Given the economic climate, construction workers can no longer apply for a skilled migrant visa
Australia has confirmed that it will be cutting the number of skilled foreign workers entering the country by 14%.
The announcement came from Immigration Minister Chris Evans, who said it was a necessary move, designed to safeguard local jobs. The cut will be the first for 10 years.
Mr Evans blamed the financial crisis and growing unemployment levels for the introduction of cuts, saying that the government did not want to admit people who would be in direct competition with Australians for limited jobs.
Talking to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Mr Evans said, “We’re going to cut (the programme) from 133,500 to 115,000, so that’s about a 14% cut.”
He continued, “The economic circumstances in Australia have changed as a result of the global financial crisis.
“It is prudent to reduce this year’s migration intake accordingly.”
He added that further cuts may be made when the national budget is unveiled in May.
The number of foreign skilled migrants will be cut by 18,500 for the 2009/10 financial year, which starts in June. 2008/09 saw record numbers of skilled migrants – a total of 133,500 – entering the country.
Figures released last week showed that the Australian unemployment rate had reached a four-year high of 5.2%, with government predictions stating it will hit 5.5% by June, and 7% by 2010.
Australia’s economy has shrunk for the first time in eight years, raising fears that the country may be heading for a recession. As a result, a $27.5bn stimulus package had been announced, and hopes are that this will help Australia avoid the worst of the downturn.
There have already been changes introduced to the permanent skilled migration programme, with foreign bricklayers, plumbers, carpenters and electricians being bared from the application process for the foreseeable future.
Commenting on the restriction, Mr Evans said, “That’s where we’ve seen a drop-off in demand [and] some major redundancies.”
The government also removed hairdressers and cooks from the critical skills shortage list at the end of 2008.
Employers will still be able to introduce in foreign tradesmen into the workplace by sponsoring them under a special visa for temporary migrant workers, provided they can prove that the labour cannot be sourced in Australia.
Professions such as nurses, doctors, engineers and information technology will be safe, as Australia still has shortages in these areas.
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