Recently, the Australian Immigration Minister, Chris Evans stated and made it public that the employers would use the temporary skilled visa program, that is 457 Subclass only if they do not able to find skilled workers within Australia.

The government made it clear that Australian employers are now required to look for the local workers to fill the vacancies first. Further they will be able to use the 457 Subclass visa scheme and recruit overseas skilled workers only when they do not find Australians who could fit the bill. With this, the Oz government wants to deliver that the local skilled workers should be given the priority and provided with the job opportunities created in the country.

The government is trying to make sure that the hiring of overseas employees does not affect the local skills. It is true that Australia needs skilled overseas workers, but at the same time it is also important to ensure that the temporary skilled visa holders do not replace the local workers. As a matter of fact, Australian workers have always been concerned about the possibility of bringing in foreign skilled workers at cheaper rates, thereby making local skills out of work.

However, the Worker Protection Laws are there to protect the rights of the Australian workers. According to February statistics, the average salary of a temporary visa holder in Australia is near about $100,000, up $10,000 from a year ago. The stats clearly show that the 457 Subclass visa holders are highly skilled workers and working for the same pay rates as local residents, which further indicates that the worker protection policies have been effective so far and are working!

With a lot of changes in immigration front and series of controversies going around about Australia, many people are found to be much concerned about the image of the country of late. Australia was never discussed like it has been discussed recently. Even the country’s ministers are found worrying about the brand the country has developed so far as one of the most welcoming and unbiased societies across the globe. But, most worried are the people who were considering a permanent move to Australia.

Most migrants with an intention to take permanent residency in the country no more hold the perception that the land of Kangaroos is a secure destination, thanks to the series of factors pertaining to immigration rules and ongoing racial attacks. According to immigration experts, the latest legislative changes, harder selection criteria, alongside the attacks on migrant students and breakdown of private education institutions are enough reasons to make overseas migrants give a second thought to their decision to migrate to Australia. Going by this, many prospective migrants would not put the country in their priority list of destinations.

While talking about the skilled migrants, let us remind you about the latest amendments to the Australian selection process. The very selection process has been made tougher as the country is attempting to attract skilled migrants, emphasizing only on those occupations that have highest skills shortages.

A lot is happening in Australia in the immigration front- the Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL) being abolished; the Skilled Occupation List is going to be replaced, with which the skilled migrants are worrying about their future in the country.

Anyway, if your are looking forward to migrate to Australia in the near future, it is advised to hire an Immigration and Visa consultant in order to keep up with the latest amendments taking place in the country!

The new immigration stats of Australia revealed that most of the immigrants under the Temporary Overseas Work Visa category are highly skilled professional workers. For 2009-2010, Australia granted ninety percent of the 457 Subclass Temporary Overseas work visas to mostly skilled professionals like managers.

According to immigration reports, the average salary package of all the new temporary skilled workers under the said category is about $100,000. This is an increase of about $10,000 from the previous year. Among the overseas workers, professionals engaged in mining industry are happened to be the highest paid workers, whose average salary is $169,000. Reportedly, financial and insurance workers occupied the second slot with average salary package of $127,000.

If we scan through the immigration figures of 2009-2010, it would come clear that professionals under the temporary work visa category immigrated to the country to fill specialized work positions. If we go by the salary packages, it comes clear that here overseas workers are not used as a source of cheap labor.

Once again the recent figures have proved that Australia is one of the best places in the world when it comes to working conditions and wages. One can expect to lead a decent lifestyle in Australia, if he/she qualifies to work and live there. As a matter of fact, Australia is one of those highly immigrated countries in the world that offers some of the most competitive wages.

If you are contemplating to migrate and work in Australia, help yourself throughout the process of immigration by contacting an Immigration and Visa consultant!

Just when Victoria was regarded as the most preferred destination to live in for Indians, Australia’s Opposition Leader Tony Abbott affirmed that Melbourne is not a protected place for Indians. The recent series of racial attacks, with a majority of them happening in Melbourne has adulterated its image to a greater extent.

The minister went on to affirm that it becomes necessary for the Melbourne government to spend money and barricade the flurry of racial attacks happening on Melbourne roads.

