• Tweet
• Sharebar

• Tweet

Australia, August 13, 2009 – Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, recently released the State/Territory Summary Report for Subclass 457 Business (Long Stay) Visa for the financial year to June 2009. The report indicates that there has been a significant decline in the number of temporary skilled overseas workers entering Australia. The drop is attributed to the global economic slowdown and changes implemented by the government to ensure wages and working conditions are not undermined.

“The Subclass 457 visa program is a demand driven scheme that has responded to the slowing economy and reduced demand in the Australian labour market,” Senator Evans said.

According to the report the 2008 to 2009 primary visa applications were 11 percent lower than the 2007 to 2008 figures. Meanwhile, the visas granted also experienced a slope of 13 percent. The total number of primary visa holders in Australia amounted to 77,330.

The by-country data segregation shows that majority of the top 15 source countries experienced erosion, some slipping by as much as 32 percent. Of the top 15 countries, only Ireland showed growth by increasing 8 percent.

In terms of regional distribution, New South Wales recorded the biggest drop showing 24 percent decline. Western Australia followed with 9.5 percent, Queensland with 7.5 percent, Victoria with 7.1 percent. South Australia, Tasmania and Northern Territory, on the other hand, showed an increase in primary applications.

Of the top 15 occupations that use temporary skilled overseas worker visas, only nurses registered an increase. It is up by 18 percent.

‘The Rudd Government’s priority is to provide training and job opportunities for Australians but there will continue to be demand for skills in some sectors, such as healthcare, so there will still be a need for employers to access skilled overseas workers to fill gaps on a temporary basis,’ says the senator.

Source:
minister.immi.gov.au