|
IT'S BOOM TIME FOR TEMP JOBS TEMPORARY visas that have allowed more than 28,000 skilled workers to enter Australia over the past five months are vital to the economy and let employers "try before they buy", Minister for Immigration, Senator Amanda Vanstone said.Senator Vanstone said the "457 visas" also gave migrants the chance to live and work in Australia before making a permanent commitment to the country. Business and industry groups are predicting a big jump in the number of skilled immigrants entering the country on the employer-sponsored visas. They predict it will continue for at least another year as employers struggle to meet a critical skills shortage. The number of skilled workers entering the country on temporary 457 visas has risen to more than 5600 a month - a 35 per cent increase on 2004-05. In March, Treasurer Peter Costello denounced the concept of guest workers as "against the Australian ethos". But more than 28,000 skilled workers have entered the country in the past five months on temporary "457 visas" as Australian companies, particularly the mining giants feeding China's insatiable demand for resources, struggle to find enough employees. Trade union leaders have warned the concept amounts to guest workers by stealth and leaves imported workers open to exploitation. But Senator Vanstone has rejected the union concerns, saying the 457 visas are not susceptible to the problems experienced under guest worker schemes in other countries. She said the 457 visas allowed employers to get the skilled labour they needed immediately, without the delays of other migration schemes. The visas also provided an opportunity for permanent residency after four years - an, opportunity sought by and granted to about half the visa-holders, she said. The only downside for the migrants is the ever-present threat of having their visas cancelled if the job runs out or if employers judge their work is not up to scratch during a probationary period. Immigration agents are seeking qualified and experienced tradespeople, including boilermakers, welders, carpenters, butchers and slaughtermen. Under 457 visas, companies sponsor the guest worker for up to four years and are required to pay a minimum wage of $39,100 a year - way above the Australian minimum wage of $24,304. But regional employers are not obliged to meet the minimum threshold under the scheme, and are required only to pay "an appropriate award". There is no limit to the number of temporary workers who can be imported each year under the 457 visa category, and after four years the workers have the option to apply for permanent residency. In Western Australia, where resources companies are investing billions in expansion projects, the number of skilled workers and dependants brought in on temporary visas has quadrupled in the past three years to an annual intake of 7500. |
About Us | Our Publications | Shopping | Visa Enquiries | Information Days | Links | Advertising | Privacy Policy
© 2005 Consyl Publishing & Publicity Ltd.