Dentist too old to migrate
Aug 9th 2002, 1:09 pm
#1
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Dentist too old to migrate
From the Australian :
Dentist too old to migrate
August 09, 2002
A WEALTHY British dentist who has been offered a five-year contract with the Tasmanian dental service and is the same age as Prime Minister John Howard has been refused permission to migrate because he is too old.
The State Government, which is struggling to overcome an acute shortage of dentists, today called on the Immigration Department to reverse its decision.
Former Royal Navy dentist Dick Hambly, 63, has been caught by a rule that automatically knocks back anyone over 45 wishing to come to Australia as a skilled migrant.
A department spokeswoman said the rule was applied because it had been found that people over 45 would struggle to find skilled employment and were likely to be a drain on the Australian economy.
The spokeswoman said she could not discuss individual cases and she understood there was no room for discretion.
Dr Hambly not only has a job to come to, he also has British pensions worth $120,000-a-year, an English house worth about $2 million and about $250,000 in a Tasmanian bank account.
His wife Kim, 44, is a lawyer and his brother George lives in Launceston.
Tasmania's Clinical Director of Oral Health David Butler said he had provided the Immigration Department with an eight-page submission and was devastated by the rejection.
"Such a highly qualified person could provide a mentoring and teaching service for younger trained dentists for many years to come," Dr Butler said.
Infrastructure Minister Jim Cox said the rejection simply on the basis of age was extremely short-sighted.
"After a long career in the British Navy there can be no question that he's financially secure and his wife, as a lawyer, would also be a benefit to the community," Mr Cox said.
"Bureaucrats in Canberra, where there are 57 dentists for every 100,000 residents, have made this decision affecting Tasmania where the ratio of dentists is less than half that."
Dr Hambly told a newspaper today that he was well qualified, financially independent and willing to work.
"It is bizarre that one government says we want this guy and another department says no, he is too old," Dr Hambly said.
Full article can be found here :
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...5E1702,00.html
Dentist too old to migrate
August 09, 2002
A WEALTHY British dentist who has been offered a five-year contract with the Tasmanian dental service and is the same age as Prime Minister John Howard has been refused permission to migrate because he is too old.
The State Government, which is struggling to overcome an acute shortage of dentists, today called on the Immigration Department to reverse its decision.
Former Royal Navy dentist Dick Hambly, 63, has been caught by a rule that automatically knocks back anyone over 45 wishing to come to Australia as a skilled migrant.
A department spokeswoman said the rule was applied because it had been found that people over 45 would struggle to find skilled employment and were likely to be a drain on the Australian economy.
The spokeswoman said she could not discuss individual cases and she understood there was no room for discretion.
Dr Hambly not only has a job to come to, he also has British pensions worth $120,000-a-year, an English house worth about $2 million and about $250,000 in a Tasmanian bank account.
His wife Kim, 44, is a lawyer and his brother George lives in Launceston.
Tasmania's Clinical Director of Oral Health David Butler said he had provided the Immigration Department with an eight-page submission and was devastated by the rejection.
"Such a highly qualified person could provide a mentoring and teaching service for younger trained dentists for many years to come," Dr Butler said.
Infrastructure Minister Jim Cox said the rejection simply on the basis of age was extremely short-sighted.
"After a long career in the British Navy there can be no question that he's financially secure and his wife, as a lawyer, would also be a benefit to the community," Mr Cox said.
"Bureaucrats in Canberra, where there are 57 dentists for every 100,000 residents, have made this decision affecting Tasmania where the ratio of dentists is less than half that."
Dr Hambly told a newspaper today that he was well qualified, financially independent and willing to work.
"It is bizarre that one government says we want this guy and another department says no, he is too old," Dr Hambly said.
Full article can be found here :
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...5E1702,00.html
Aug 9th 2002, 9:53 pm
#2
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Posts: n/a
Re: Dentist too old to migrate
It is impossible for anyone aged 45 or over to qualify for general skilled migration.
There is also an age bar of 45 for employer nomination migration - however, the
Department *does* have discretion to waive this if the appointment is 'exceptional',
so if the Department spokeswoman said this she is wrong.
In this particular case, they should be investigating whether his wife could qualify
for general skills or employer nomination before she reaches 45.
As I understand it, the age bar is justified by a need for a migrant to have enough
time to contribute to the economy before qualifying for an aged pension. But with
the age pension means tested in Australia, it's hard to see the logic of this.
Jeremy
>On 9 Aug 2002 16:15:08 GMT, pread <[email protected]> wrote:
>From the Australian : Dentist too old to migrate
>August 09, 2002 A WEALTHY British dentist who has been offered a five-year contract
>with the Tasmanian dental service and is the same age as Prime Minister John Howard
>has been refused permission to migrate because he is too old.
