1. Rise in Working Holiday Visas

    January 27, 2012 by oe-admin

    In a recent report issued by the Australian Department of immigration and Citizenship (DIAC), figures show that there is a growth in the numper of people applying for a working holiday visa.

    DIAC figures reveal an overall annual growth of 8.3% in the Australian Working Holiday visa scheme, with 162,980 visa applicants approved, an increase of 10,000 visa grants over the previous year.

    Of the total number of working holiday visa applications granted, the UK represented 21% of the total, followed by south Korea, Irelend and Germany.

    Category: Australian Immigration NewsComments (0)

  2. Would-be expats warned of Australian recruitment scams

    by oe-admin

    People hoping to emigrate to Australia are being warned of fraudulent recruiters offering a foot in the door of the mining industry.

    Australia’s resources boom has led to a serious skills shortage, particularly in Queensland and Western Australia, but experts say that jobhunters should be wary of agencies claiming they can find them employment in the sector.

    On Tuesday, Stirling Hinchliffe, Queensland’s minister for employment, skills and mining, issued a statement denouncing the “shonky businesses” exploiting vunerable people, usually in exchange for a hefty fee.

    ‘We’re hearing about a number of businesses who are overstating the level of assistance they are able to offer jobseekers’, he said.

    ‘These operations – usually set up online or at suburban shopping centres – offer, for a considerable fee, to include the jobseeker’s resume on an exclusive recruitment database that they claim is used by resources companies. As far as we can tell, the database is fictitious and we have no evidence to suggest that these companies have links to resources companies or their recruiters.’

    Emigration advisors say that people outside Australia who want to relocate Down Under are particularly likely to fall victim to such scams, which often promise they will also lodge the application for a visa.
    By Leah Hyslop
    Article courtesy of The Telegraph

    Category: Australian Immigration NewsComments (0)

  3. More Brits opting to remain in Australia

    January 18, 2012 by oe-admin

    According to a new Lloyds TSB survey, up to 800,000 British expats have decided against any plan to return to the UK, with the summer riots and the UK’s economic downturn being cited as contributing factors in their decision to remain abroad.

    A year before, 56% of respondents indicated they had no plans to return to the UK, but in the latest survey, this number had risen to 67%.

    Respondents said that improved financial prospects and better quality of life were the main factors driving expats’ decision to remain overseas.

    Despite the higher exchange rate, 64% of those interviewed felt that they were financially better off living abroad, with only 25% believing that the cost of living was higher.

    Category: Australian Immigration NewsComments (0)

  4. Australia ranked second best place in the world to live

    by oe-admin

    Australia has been ranked as the second best place in the world to live, according to a Quality of Life Index published by the United Nations. The UN published its Human Development Index recently and, like the year before, Australia was ranked second for quality of life based on social and economic development, health, education and living standards.

    Norway was ranked first and New Zealand was ranked fifth. The UK came in at 28th on the index.

    Category: Australian Immigration NewsComments (0)

  5. WA looking to migrants to fill skills gap

    December 5, 2011 by oe-admin

    Four out of five companies in Western Australia plan to hire migrants to help fill skills gaps.

    According to a report by KPMG, 61% of employers said that they had been affected by a shortfall in skilled labour.

    The number of temporary 457 visa holders in WA rose by 85% in July this year, compared with the same period in the previous year.

    The increase in skilled migration has drawn some criticism, with concern about a culture developing in which employers turn to 457 visa workers rather than training their own workers, but many see great benefits from skilled migration.

    The Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA) advised the Australian Government’s employment taskforce recently that it feels skilled workers boost the resources sector with their valuable skills and experience.

    Category: Australian Immigration NewsComments (0)

  6. Fees reduced for Australian student visas

    November 17, 2011 by oe-admin

    Following the implementation of the Knight Review findings, financial arrangements for Australian student visas have been changed.

    Prospective international students will now need up to $36,000 less when applying for an Australia visa, as the Australian Government rolls out the first stage of its student visa reforms.

    ‘The change that came in this week recognises that the financial requirements for student visas were often too onerous, and discouraged applicants from choosing Australia as their preferred study destination’, said Australian Immigration Minister Chris Bowen in a statement.

    ‘Applicants for the vocational education and training and private education sectors in particular will benefit from this change.’

