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Migrant upgrade - No more cooks, hairdressers or butter makers |
| News - Newsflash |
| Written by Emma Chalmers |
|
COOKS and hairdressers will go to the back of the immigration queue as part of a crackdown to exclude lower-skilled workers. Immigration Minister Chris Evans will today unveil a dramatically shortened list of in-demand occupations designed to ``restore integrity'' to immigration.
More than 200 professions have been axed in a bid to close a loophole allowing migrants with poor English skills to study a ``low-value'' trade in Australia as a fast-track to a visa.
Senator Evans said the reforms would skew the system to favour the skills most needed for the economy. ``Through a targeted migration program, the Rudd Government will attract skilled migrants of the highest calibre and deliver people with real skills to meet real need in our economy,'' he said.
Teachers, medical professionals, engineers and carpenters will remain on the new critical skills list, but fashion designers, hotel managers, butter makers, signwriters and picture framers will not.
Senator Evans said that under the old system, migrants with poor English were almost assured of permanent residency if they did short courses in vocations like cooking and hairdressing.
In 2007/08 over 5000 of the 41,000 general skills visas granted went to cooks and hairdressers. ``Australia's migration program cannot be determined by the courses studied by international students,'' Senator Evans said.
``International students who have the skills our economy needs will still be able to apply for permanent migration, or be nominated by employers, but we will no longer accept the thousands of cooks and hairdressers who applied under the guidelines established by the Howard government.''
The changes add to reforms announced earlier this year to tighten the English language skills for trade applicants and give employer-sponsored migrants priority over independent applicants.
Senator Evans was also expected to push ahead with legislation to give the minister the power to cap the number of visas handed out per occupation.
In last months budget, the Government announced it would hold the migration intake steady at 168,700 places but 5750 places were cut from the family program to boost the skilled stream to 113,850 places.
The new skills' list will apply from July 1 and it will be updated annually.
Skills program targets
OCCUPATIONSDUMPED
SKILLS WE STILL NEED
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| Last Updated on Tuesday, 24 August 2010 17:44 |
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