Search offshore as skilled migrant visas rise by 24pc
Paul Maley; 23/7/08
Australia is continuing to look offshore for solutions to the deepening skills crisis, with new figures showing the controversial 457 visa program for temporary skilled migrants grew by almost a quarter last year. Figures released by the Immigration Department yesterday showed the number of primary 457 applicants jumped from 46,680 in 2006-07 to 58,050 in 2007-08 - about 24 per cent. A total of 110,570 temporary work visas were issued to workers and their dependents, an increase of 27 per cent. The figures show that Australia relies on overseas economies - increasingly in the developing world - to recruit doctors, nurses, IT professionals and construction workers. While NSW remained the biggest user of the program, importing 24,480 temporary skilled workers, Western Australia became the program’s second-biggest patron, recording a 41 per cent rise in applications.
See: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24063166-5013404,00.html