The remarks came in wake of government’s announcement of lavishing $250,000 on accommodation and flights for the media delegates who would be attending AR Rahman’s concerts and tour the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The expenditure would be handled by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Abbott said that it would have been better to spend money in a cause that would prevent bashing and further enhance the relationship between both the nations. He said that it would be a wiser option to spend the money on policing the roads, as Melbourne’s streets are not at all safe, and forms one of the biggest problems.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed that almost $10,000 would be spent on the each media delegate. Abbott said that racial incidents happen on unsafe roads; therefore, it becomes necessary to solve the core problem first.

Issues of such kinds need to be addressed in a serious way. With racial attacks becoming one of the topmost issues, money should be spent on solving them rather them wasting them on media delegates and their luxuries!

According to reports, Government of Australia is planning to come out with strict checks on applicants who come from nations applauded at high risk of terrorism. The new amendments would accommodate measures like collection of fingerprints, facial imaging data, to name a few.

The strict measures would keep terrorists away from seeking entry in Australia; Prime Minister Kevin Rudd confirmed the statement. He went on to say that Terrorism is one of permanent facets of Aussie security ambiance, confirming that the nation has become one of the soft targets, especially after the eminence of jihadist movement! However, the names of those countries which would be subjected to the new amendments have not come out in the limelight yet.

Cameron Murphy, president NSW Civil Liberties Council, feels that making the rules rigid and implementing imaging data would only lead to breaching the privacy of immigrants rather than fighting terrorism.

In addition to global jihadist movement, Australia face threats from those terrorists who are born and brought up in Aussie Land, the report confirmed. The report highlighted an incident where a judge sentenced five Aussie culprits for accumulating explosive goods to be used in criminal activities. Last year, five people were arrested for plotting an attack against Sydney military barracks. These, along with other occurrences, indicate that the Australia faces threats from overseas as well as homegrown terrorists.

Opposition leader Tony Abbott criticized the Rudd government for being too lax in acknowledging such issues. He said that the country surely faces security problems and the borders are totally out of control!

In another news piece, Australia has also tightened regulations for overseas students studying or intending to study in Australian colleges.

When we talk about Australia, imagery of kangaroos, yellow jerseys of the Aussie cricket team and Sydney Opera House comes to our mind! Aussie land is not only famous for Symonds, Gilly, or Ricky Ponting, but for world class education system also! People regard Australia as one of the best study abroad destinations on this globe. The education system of the country celebrates a strong reputation and is applauded for its ace faculty facet throughout the education arena. Apart from enjoying the scenic beauty, decent cost of living and world class facility, Australia makes an excellent place to study your favorite course in an applauded university.

The world’s smallest continent is draped with all the educational amenities one can ask for! The mix of various ethnic backgrounds serves as a cherry on the cake when it comes to studying backgrounds of different kind of people under one roof! In addition, students get to know the tradition of other countries, while sharing their own perspectives with other overseas students.

Studying in Australia provides a magnetic experience, giving ample opportunities to students to come and study in world class colleges and universities. Additionally, overseas students have the choice to indulge themselves into part time employment during their ongoing curriculum.

Education in Australia ensures a high quality education affirming success in your field in the upcoming future. The education system is divided into four major facets: Vocational institutions, Universities, English language institutions and schools.

Applicants can go for some of the highly applauded Universities like The University of Adelaide, The Australian National University, The University of Melbourne, Monash University, The University of Queensland, The University of Sydney, and The University of Western Australia. In order to enroll in Australian institutions, it is vital to clear all the requirements and fulfill the eligibility criteria, recommended by different universities.

Educational institutions need to have accreditation from Australian Government and ensure that they are providing the right information to the overseas students. Applicants need to get a valid Student Visa and check with the Australian Embassy to know about the whole process. Advice from an expert Study Visa consultant would also prove crucial at this stage!

According to the Australian Immigration and Citizenship Department, statistics show that Victoria has become the most desired place to live/immigrate as compared to other premises in the year 2008-2009. India has been applauded as the main source of migrants for the past six years in a row.

However, the recent flurry of attacks has played a critical role in affecting the relationship between both the nations in a major way. On the other hand, Melbourne has seen a huge decline in the Indian migrants with a majority of recent attacks happening in Melbourne itself.

