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Australian Outlook Previous Lead Stories

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2008 April
BOOM TIMES CONTINUE - THERE does not appear to be any end in sight to the economic boom that has been enjoyed by Australia in the last five years. more...

March
MORE PLACES FOR SKILLS PROGRAMME - SENATOR Chris Evans, Australia's Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, has announced an immediate increase to the skilled migration stream of 6000 places for this programme year ending in June 2008. more...


February
NEW MINISTER HAS A LOT OF WORK TO DO - AUSTRALIA'S New Immigration Minister, Senator Chris Evans, has a few big issues to deal with during his first few months of office. more...


January
VISA SHOCK FOR SOME - AFTER the changes that came in for the Skilled Visa categories last September and the sudden changes to on-the-job trade assessments, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) have announced another move that will mean those who were awaiting the final stages of processing, have been told that they will be unable to move to the visa grant stage. more...

2007 December
CHANGES HURT UK AND AUS - THE changes made to Australia's migration programme in recent months have led to a real slowdown in the supply of badly needed trade skills. more...


November
ELECTION CHANGES - AUSTRALIANS will go to the voting polls on November 24 to elect a new Government. The Prime Minister, the Hon John Howard formally sought approval of the Governor-General to dissolve the parliament on Sunday, October 14, just short of his three year term of office. more...

October
WORK EXPERIENCE NOT ENOUGH - IN A move that came completely unannounced, the body that assess the skills of the majority of overseas tradespeople advised that they no longer accept applications from those that relied on on-the-job training for the majority of their experience. more...


September
MORE JOBS NOW ON MODL LIST - THE Minister for Immigration and Citizenship and the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations made a join announcement in early August in which more occupations were added to the Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL). more...


August
NO LOGIC IN SKILL CHANGES - AUSTRALIA is in the midst of one of the worst post-war skill shortages, with unemployment levels at their lowest during the same period. more...


July
GET READY FOR ENGLISH TEST - THE changes announced for the new skills visas to Australia that come into effect on September 1 this year will result in many UK visa seekers being required to sit an English test regardless of the fact that English is their native language. more...


June
NEW SKILL SUBCLASSES - FROM September 1 of this year, there will be a new category of visa for those wishing to migrate to australia under the skilled migration stream. more...

May
CHANGES FOR SKILLS VISA - CHANGES have been made to the Migration Regulations to allow for the assessment of overseas skills for purposes of making an application for a visa under the skills stream to be made in a applicants home country. more...


April
REVIEW FOR SKILLED MIGRATION - THE former Minister for the now Department of Immigration and Citiezenship, had announced in mid 2006 that the present General Skilled Migration programme would be reviewed with some significant changes possible for 2007. more...


March
RECORD SKILL INTAKE - A NEW edition of the Department of Immigration's annual publication Population Flows: Immigration Aspects shows the Australian Government's 2005-06 Migration Programme has the highest skill stream intake on record. more...


February
AUSTRALIA IS STILL A TOP CHOICE - AUSTRALIA has retained its reputation as a destination of choice for migrants, with settler arrival numbers continuing to rise. more...


January
NEW TEST TO BECOME A CITIZEN - HELPING migrants to integrate and maximise the opportunities available to them in Australia is the focus of the new Australian Citizenship test. more...

2006 December
JOBLESS AT 30-YEAR LOW - AUSTRALIA'S unemployment rate has fallen to its lowest level since 1976. The latest labour force figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that while seasonally adjusted employment fell by 32,100 over the month of October, the decline was not unexpected, given the exceptionally strong consecutive monthly increases totalling 253,700 over the previous eight months. more...

November
HEALTH MAIN TEMP SKILLED EMPLOYER - THE health sector has become Australia's main user of temporary skilled migrants - those holding the 457 visa. more...


October
MORE JOBS NOW ON MODL LIST - NINE new professions have been added to the Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL) as part of the Australian Government's commitment to ensuring the Migration Programme meets the skills needs of business and industry. more...

September
MIGRATION PROGRAMME A SUCCESS - AUSTRALIAN businesses have been able to identify and attract much needed skills with greater success under the Government's Migration Programme in 2005-06. more...


August
POLICY CHANGES ANNOUNCED - A NEW Skilled Designated Area Sponsored Visa (SDAS) is now available and previously announced changes for temporary entrants and working holiday makers have also swung into action. more...
 