>The State Government, which is struggling to overcome an acute shortage of dentists,
>today called on the Immigration Department to reverse its decision.
>Former Royal Navy dentist Dick Hambly, 63, has been caught by a rule that
>automatically knocks back anyone over 45 wishing to come to Australia as a
>skilled migrant.
>A department spokeswoman said the rule was applied because it had been found that
>people over 45 would struggle to find skilled employment and were likely to be a
>drain on the Australian economy.
>The spokeswoman said she could not discuss individual cases and she understood there
>was no room for discretion.
>Dr Hambly not only has a job to come to, he also has British pensions worth
>$120,000-a-year, an English house worth about $2 million and about $250,000 in a
>Tasmanian bank account.
>His wife Kim, 44, is a lawyer and his brother George lives in Launceston.
>Tasmania's Clinical Director of Oral Health David Butler said he had provided the
>Immigration Department with an eight-page submission and was devastated by the
>rejection.
>"Such a highly qualified person could provide a mentoring and teaching service for
>younger trained dentists for many years to come," Dr Butler said.
>Infrastructure Minister Jim Cox said the rejection simply on the basis of age was
>extremely short-sighted.
>"After a long career in the British Navy there can be no question that he's
>financially secure and his wife, as a lawyer, would also be a benefit to the
>community," Mr Cox said.
>"Bureaucrats in Canberra, where there are 57 dentists for every 100,000 residents,
>have made this decision affecting Tasmania where the ratio of dentists is less than
>half that."
>Dr Hambly told a newspaper today that he was well qualified, financially independent
>and willing to work.
>"It is bizarre that one government says we want this guy and another department says
>no, he is too old," Dr Hambly said.
>Full article can be found here : http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_pag-
>e/0,5744,4869023%2- 55E1702,00.html
>--
>Posted via http://britishexpats.com
There is also an age bar of 45 for employer nomination migration - however, the
Department *does* have discretion to waive this if the appointment is 'exceptional',
so if the Department spokeswoman said this she is wrong.
In this particular case, they should be investigating whether his wife could qualify
for general skills or employer nomination before she reaches 45.
As I understand it, the age bar is justified by a need for a migrant to have enough
time to contribute to the economy before qualifying for an aged pension. But with
the age pension means tested in Australia, it's hard to see the logic of this.
Jeremy
>On 9 Aug 2002 16:15:08 GMT, pread <[email protected]> wrote:
>From the Australian : Dentist too old to migrate
>August 09, 2002 A WEALTHY British dentist who has been offered a five-year contract
>with the Tasmanian dental service and is the same age as Prime Minister John Howard
>has been refused permission to migrate because he is too old.
>The State Government, which is struggling to overcome an acute shortage of dentists,
>today called on the Immigration Department to reverse its decision.
>Former Royal Navy dentist Dick Hambly, 63, has been caught by a rule that
>automatically knocks back anyone over 45 wishing to come to Australia as a
>skilled migrant.
>A department spokeswoman said the rule was applied because it had been found that
>people over 45 would struggle to find skilled employment and were likely to be a
>drain on the Australian economy.
>The spokeswoman said she could not discuss individual cases and she understood there
>was no room for discretion.
>Dr Hambly not only has a job to come to, he also has British pensions worth
>$120,000-a-year, an English house worth about $2 million and about $250,000 in a
>Tasmanian bank account.
>His wife Kim, 44, is a lawyer and his brother George lives in Launceston.
>Tasmania's Clinical Director of Oral Health David Butler said he had provided the
>Immigration Department with an eight-page submission and was devastated by the
>rejection.
>"Such a highly qualified person could provide a mentoring and teaching service for
>younger trained dentists for many years to come," Dr Butler said.
>Infrastructure Minister Jim Cox said the rejection simply on the basis of age was
>extremely short-sighted.
>"After a long career in the British Navy there can be no question that he's
>financially secure and his wife, as a lawyer, would also be a benefit to the
>community," Mr Cox said.
>"Bureaucrats in Canberra, where there are 57 dentists for every 100,000 residents,
>have made this decision affecting Tasmania where the ratio of dentists is less than
>half that."
>Dr Hambly told a newspaper today that he was well qualified, financially independent
>and willing to work.
>"It is bizarre that one government says we want this guy and another department says
>no, he is too old," Dr Hambly said.
>Full article can be found here : http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_pag-
>e/0,5744,4869023%2- 55E1702,00.html
>--
>Posted via http://britishexpats.com
