Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has granted thousands of 457 visas in regions of high youth unemployment, despite claiming he has stopped the practice.
Earlier this month, Mr Dutton said: "It's unimaginable that in areas where we might have 14, 15 per cent for example unemployment rate for young people, that we're allowing companies to bring foreign workers in.
"I've stopped that, and there are other aspects of Labor's 457 program that I'm working on tidying up at the moment as well."
But these six maps show the areas of high youth unemployment with regions of large numbers of 457 visa grants since Mr Dutton became Immigration Minister at the end of 2014.
The maps highlight data provided by the Department of Employment based on figures in the year to January 2017, with youth unemployment defined as those aged 15 to 24.
A spokesperson for Minister Dutton said there had been some growth in 457 holders working in north-west and south-east Melbourne, but noted: “the numbers are small and the growth has been overwhelmingly in high-skilled roles in industries such as health care, manufacturing and the services sector – not in entry level roles such as the fast food sector.
Nell'area intorno al Hume City Council, area di forte disoccupazione giovanile, sono arrivati oltre 500 lavoratori temporanei stranieri. Source: SBS
Nella zone intorno ai Dandenong la disoccupazione giovanile è estremamente alta, ed è alto anche il numero dei visti 457 concessi dal governo. Source: SBS
"It’s worth noting also that these two regions are growth areas of outer Melbourne (in both economic and population terms), where demand for skilled labour is high."
The spokesperson also said within the six regions identified by SBS News the number of 457 visa holders has declined in Cairns, northern Adelaide and Townsville, and is at a consistent level in south-west Perth.
The Immigration Minister said last year that he would be reducing the list of eligible occupations in the 457 visa program. He reaffirmed this in early March, saying he was still working on changes.
But the 457 program has little impact on entry-level jobs, according to two prominent academics.
Senior Lecturer of Law at the University of Adelaide, Dr Joanna Howe said young Australians aren't competing with 457 visa holders for work opportunities.
La disocupazione giovanile è estremamente alta nelle zone intorno a Cairns; nonostante quanto dichiarato, centinaia di visti 457 sono stati concessi sotto Peter Dutton. Source: SBS
Nella zona nord di Adelaide, un giovane su cinque è disoccupato. Negli ultimi due anni sono stati concessi 268 visti temporanei 457. Source: SBS
Nella regione di Townsville si sono registrati forti tassi di disoccupazione giovanile, ma negli ultimi due anni 200 lavoratori con visto 457 sono stati sponsorizzati. Source: SBS
Anche nella zona sud-ovest di Perth sono stati concessi da Peter Dutton molti visti 457. Source: SBS
"It’s rather disingenuous to talk about 457 visa holders stealing the jobs from the young unemployed when it’s really other visa categories where we have expansive work rights in terms of international students, or unlimited work rights in terms of working holiday-makers," she said.
The overwhelming majority of 457 visas - close to 99 per cent - are granted for jobs that require at least Certificate III qualifications and two years of on-the-job training.
Henry Sherrell, from the Development Policy Centre at Australian National University, said there was an argument that employers are less likely to invest in training young workers if 457 visas are available, but he described it as "tenuous" based on the low proportion of the labour market represented by temporary foreign workers.
He said the 457 program was reacting as it was designed, shrinking as the labour market tightens.
"It's coming down slowly, not because of anything the government is doing," he said.
"It's because employers are seeing slightly less demand for it than during the mining boom and in better economic times."