July NEW WEBSITE FOR SKILLED - MATCHMAKING on the internet has reached another level, with skilled migrants only a mouse click away from being ready to work for an Australian employer. more...

June SKILL STREAMS TO STAY AT SAME LEVEL - ON THE back of a record jump in migration of 20,000 extra places in the Skill Stream this programme year, the Australian Government will maintain the Skill Stream at that increased level through 2006-07. more...


May URGENT NEED FOR SKILLED TRADESMEN - ALL types of skilled tradesmen are urgently needed throughout Australia and especially in booming Queensland. And most shortages are expected to last for at least the next 10 years. more...

April
HOPE FOR SAME SEX PARTNERS - SAME sex partners of skilled migrants and students will soon be recognised by Australia for immigration purposes. "Australian citizens and permanent residents can currently sponsor same sex partners into Australia," Minister for Immigration, Amanda Vanstone, has said. more...

March REVIEW OF SKILLED MIGRATION - MEASURES to cut the number of less-skilled technology workers entering Australia are being considered. more...

February 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. more...

January TOUGHER RULES FOR WORK- THE Federal Government's new laws rewriting the ground rules for Australian workplaces will take effect early this year after the Senate passed the most far-reaching changes in a century the Work Choices legislation. more...


2005 December MIGRANTS GET WORK FASTER - NEW migrants are entering the Australian labour force faster and in greater numbers than earlier migrants. more...


November RECORD SKILLED MIGRANTS - A RECORD number of skilled migrants settled in Ausrtralia during 2004-2005, according to the Minister for Immigration, Senator Amanda Vanstone. more...


October BRITISH MIGRANTS TOP LIST - MIGRANTS from the UK and Ireland again made up the largest single source of settlers to Australia, with 13 per cent of total migrants arriving in the 2002/03 financial year. more...

September SKILLED MIGRANTS NEEDED - A HIGH-POWERED multi-million dollar campaign to attract 20,000 skilled migrants will be held world-wide by the Australian Government. more...


August
EASIER NOW TO EMIGRATE - POTENTIAL migrants will now find it easier to emigrate, especially if they have the necessary skills and are prepared to settle and work in a rural area of Australia. more...

  July

MIGRANT SKILLS REVIEW - MIGRANTS may find that their overseas trade skills qualifications and licences are more easily recognised in the future after a powerful Parliamentary committee has reported on the issue. more...

  June TAX CUTS ALL ROUND - MILLIONS of working Australians will benefit from income tax cuts announced in last month's Federal Budget, which will pump some $22 billion into the economy. This is in addition to tax cuts totalling $15 billion last year. more...

  May HUGE BOOST FOR SKILLED MIGRANTS - SOARING job vacancies have forced the Australian Government to boost its skilled migrant intake to a huge 97,500 in the coming 12 months. This will give an extra 20,000 skilled places. more...

  April MIGRATION SET TO INCREASE - THE AUSTRALIAN Government is confidently expected to boost the country's immigration intake, especially of skilled workers, by around 20,000 workers when the new year's figures to start in July, are released shortly. more...

  March CALL FOR MORE SKILLED MIGRANTS - THE FEDERAL Government is coming under increasing pressure from various industry groups and employers to increase the number of skilled migrants it allows into the country, in the coming 12 months. more...

  February BRITISH MIGRANTS TOP LIST - EMIGRANTS from Britain again topped the list of nationalities moving to settle in Australia. But many of them shied away from living in Sydney, which had its lowest intake of migrants in 20 years. more...

  January JOBS IN DEMAND BOOSTED - MORE professional and trades jobs have been added to the Department of Immigration's vital Migration Occupations in Demand List. If your occupation is on this list and you are offered a job in Australia or if you apply to emigrate while working at one of these occupations then you can earn more points towards the pass mark. more...

     
2004 December

MIGRATION TO STAY STRONG - AUSTRALIA'S economy is booming along, with a record 27 low year unemployment figure and a major shortage of skilled workers in virtually every area of the country and in every trade and profession. And high migration levels are not making much impact. more...

  November TOUGHER TO SETTLE IN SYDNEY - MAJOR changes to the migration regulations mean that it is now harder for potential migrants to settle in the Sydney area, plus the major New South Wales cities of Newcastle, Woollongong and Gosford. more...

