Thread: Australia scraps visa for skilled foreign workers

Australia is to scrap a temporary visa for skilled overseas workers, the prime minister has said, arguing that Australians must be given priority over foreigners for local jobs.

The popular 457 visa, which allows foreigners to live and work in Australia for up to four years, will be replaced with a stricter scheme that requires a criminal background check and includes tougher English language requirements, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said. The list of occupations that qualify for the new visa will be sharply reduced.

"We are an immigration nation, but the fact remains: Australian workers must have priority for Australian jobs," Mr Turnbull said in a Facebook video announcing the change.

The decision by Australia comes a day before US President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order that will make changes to a visa programme which takes high-skilled workers to America. The White House said the current visa programme undercuts American workers by bringing in cheaper labour.

Australia's 457 visa was created to address shortages of local workers in certain skilled professions. But critics argued that businesses abused it by paying foreigners lower wages than most Australians would accept.

Mr Turnbull said the new visa scheme would ensure that businesses only bring in foreign workers who are crucial to filling shortages of critical skills.

"It is focused relentlessly on the national interest and in ensuring that temporary migration visas are not a passport for foreigners to take up jobs that could and should be filled by Australians," he told reporters in the capital, Canberra.

The 95,000 people already in Australia on 457 visas will not be affected by the change.

Members of Australia's far-right political parties, particularly the anti-immigration One Nation party, were fierce critics of the 457 visa, arguing that it was allowing foreign workers to steal jobs from Australians.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson took to Twitter on Tuesday to claim credit for Mr Turnbull's decision.

"The government will deny their tough talk on immigration and plan to ban 457 visas is because of One Nation but we all know the truth!" she tweeted.

AP

Australia scraps visa for skilled foreign workers - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk

I read that is basically been re-named but with some slightly tighter requirements

Originally Posted by Fondles

I read that is basically been re-named but with some slightly tighter requirements

Why, did you not understand this paragraph?

The popular 457 visa, which allows foreigners to live and work in Australia for up to four years, will be replaced with a stricter scheme that requires a criminal background check and includes tougher English language requirements, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said. The list of occupations that qualify for the new visa will be sharply reduced.

And your point is Harry, was my reply not accurate ?

Ohhh and those already in on a 457 are grandfathered to the new deal.

Australia is crying out for Philipino workers for the auto trade to fill the places vacated by the Brits that have moved on to other things.

Aussies don't want to do those jobs, like a lot of trade jobs its hard work in hot conditions. If they tighten up on an already very strict criteria they wont get anyone to fill those jobs.

Originally Posted by Neo

Australia is crying out for Philipino workers for the auto trade to fill the places vacated by the Brits that have moved on to other things.

Aussies don't want to do those jobs, like a lot of trade jobs its hard work in hot conditions. If they tighten up on an already very strict criteria they wont get anyone to fill those jobs.

Can't you get the Abo's to do those jobs?

Originally Posted by Neo

Aussies don't want to do those jobs.......

There's no such jobs that people don't want to do,
It's a globalist myth, usually repeated by liberals, who don't want the working class ie those prepared to get their hands dirty to earn more than they do, for sitting in an AC office polishing a chair doing a non-job.

It's all about money, raise the wages sufficiently and people want the job -
that or modernise, automate, etc

Depending on immigration means Australia will end up like shithole UK, which is starting to resemble a low wage / low productivity country, with the min wage becoming the norm for more and more jobs
And where young people cannot get training because a fully qualified immigrant makes more sense in the short run.

Yeah but this isn't about the UK where a Pole can turn up with dirty boots as proof of experience and start work the next day. The 457 visa is a very tough procedure already that targets areas of employment shortage and filters out the vast majority of applicants. Tightening it up further is impractical and short sighted. This smacks of petty nationalism, such is all the rage these days.

Aussies first.

Lime other countries.

Originally Posted by Fondles

And your point is Harry, was my reply not accurate ?

Ohhh and those already in on a 457 are grandfathered to the new deal.

No, your reply was as vague as shit considering the detail in the OP.

And those already on a 457 will have to apply again when their current visa expires as I understand it.

So if their trade has been removed from the list, they're fucked innit.

Originally Posted by Neo

Australia is crying out for Philipino workers for the auto trade to fill the places vacated by the Brits that have moved on to other things.

Aussies don't want to do those jobs, like a lot of trade jobs its hard work in hot conditions. If they tighten up on an already very strict criteria they wont get anyone to fill those jobs.

They will if they cut benefits to people who are able to work but just too lazy to do so.

The benefit system is supposed to be a safety net, not an alternative lifestyle.

Originally Posted by NZdick1983

Good move... I suspect NZ will follow suit.. we like to copy our older brothers.

It's about time our weak kneed, PC, nanny states eased up on our open door immigration policies.

We should copy Japan/Thailand and practice some protectionism of our citizens first and foremost..

*shut up Dick! ya we racist cnut! ok ok.. just dream...ahh multiculturalism, splendid bliss.

Sensible move.
Survival mechanism.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Originally Posted by Neo

Australia is crying out for Philipino workers for the auto trade to fill the places vacated by the Brits that have moved on to other things.

Aussies don't want to do those jobs, like a lot of trade jobs its hard work in hot conditions. If they tighten up on an already very strict criteria they wont get anyone to fill those jobs.