    The Government has also taken away the requirement to meet a minimum English skills level before applying for a visa.
    Among the other changes implemented is the introduction of a new ‘genuine temporary entrant’ requirement for all student visa applicants, which allows the immigration department to ensure students intend to stay in Australia on a temporary basis.

    ‘We want to avoid the situation where student visa holders are desperate to stay in Australia to work to pay off large study debts amassed at home’, Mr Bowen said.

    ‘While international students may aspire to remain in Australia, if they cannot achieve permanent residency or long-term employee sponsorship, they need to return to their home countries.’

    The changes to the student visa system are being introduced in response to the recommendations of former NSW Government minister Michael Knight in his review of the Australian international education sector.

    Category: Australian Immigration NewsComments (0)

  7. Australia to allow English language competition for student visas

    November 3, 2011 by oe-admin

    The Australian Government has announced it will open the market for English language testing to competition, ending the dominance of IETLS in the Australia visa application process.

    The Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) has announced its intention to accept results from tests other than the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) in assessing language level for an Australia visa.

    From November 2011, prospective international students to Australia can be tested via the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), Pearson’s PTE Academic test and the Cambridge English Advanced Test during their visa application process.

    Currently students from countries that have a first language other than English – particularly the key student markets of China and India – must show their IELTS test results to DIAC in order to qualify for a student visa.

    Australian immigration authorities first began an review of the IELTS monopoly in 2008 and have been working with test providers to achieve a table of equivalent scores across the various testing systems.

    However, IELTS will continue as the official language testing standard for skilled migration visa applications.

    The news to end the dominance of IELTS comes amid reports of rising demand for student visas to Australia. ABC Radio reported that ‘the number of applications for visas to study in Australia has begun to rebound’, indicating a stabilisation of the international student market following a period of noted decline.

    Category: Australian Immigration NewsComments (0)

  8. Australian trade minister in call for migration increase

    by oe-admin

    A senior member of the Australian Government has re-opened the ‘big Australia’ debate calling for an increase in net migration to fuel economic growth.

    Australian Trade Minister Craig Emerson has called for a boost in immigration to fuel economic productivity.

    The Australian Trade Minister Craig Emerson has released a 17-page economic position paper on preparing the Australian economy for the “Asian century”. The paper called for an increase in targeted Australian immigration in order to thwart the threat to exports posed by labour and skills shortages.

    ‘Australia’s sparkling future in the Asian century will require higher levels of temporary and permanent immigration as shortages of skills and general labour choke off the country’s capacity to expand in exports and domestic economy’, Dr Emerson said.

    ‘If Australia’s 2020 vision is to be realised, a rational debate about immigration levels will need to occur.’

    The comments indicate the Minister’s support for the policy of ‘big Australia’ championed by the former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, and a diversion from the current PM Julia Gillard’s stated position of supporting a ‘sustainable Australia, not a big Australia’.

    Dr Emerson said his comments are not inconsistent with official government policy as an increase in immigration was already stipulated in this year’s federal budget.

    Category: Australian Immigration NewsComments (0)

  9. Australian 457 visas proving popular

    October 7, 2011 by oe-admin

    The number of 457 visas being granted has reached a peak since 2008. The 457 temporary visa allows employers to sponsor overseas workers to fill nominated positions. It remains the most popular business sponsorship pathway for overseas workers.

    The mining and construction sectors are providing the largest segment of applications at around 20%, much of this due to the boom in these sectors in Western Australia – mining and construction jobs in WA have seen double the number of visa applicants recently.

    Both industries have also doubled in Queensland, and with more contracts in the pipelines industry, these numbers are expected to increase.

    Category: Australian Immigration NewsComments (0)

  10. Australia rated as best in the world for quality of life

    September 30, 2011 by oe-admin

    Australia has been rated as the best country in the world for quality of life in a new survey by the Better Life Index. Immigrants said that they chose to come to Australia for a better life and felt that the country came out on top in several key categories.

    Most thought that housing was good quality and that there was a strong sense of community and civic participation.

    Around 70% of adults in Australia have a high school diploma, while 72% of adults make up the workforce. Around 71% of mothers return to work after their children are old enough to attend school.

    In all, 75% of those interviewed said that they were happy with their life in Australia.

    Category: Australian Immigration NewsComments (0)