Universities leave VET for dead in race for export earnings

THE AUSTRALIAN
JUNE 04, 2014 12:00AM

Reporter

Sydney

HIGHER education contributed the lion’s share of Australia’s $15 billion in education export income last year.

Onshore earnings for the sector were $10.2bn, or 68 per cent of the total, compared with a 16.5 per cent share for vocational education and training, according to a research snapshot from Australian Education International.

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Training Australian workers: an obligation for 457 employers

By Jo on 6 Jun 2014 10:30am, 

As stated in earlier posts, significant changes to the 457 visa were made on 1 July 2013. One of these changes included strengthening the requirement for businesses that employ 457 visa holders to actively contribute to the training of Australian workers.

As it stood prior to the changes on 1 July 2013, businesses have always needed to show they actively contribute to the training of Australian workers. Businesses demonstrated they had spent, in the 12 months prior to applying to be a sponsor:

• specific amounts on either training their own Australian employees, or
• provided funds to an industry training fund in the industry they operate in.

(more…)

Three new occupations

Last Saturday’s edition of “The Australian” carried a front page story reporting that the occupations of chef, tiler and bricklayer are to be added to the Skilled Occupations List (SOL) on 1 July 2014.

This will mean that people in such occupations  can apply for Subclass 189 visas independently rather than  having to apply  for  Subclass 186 or 187 visas sponsored by an employer.

(more…)

Student visa lodgement change – rumour

A rumour is currently circulating among the student population that individuals entering Australia on ETA visas will not be eligible to apply for student visas onshore.

The Department’s Student Policy section has confirmed this rumour is false and there are no plans to amend the migration legislation to make ETA visa holders ineligible to apply for a student visa in Australia.

Source: Migration Institute of Australia

Seasonal labour in the fruit industry

ABC Rural 

By Clint Jasper and Sophie Malcolm

It’s hard work, there are very early starts and it’s not exactly glamorous.

As citrus seasons ramps up, there’s tonnes upon tonnes of fruit across the Riverland and Sunraysia waiting to be picked, packed and sent to market.

And all over the region, farmers are looking for workers to do just that.

Last week, Tasmanian Liberal Senator Eric Abetz suggested an answer to youth unemployment might be for young people to take up jobs picking fruit. (more…)

Pilbara Council wants nod for small traders to hire foreign workers on 457 visas

Updated Mon 26 May 2014, 5:44pm AEST

MAP: Karratha 6714

The Pilbara Regional Council has formally applied to the Department of Immigration to allow small businesses in the North West to employ foreign workers on 457 visas.

It is hoped a regional migration agreement will help fill a shortfall of jobs in the community sector.

Council chief executive Tony Friday said during the height of the mining boom, small businesses in the Pilbara were struggling to secure local staff. (more…)

One in 20 travellers given 457 visas

NATASHA BITA
THE AUSTRALIAN
MAY 31, 2014 12:00AM

TWO-THIRDS of the migrant workers on 457 visas have taken jobs that did not have to be advertised to Australians.

As unions and employers wrestle over Australia’s reliance on foreign labour, new Immigration Department statistics reveal just one in three of the work visas granted last year was subject to “labour market testing” to prove no Australian could do the job. The figures also show half of Australia’s migrant workers are recruited onshore, with one in every 20 backpackers last year receiving a 457 visa to stay working here for four more years. (more…)

Migration Amendment (Repeal of Certain Visa Classes) Regulation 2014 – F2014L00622

Select Legislative Instrument [F2014L00622], Migration Amendment 1994 (Repeal of Certain Visa Classes) Regulation – No 65, 2014 came into effect today, 2 June 2014.

The Migration Regulations were amended to repeal the:  

• Aged Dependent Relative visa classes and subclasses
• Remaining Relative visa classes and subclasses (more…)