Australian immigration cuts: the official line

At the end of what has been a tumultuous last few months of policy shaping, OE Visas is able to bring you the official line on the action taken by the Australian Immigration department in the wake of the global economic crisis.

In December 2008, Immigration Minister Chris Evans announced that a number of changes would be implemented with regard to the 2008-9 migration program, in order to preserve Australia’s economic stability and low levels of unemployment. These changes involved a restructuring of the visa application process, giving priority to applicants who were sponsored by employers; applicants who were nominated by state and governments; and applicants who had nominated an occupation in critical shortage.

However, as the worldwide recession has continued to impact negatively on Australia’s economy, resulting in a rise in unemployment, the government has been forced to reduce immigration numbers in order to protect the jobs of Australian workers. In addition, certain occupations have been removed from the Critical Skills List (CSL), which enables foreign workers with much-needed qualifications to be prioritised for entry into Australia. Accordingly, the new ceiling for the 2008-9 skills stream of the migration program is 115 000 places.

The following occupations have been removed from the Critical Skills List:

Bricklayer
Cabinetmaker
Carpenter
Carpenter and joiner (various)
Electrician (general)
Electrician (special class)
Fibrous plasterer
Metal Fabricator, Boilermaker
Metal fitter
Metal machinist
Plumber (general)
Solid plasterer
Toolmaker
Welder

Click here to view the new critical skills list

Click here for the CSL changes FAQ page