has said.

Yesterday the Treasurer, Wayne Swan, said the worse than expected unemployment rate in February did not necessarily mean the jobless rate would eclipse the official forecast of 7 per cent and reach 10 per cent by Christmas.

"But with this global recession and in the savagery of its impact, it can really have a substantial impact on employment in Australia, there's no doubt about that."

The Agriculture Minister, Tony Burke, also declined to say whether he expected unemployment to outstrip forecasts, saying "I don't think it's helpful for me to be throwing numbers around."

Meanwhile, a boat carrying 54 people was caught off the north-east coast of Darwin after illegally entering Australian waters.

The navy intercepted the vessel on Saturday night after a customs plane flew over on a tip off from a Northern Territory park ranger.

It is not yet known if any of the passengers are seeking asylum.

The group will be taken to Christmas Island where 137 others await health, security and identity checks.

Since September 29, 180 people have arrived in Australian waters.

The Minister for Home Affairs, Bob Debus, said the handling of the latest arrival demonstrated Australia's ability to respond to "maritime threats".

But the Opposition immigration spokeswoman, Sharman Stone, said it showed people smugglers were attracting "satisfied clients" and Australia was playing into these people's hands.

"These people want to be located. Claims for asylum cannot succeed until people are met by officials," she said.

Berty

Oh Well.

We are all trimming the fat. Ireland is finally trying to stop social welfare scroungers, social welfare tourists and double jobbers on social.

Canada has locked the doors to the Irish.

If you wish to get into Oz now you should hope to have a strong trade/skillset, sponsorship or family.

nxbyveromdwjpg

Berty wrote: »

Canada has locked the doors to the Irish.

Eh?? Elaborate please. I googled but couldnt find anything.. cheers

FreeAnd..

Canada has locked the doors to the Irish.

Dont worry this was just bad journalism hype...the cut off point for the one year visa is the same (2k i think) and after this was met it was closed until next year...no change to every other year just sensationalist reporting for dramatic affect...

fugazied

Australia's unemployment rate isn't that bad compared to some parts of the world, Canada is about 7.7%, USA is getting higher every month.

PhiliousPhogg

Exact same article in Sydney Morning Herald.

Possible loophole revealed in this article (does not give any further detail):

Employers can still sponsor migrant workers privately or through the 457 visa scheme, provided they can prove local labour is not available.

The move criticised by Phil Lewis, professor of economics at the University of Canberra in the above article. All other opinions come from opposing sides of the industry vs unions divide.

Although the unemployment rate will rise further, 5.2% is not high, and it seems to me to be a hasty move to gather voter support by a Labour government. I gotta say, looking after local worker rights is no way to tackle a recession.

That said, Australia has a huge rate of immigration, and is quite sensitive if employment slows up sharply.

Still think it's an overreaction.

Jumpy

There is NO IT shortage in Aus. Its not on the required skills list. Why do they mention it?

seachto7

I reckon there's plenty of Aussie workers willing to do any job at the moment, therefore making sponsorship increasingly difficult?

Traq

Jumpy wrote: »

There is NO IT shortage in Aus. Its not on the required skills list. Why do they mention it?

Ehm, yes it is. If you look at the Critical Skills List it says:

Computing Professionals -- where the applicant's specialisation is
listed on the Migration on Demand List (MODL).

and the careers listed on the MODL are:

Computer Professional of the IT occupations - only if you have and can evidence substantial skills and experience in one or more of the following:

- CISSP

- C++ / C# / C

- Data Warehousing

- Java

- J2EE

- Linus

- .Net technologies

- Network Security / Firewall / Internet Security

- Oracle

- PeopleSoft

- SAP

- SIEBEL (especially Siebel Analytic)

- Solaris

- Unix

Jumpy

Butbutbut I looked at that a month ago wondering if IT was still big at home. I swear it wasnt there. There were only metalworkers, medical staff etc. Zero IT.

pclancy

Yeah I always remember it being there as well. Makes sense. Same in NZ there arent enough techies. My company is about 60% kiwi 40% immigrants and wont be affected by this. IT workers will be wanted but there are a lot of farm and factory jobs given to migrants that they want back for their own.

The same problem exisits down here as in Ireland though, the locals dont want the crappy jobs. But the government wants to reduce unemployment so they must be seen to be keeping kiwis first.

Also been announced today in NZ similar moves to tighten up the belts...

layke

Ok let me clear this up.

Only Tradies, such as builders, carpenters and that lot are getting cut.

This does not effect people with skills like IT and so forth

The Federal government annouced this on the news last night.

You see Australia has high dependance on it's mineral exports and it's the primary reason they will be one of the first out of the recession.

myhorse

layke wrote: »

Ok let me clear this up.

Only Tradies, such as builders, carpenters and that lot are getting cut.

This does not effect people with skills like IT and so forth

The Federal government annouced this on the news last night.

You see Australia has high dependance on it's mineral exports and it's the primary reason they will be one of the first out of the recession.

to clear up even further ...tradies can still get in. Its just that they will not be fast tracked. hence the removal from the critical skills list (CSL). They just have to wait longer (alot longer) now and go through the process. Australia is not saying they dont want them just that their applications will not be a priority.

IT remains on the csl. IF it were to be removed, IT people can still get in just it will take longer as above.

The only changes so far are
1)occupations removed from fast tracking on the csl
2)reduction in numbers of skilled visas being made available

AussieAlly

Im Aussie and came onto this forum for a different issue but have become very interested in the information that the you have been told/read as it is in some instances different to what I have read here in OZ.

The article that has been pointed out in this post, I also have read here in an Australian newspaper. I have also followed the articles post announcement of the Immigration reforms. The Australian Minister followed up by stating that there will be priority to people who have the skills that the country is laking but also people who have solid English skills. When looking at the cuts to Immigration in Australia for 2009 they are not sizable, this figure makes up our "whole" Immigration (Irish, English, American, Canadian, Japanese, Chinese etc..) it puts "the cuts" a little more in perspective.

Hopefully this puts a lot more hope back into any planned trip, however, it is not easy to find work here at the moment but there are still jobs about.

The issue over the labor government buying votes/Government overreaction etc... discussed in an earlier post in this thread is not exactly the case & I hate the Labor government (Motto: Kevin '07, Recession '08) current PM (so defending is difficult LOL), but the reduction has a lot to do with the employment trends here in Australia. Australians do have a certain "unnamed" policy of supporting other Aussie's in bad times and the Immigration department does not want people coming here and not being able to support themselves! That would be hurting people on WHV and the Australian Economy. Following on, the comment over the government overreacting as unemployment is only at 5.2% which is quite low compared to other countries in my opinion is exactly what they should be doing so it doesn't become rival to that of other western societies!

Finally; from first hand knowledge of trying to secure work in Ireland on WHV it is also very difficult, I spent 7 months there after University. All the jobs I was applying for went to permanent residents (specially because your population is very young compared to ours I was competing for low level jobs with A LOT of Uni students) and the requirements to obtain a WHV were huge!

Anyhow; Good Luck to anyone heading down, it is very worthwhile!

EoinG

I'm confused... Does this affect applications for the Working Holiday Visa???

myhorse

EoinG wrote: »

I'm confused... Does this affect applications for the Working Holiday Visa???

No not in any way (it also doesnt affect applications for residency see my post above)

EoinG

Thanks for the reply!

myhorse

another slight cut announced
http://www.smh.com.au/national/migrant-numbers-cut-as-job-fears-rise-20090508-axzj.html