Tony Abbot, the leader of the opposition, stated that if he is elected, then he will bolster our skilled migration visa and employee sponsorship visa systems.
Mr. Abbot sounded off his exuberance recently at an address he gave at the Institute of Public Affairs in Melbourne, where he advocated the unequivocal benefit to be generated through the skilled worker visas (457 subclass). He favours the skilled visa scheme as these visas demonstrate how valuable the migrant will be to Australia. He noted that effects of these visa holders are felt from the day they arrive in Australia as they fill a position that is needed in our domestic economy.
Whilst Australian born business owners may grumble at the idea of jobs being lost or being taken by “foreigners”, Mr. Abbott says that inhibition about international workers held by Australian business owners should be cast aside. He reiterates the benefits to business owners as the scheme helps them to take up business ventures and opportunities that they may have had to pass on because the human capital wasn’t available. As the baby boom generation gets older, there is a growing a concern regarding how Australia can facilitate the rapid decrease in labor.
As usual, the Leader to the Opposition had some words of criticism – this time with the Department of Immigration and Citizenship’s SkillSelect program, which is about to be initiated. He stated that “more could be done.” He did not further elaborate as to what more can be done, but knowing looking towards improvement with the system of migration is a reassuring sentiment.
Please note that The Migration Place does not favor any political party.
The Migration Place does favor any legislative change which simplifies and speeds up the skilled visa and work visa regimes.
The current government is putting into place new amendments in July which will help so the incumbent government is already adopting the kind of change which Mr Abbott advocated. The more the better.
Skilled workers are an invaluable resource which should be embraced by Australia.
Indeed The Migration Place recognizes the fact that migrants being skills, capital and energy into the country. They tend to be people who are so motivated to improve their lives that they are willing to leave the security of their own country and networks to build a better life. Our migration system is currently difficult to navigate and slow to process, and Australia is losing valuable migrants to lesser countries as a result.
We hope that whoever wins the next election, adopts a simpler, quicker system which helps Australia attract skilled and wealthy migrants.