Coming back to Victoria, 6191 Indian immigrants settled in the state, in addition to Indian students and workers. New South Wales became the second most desired state amongst Indians, stating 5547 people settled in the year.

Despite all the controversies and racial attacks, India managed to outshine China as the main source for providing overseas students to Australia, a majority of students involved in vocational courses. Stats say that by mid-2009, India provided 91,440 students as compared to 76,417 students.

Apart from Indians, Victoria remains the most preferred place for Malaysians and Sri Lankans too. But the recent attacks on Indians would surely have an impact on Australia’s population and economic growth in the upcoming future.

Immigration, as a facet is nice, but when incidents like racial attacks happen on a regular basis, it surely creates a sense of doubt in the minds of applicants!

According to a recent survey, 24 percent of foreign students studying in Australia regard Student Visa Australia as the first step towards gaining Permanent Residence in Australia. Courtesy the recent amendments in the Australia Immigration system, applicants may find Student Visa as an easy way to gain PR Status in Australia, hence raising the percentage in the upcoming years.

The recent spate of attacks on the Indian students has depleted Australian reputation in a major way, but it is still regarded as one of the safest places to study, as compared to other nations. Overall, applicants think Australia as a multinational society, draped with a fare ambiance which offers a nice study experience.

Overseas students focus on getting quality education from applauded education providers and then go for work experience, which would later help them in their job prospects.

As far as the experiences of Indians are concerned, 9% expressed their dissatisfaction, which was obvious after the attacks made huge news, not in India, but all over the world.

Applicants mainly look for quality of education, better lifestyle, safety and better future prospects while choosing a prospective destination to study. Therefore, Australia gains huge points when it comes to selecting a better country to study and later opt for an option of PR Status.

Prospective applicants are advised to take assistance from an expert Immigration veteran and ease out their application procedures.

According to reports, Immigration Minister Chris Evans is expected to come out with certain Immigration changes that would favor those skilled migrants who speak good English. In addition, the changes are expected to target the employees who hold sponsorship by employers rather than self-nominating applicants.

Senator Evans confirmed that close to half migrants with skills on MODL, manage to get jobs in their field, and the rest end up with no jobs in their hands or satisfy themselves with low-skill jobs.

Evans went on to say that skilled migration is one of the critical facets of Australian immigration as it contributes to the overall economy.

Talking about the new system, he said that the amendments would allow potential migrants get more points on the basis of their qualification in high value professionals, experience level, proficiency in the English language and qualification from a prestigious university.

The new amendments would surely have an impact on jobs, as many overseas students have already engaged themselves in courses present on in-demand list, which may no longer assist them in permanent migration!

In another news piece, stats show that around 90% of temporary migrants, the ones who were given Subclass 457 visas last year are highly paid professionals. As far as the temporary skilled migrants are concerned, the overall pay package is around $100,000, with those belonging to mining field, having an average pay of $169,000.

Foreign Skilled workers employed in Western Australia belonged to the highest paid category, followed by New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania, Northern Territory, ACT and South Australia.

Even though Skilled Regional Sponsored Visa is issued provisionally for three years, the best thing is that it provides you the pathway to apply for permanent residency in the land of Kangaroos. But, before you set to apply for this visa, it is important to know about the criteria set by the Australian immigration for applicants in order to be able to migrate under this visa category.

Here are the criteria that needed to be fulfilled:

• You must be under forty-five years of age.
• You must have good English language skills or vocational English.
• You must choose a particular occupation contained in the SOL. Skilled Occupations List consists the occupations that are in need in Australia.
• Relevant authority must assess the nominated occupation.
• Your skills and qualifications must meet the country’s standard in relation to the selected occupation.

When you meet these basic criteria, you can apply for the Skilled Regional Sponsored Visa. Even if you fulfill the criteria, but if no territory or state participating in the scheme sponsors your occupation, you cannot apply for this visa. However, once you know that your nominated occupation is one the list, you will need to have your occupation assessed and considered by relevant authority for migration. Obtaining sponsorship from a territory/state follows thereafter. Every participating state provides an additional sponsorship application form. Based upon points system, if you get selected for sponsorship by a state, you will have to lodge application with DIAC.

For more information on Skilled Regional Sponsored Scheme, consult an Immigration and Visa consultant!