Post
by Atasas » Wed Feb 10, 2010 2:23 pm
Dunno about time wasters, but decent read never-the less
[quote]FOREIGN doctors, nurses and school teachers who speak good English and have jobs already organised will be Australia’s top priority migrants under a major overhaul of immigration policy.
The changes, to be unveiled by Immigration Minister Chris Evans today, are expected to target professionals with university degrees who are sponsored by employers and discourage self-nominating migrants such as cooks, hairdressers and accountants.
The new policy will axe the Migration Occupations on Demand List, which lists 106 occupations in demand.
Only half the migrants entering Australia with skills on the MODL actually end up employed in their field and one-third end up unemployed or in a low-skill job, Senator Evans said.
It will be replaced by a new Skilled Occupations List of high-value professions and trades drawn up by Skills Australia.
The Federal Government’s overhaul of the skilled migration program could damage Australia’s reputation abroad, the Federal Opposition has warned.
Opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison said there would be big transition costs associated with the changes, which would hit the international education sector hard.
This is because there are many foreign students already taking courses on the in-demand list, whose study may no longer improve their chances of permanent migration.
“There’ll be many students who’ll be caught between a rock and a hard place,â€