  October MIGRATION TO STAY STEADY - IMMIGRATION into Australia is expected to remain steady, at least until next June, no matter which party wins this month's Federal general election, set down for October 9. Federal Parliaments are elected for three year terms in Australia. more...

  September PUSH TO BOOST REGIONS - THE Australian Government has set aside almost $30 million in a bid to attract skilled professionals and business people to the country's major regional area. more...

  August AUSTRALIA ATTRACTS THE SKILLS - AUSTRALIA continues to enjoy a substantial 'brain gain' from migration, with a new report showing that the nation's intake of skilled and professional migrants increased significantly in 2002-03. more...

  July MIGRATION TO REGIONS NOW EASIER - IT IS now easier to obtain a migration visa for Australia if you are prepared to settle in a region under a new programme which came into effect on July 1, which covers virtually the whole of the country. more...

  June REGIONAL VISA FOR SKILLED - A NEW visa to encourage skilled potential migrants to settle in regional Australia is to be launched on July 1. It will be a temporary entry visa and be initially for three years. more...

  May SKILLED MIGRANT BOOST - AUSTRALIA'S skilled migration programme will be increased by 6000 places in the 12 months from July, with most of the new migrants directed to regional areas. more...

  April NEW VISA FOR THE REGIONS - THE Australian Government is introducing a new visa for skilled migrants who are prepared to live and work in regional Australia. more...
  March EASIER NOW TO SPONSOR - CHANGES to government migration policy have now made it easier for people in Australia to sponsor a person under a short stay business visitor visa. more...

  February SKILLED, RETIREES BOOSTED - SKILLED migrants and retirees have been given a new deal by the Federal Government, which will make it easier for them to live in Australia - provided they are prepared to settle outside Sydney/New South Wales and in regional areas. more...

  January NURSES TOP DEMAND LIST - NURSES top the list of skilled people who are in demand in Australia, according to the latest Federal Government list of occupations in demand. more...

     
2003 December

TOUGHER RULES FOR VISITORS - IT WILL be harder than ever for visitors to get into Australia during this holiday period, with tighter security at airports, on aircraft and with Immigration and Customs officers more alert at Australia's main airports. more...

  November BUSINESS MIGRANTS NEEDED - AUSTRALIA'S booming economy has meant that business migrants and most types of workers, especially health workers and teachers, are in high demand in all parts of the country. more...

  October TOUGHER BUSINESS VISA - Sponsors to pay for detention - AUSTRALIA has introduced tough new measures to enhance the integrity of the temporary entry programmes to attract skilled people, with the sponsor legally liable to pay for the cost of finding and detaining unlawful visa holders. more...

  September TEACHERS, NURSES NEEDED - THE OUTSIDE world may be in turmoil but Australia's economy continues to bubble along and shows no sign of stopping for at least two years, according to most experts and forecasters. more...

  August MIGRANTS BOOST ECONOMY - THE NUMBER of Skilled migrant visas issued in a programme year reached an all time high in 2002-03, when a new record of 66,050 Skill Stream visas were issued in 2002-03. The visas form 61 per cent of the 108,070 total Migration Programme outcome. more...

  July SKILLED WORKER SHORTAGE - AUSTRALIA may have to increase its migration intake considerably if it is to overcome a huge shortage of workers in the next few years, with warnings that it will run out of skilled workers. more...

  June SKILLED MIGRANTS NEEDED - AUSTRALIA'S new immigration programme is targeting skilled migrants, under 45 years of age, and changes will take effect from July 1. more...

  May SKILLED, FAMILIES WINNERS - A RECORD number of places for skilled migrants and more places for family members are the highlights of Australia's new migration intake programme for the coming 12 months. more...

  April MIGRATION BOOSTS ECONOMY - AN OECD report describing Australia as a migration country par excellence endorses the government's approach to migration and border integrity, the Minister for Immigration, Mr Philip Ruddock said. more...

  March FOUR YEAR VISA FOR BUSINESS - BUSINESS migrants will now be granted a provisional visa for four years in most cases under new legislation, with two-stage processing. more...

  February NEW-LOOK BUSINESS SCHEME - MAJOR changes have been announced to the business migration programme, which will mean there will be only one permanent visa for business applicants. more...

  January BOOST FOR DOCTORS -