Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs David Coleman has said Australians have benefited from the recent visa reforms which saw the abolishment of the 457 visa and introduction of a new harder to obtain temporary skill shortage visa that lets overseas workers be brought in on a temporary basis.
The 457 visa was amended and later abolished to be replaced by a new Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa in March this year.
The minister on Wednesday attributed the growth in new jobs to the government's visa reforms.
“More than one million new jobs have been created since the Coalition was elected five years ago and our reforms to close loopholes in the visa system have played an important part,” Minister Coleman said in a statement.
The number of overseas workers had come down from 130,000 during Labor’s time to 70,000 in 2017 under the Coalition government, he said.
The new Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa has replaced the Temporary Work (Skilled) visa (subclass 457). Source: Getty Images
“Almost 130,000 overseas workers were granted entry in Labor’s last year in government, with no checks or requirements in place to ensure employers were addressing critical skill shortages or making any effort to find local workers first.”
“The Coalition tightened up the 457 process before abolishing it altogether, with a new Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa introduced earlier this year.
“In 2017, around 70,000 overseas workers were granted visas, almost half as many as under Labor,” he said.
The Skilled Occupations List, which reflects the shortage of skilled workers in Australia has seen a significant decrease in the number of eligible occupations in the last five years.
Source: SBS Hindi
In recent times, regular reviews of Skilled Occupations List have meant the number of eligible occupations has gone down from 651 eligible occupations to 453 occupations.
Currently, the combined list of Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List and the Short Term Skilled Occupation List includes 453 occupations.
Mr Coleman said the regular reviews have helped in eliminating ‘obscure occupations’.
The Skilled Occupations List, which reflects the shortage of skilled workers in Australia has seen a significant decrease in number of eligible occupations in last five years. Source: Getty
“Now eligible occupations are reviewed regularly to respond to changes in the labour market. Labor’s list of 651 eligible occupations has been drastically reduced, eliminating all manner of obscure occupations such as potters, goat herders and cattery workers.”
The changes and later the abolishment of the 457 visa had raised concerns among Indian skilled workers who account for a quarter of 457 visa holders, the most of any nationality.
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, too, had voiced his reservations to then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull about the Federal Government's decision to scrap the 457 visa.
Under the new TSS visa program, the requirement for English language skills and minimum salary requirements has been tightened. Employers are also required to pay a fee of at least $1200 to the Skilling Australia Fund, which goes towards training Australians.
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