the troubadour

Companies will be allowed to bring in skilled workers for up to a year without applying for a 457 skilled worker category visa.

Language tests and skill requirements will not be tested. Nor will employers be required to prove that they had sought an Australian to fill the position.

Anyone else see the potential for abuse here? Will be even harder surely for home graduates to get in the door? Why bother training one up when a foreigner already skilled is only too eager to take the position.

No doubt many will change to other visa's when on shore that will prolong and permit a permanent stay.

Trade Unions have rightly expressed outrage, but the white collar professional groups and associations are very likely to join their blue collar compatriots in outrage and protest as corporates bring in ever more people.

There are already significant problems with graduate employment in professions such as dentistry, computer science, medicine and engineering to name a few.

jad n rich

Wonder what wage regulations are in place for them.

Will they still need Trade qualifications, like licence red tape, that would take most a year to get? they dropping that as well?

I know taking Partners Commercial Construction Licence interstate, or Building Practitioner as they called it, took over 7 months and he has 2 pages !! of major commercial projects as history. Born and bred aussie, all aussie qualifications plus OS work.

It was insane.

Can an indian Dentist or SA Electrician for eg just start work on one of these visas, I am guessing not

the troubadour

No restrictions at all on point of entry. That appears pretty clear to me. They have bowed to the Chinese demand it would appear that they have easy access to bringing in own labour.

On another level a Dentist obviously must pass a test. I know one Indian dentist to date that has done as much. I can't see that changing. Just more coming in generally.

To my mind it shows something else a foot. Not quite the professional element as claimed, although that will be a part, but more a semi skilled that will not be impacted by language or tests.

Pollyana

Link? Please

Beoz

Yes please?

Bix

Overseas workers will be allowed to work for a year without applying for 457 visas

Pollyana

Thanks

Beoz

This is a great idea. We are constantly missing out on long projects because we don't have the skilled staff ready to go. It means we never have the capital to train young staff and end up only being able to do a small amount of projects with the handful of skilled staff we have. With this we can bid for projects and be ready to roll by being able to fly in staff at short notice. It means we can also make more money which gives us the opportunity to train youth.

Another short sighted view by the unions.

the troubadour

I expected such a reaction from above poster. A little odd he asked for a link as has been all over the press.

As if 457 abuse wasn't enough the gates are opening ever more for people non skill tested nor language ability assessed. The latter less important perhaps.

Another kick in the goolies for Australia's young. Just wait until the abuse is revealed. Corporates far too much say over government policy.

Besides bringing in overseas workers those that don't change visas to stay on will be adding to money leaving the country.

And as stated hardly only the unions will be up in arms. Professional bodies representing dentists, doctors, accountants , computer professionals, engineers, etc will be none to disposed towards more foreigners flooding their market and local grads missing out.

Beoz

Try the quote button.

You are my news. You present another perspective on things. Usually politically motivated of course. If the only thing we agree on is the negatives of negative gearing then that's too bad.

The fact remains you choose to ignore the benefits of immigration or even discuss them.

Bix

On the other hand one could perhaps argue that because your business model is not strong enough to fund training the work goes to companies that do.

Beoz

That is ultimately the issue, but in order to solve that issue and be competitive we need to grow and to grow we need numbers. Skills locally are not existent. We need easy access to overseas skills that we can pull in and push back out as needed. As it currently stands the 457 is not nimble enough.

Every business wants to grow financially. If you don't have the tools to grow, what hope do businesses have in creating employment for youth.

Bix

Things must have changed since I got a 457.
It only took 6 weeks and that's only because the DIAC UK doctor "forgot" to post the medicals to Brisbane which delayed it by 3 weeks.

Beoz

Paperwork, medicals, police checks, cost not nimble.

This could replace the 457 as a temp visa.

Another excellent yet poorly sold concept.

verystormy

Sorry, yet another couple of notches up the unemployment rate. Gina will be such a happy lady, knowing that she can bring in Pilipino staff even easier and lay off them damned expensive Australians