“Skilled migrants with general skilled migration visas are achieving higher levels of labour market success than ever before.”
This was the conclusion reached in an independent evaluation of the general skilled migration categories carried out by three of Australia’s leading immigration experts *.
Australia already has the best skilled migration programme in the world, but we cannot afford to stand still,” Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, Senator Amanda Vanstone said. “Our competitors are busily copying us, and new players are entering the game. We are all driven by demography and the need to address an increasing range of skill shortages.“The key aim of our skilled programme is to select migrants who will find skilled jobs quickly. The evaluation has confirmed categorically that good English and relevant work experience are essential to achieving this result.”To give migrants the best chance of success in Australia the government plans - in the second half of 2006 and in the first half of 2007 - to:
- increase the base level of English language proficiency which must be demonstrated by applicants for general skilled migration visas
- increase the allocation of bonus points to applicants who achieve English language scores at above the base level
- place greater emphasis on skilled work experience as a factor in the points test.
* Dr Bob Birrell, Associate Professor, Lesleyanne Hawthorne and Professor Sue Richardson.