They will if they cut benefits to people who are able to work but just too lazy to do so.

The benefit system is supposed to be a safety net, not an alternative lifestyle.

Visa for skilled foreign workers harry... go back to sleep.

Originally Posted by David48atTD

.
What is changing?
[*]Both visas demand at least two years of relevant work experience, (something not required under the 457 scheme)[/LIST]

• the longer visa calls for higher standards of English proficiency

• Applicants must also complete a criminal history check instead of the self-declaration ... under the now-abolished scheme.

.

Well that's got the khakiwalas, and Maoris knocked out of the race.

Does anyone have any tips on how a Thai lady currently staying in Australia on a 457 working visa, working as an aromatherapist (not the happy ending type !) can gain permanent residency now the rules have changed ?

Originally Posted by pattayardm

Does anyone have any tips on how a Thai lady currently staying in Australia on a 457 working visa, working as an aromatherapist (not the happy ending type !) can gain permanent residency now the rules have changed ?

The rules haven't changed.

It's government policy and, with their majority in the Lower House, it will pass, but it's the Senate where it is unclear if it will pass or not.

As for 'permanent residency' ... that's a completely different issue.

When can you apply for PR on a 457 visa?
.

The most common ways people apply for permanent residence from a subclass 457 visa are:

• Through the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS)
• Through the Regional Skilled Migration Scheme (RSMS);
• Through Skilled Migration; OR.
• As the Partner of an Australian permanent resident or citizen.

But seriously ... an aromatherapist ... what profession was she granted her 457 Visa?

Same problem in England, you have a vacancy for an unskilled worker paying minimum wage.
Brit on benefits and special learning needs applies.
Fit young Polish worker applies with limited English.
You pay same money, who are you going to get more production from ???

Originally Posted by blue

It's all about money, raise the wages sufficiently and people want the job -

It almost pains me to say this, but you're right about this one.

I remember Sen. John McCain about 10 years ago at a town hall meeting saying that Americans wouldn't pick oranges even if we offered "50 dollars an hour". About half the room stood up, asking where they could apply.

Took him a good bit of time to live down that idiotic stupidity.

Originally Posted by redhaze

Originally Posted by blue

It's all about money, raise the wages sufficiently and people want the job -

It almost pains me to say this, but you're right about this one.

I remember Sen. John McCain about 10 years ago at a town hall meeting saying that Americans wouldn't pick oranges even if we offered "50 dollars an hour". About half the room stood up, asking where they could apply.

Took him a good bit of time to live down that idiotic stupidity.

And floods of illegal immigrants drive down wages for everyone. Not to mention the legal H-1B visa situation here in the US. I see the H-1B thing up close and personal right here where I live...Cummins Hdqtrs.

H-1B visa is a hot ticket for tech workers in Central Indiana

The largest user of H-1B visas in Indiana is engine maker Cummins Inc., which uses the visas to hire foreign workers educated in the so-called STEM disciplines: science, technology, engineering and math.

"Cummins recruits from, and relies heavily on STEM talent graduating from U.S. universities — including our universities here in Indiana. However, a disproportionate number of STEM graduates were born outside the United States," said Jon Mills, a spokesman for the Columbus-based manufacturer.

Last year, Cummins applied for 552 H-1B visas and received 421. Since 2010, the company has applied for more than 2,000 visas for foreign hires.

Mills said Cummins wants Congress to raise the cap or do away with it. "We are concerned because the caps are reached so quickly and the lottery system adds uncertainty to the process. Our company and employees may be impacted again this year" by not getting all the visas needed, he said in an email.

I got no problem if these workers truly just don't exist in the country looking to recruit. Sometimes it does seem like its about not wanting to pay though, and that's where things get a bit funky.

Skilled workers are one thing, but most of these workers are fruit pickers, restaurant workers and unskilled manual labor jobs.

The contract employers hire them out to the employer, on paper they show the minimum wage is paid.

$5 to $10 an hour minus accommodation, food and other costs, are the real wages, modern day slavery.

Wife's working here at the moment, Thai restaurant, $14 an hour, no penalty rates, holidays or sick time, no nothing and she's legal PR.

We are just here on holiday, head back next month, but most of the girls that work in the Thai restaurants around Geelong are on some type of visa and get paid less.




The government is only trying to make it look like they are cleaning up the scam, but nothing will change.

Originally Posted by redhaze

Sometimes it does seem like its about not wanting to pay though, and that's where things get a bit funky.

Sometimes? I think that's what its always about here...probably the same in Australia. I've two neighbors who are former Cummins employees(engineers, forced early retirements) and they both think they were displaced by H-1Bers because of the wage issue. Cummins pays their Indian replacements less.

They both ended up in my loso neighborhood because of divorces related to being booted from Cummins earlier than planned. Both are still single and are not happy campers...

There were the days when Australia would pay a professional to come live there and also give them residency. I looked into it a bit after I graduated from pharmacy school and it seemed like a pretty sweet deal. I had planned on doing it after returning from working in Saudi Arabia, but I messed up and got married instead. I would imagine those days are long gone.

Countries will always need immigrant labor because the nationals think the work is below them. They should have the welfare recipients do all this work to make themselves productve. No work, no hand outs.