Go Back  British Expats > Living & Moving Abroad > Australia > Immigration, Visas & Citizenship (Australia)
Reload this Page >

IT occupations to further come of the MODL list

IT occupations to further come of the MODL list

Old Nov 11th 2003, 11:51 pm
  #1  
BE Enthusiast
Thread Starter
 
Joined: Nov 2002
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Posts: 368
Steven O'Neil is an unknown quantity at this point
Default IT occupations to further come of the MODL list

An article from an Australian newspaper ..


IT skills to drop off migrant list
By Rachel Lebihan
The Australian Financial Review, November 11, 2003
http://afr.com/articles/2003/11/10/1068329484457.html

The federal government is today expected to reduce the number of technology
skills that feature on Australia's most-wanted list after coming under
pressure to alter the rules governing the migration of IT workers to the
country.

The Migration Occupations in Demand List produced by the Department of
Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs lists occupations that
are in short supply in Australia.

Migration applicants receive points if their nominated occupation appears
on the MODL.

The technology component of the MODL peaked at 26 skills in May 2001.
Before the six-monthly update expected today, that had shrunk to four; SAP,
PeopleSoft, Java security and CISSP (Certification for the Information
Systems Security Professional).

The executive director of the Australian Information Industry Association,
Rob Durie, said he would welcome the tightening of the IT skilled migration
list because it lagged marketplace reality.

"It would be nice if the lag wasn't quite so pronounced," Mr Durie said.
"We certainly wouldn't disagree with further tightening. However, we want
to make sure it's flexible in the future as we expect that demand for IT
professionals will increase."

The president of the Australian Computer Society, Richard Hogg, said any
change to immigration policy needed to be controlled and not a "knee-jerk
reaction" like that which had led to the glut of people in the IT labour
market.

"We need to get some of those people driving cabs and mowing lawns back
into the IT workplace," Mr Hogg said. "I'm sure we've got enough SAP and
Peoplesoft trained people in Australia. The only area that we're likely to
have shortages is in security."

But changes to the MODL alone are considered by some to be insufficient to
benefit the technology sector's tight labour market.

Immigration analyst Bob Kinnaird has told an ongoing parliamentary inquiry
into Australia's skilled migration that policy changes, including a
reduction of IT skills on the MODL, "did not go far enough to adequately
protect Australian residents, especially new graduates".

Mr Kinnaird said the number of overseas IT students that were allowed to
work upon completion of local university courses needed to be reduced "very
substantially . . . possibly down to zero for a time".

A DIMIA spokeswoman said recent changes had been made to policy affecting
overseas students graduating from universities.

In July the minimum study period enabling overseas students to apply for
general skilled migration was increased from one to two years.

Mr Hogg, however, said overseas students who worked in Australia after
studying here were not the concern, but the short-term 457 visa scheme was
a loophole that needed reform. The scheme is not subject to the MODL so
applicants - including holiday makers - can be employed in IT roles that
are in oversupply.

Critics also argued that recruitment agencies, which can apply for the
visas on behalf of employees, do not have to conduct labour market testing
to prove local talent was unavailable.

Mr Hogg said there was evidence that certain recruitment companies were
"flogging a significant amount of people out at cheap rates and not looking
at the Australian labour market to see what's available first".

Mr Kinnaird also told the skilled migration inquiry that the 457 visa
scheme needed to be reviewed. He suggested 457s only be granted for
computing skills in short supply and that labour market testing first be held.

However, DIMIA is now believed to be more vigorously enforcing the
requirement that people on 457 visas have to be employed for the whole time
they are in Australia.

This requirement should help stamp out recruitment firms that obtain the
visas, give them to people without job availability, and then farm them out
as cheap contract labour for a few months at a time.



Regards

Steven O'Neil
Iscah Migration
Perth
www.iscah.com
Steven O'Neil is offline  
Old Nov 12th 2003, 7:32 am
  #2  
Retired *********
 
pread's Avatar
 
Joined: Jan 2002
Location: The Dandenongs
Posts: 349
pread is an unknown quantity at this point
Default Re: IT occupations to further come of the MODL list

And an article from Australian IT today confirming, however, there's no mention of any changes in the Immigration website at http://www.immi.gov.au/migration/skilled/modl.htm :

IT cut from migrant skills list

NOVEMBER 12, 2003

INFORMATION and communication technology skilled jobs have been cut from the federal government's list of high-demand jobs for potential migrants.

The Migration Occupations in Demand list (MODL) is available to people seeking to migrate to Australia for use in increasing their migration chances.
Employment Minister Kevin Andrews said the revised MODL comprised a small number of professional and trade occupations and no information and communication technology (ICT) specialisations.

Mr Andrews said the decision to revise the ICT component, which has previously included as many as 26 ICT specialisations, was based on research by his department which confirmed there were no longer any shortages of ICT skills across the nation.

"The revised MODL shows the Australian government is closely monitoring the ICT labour market and the difficulties some Australian computing professionals have finding work," he said in a statement.

"The global downturn in the ICT industry has affected the Australian industry and contributed to a drop in the number of temporary business visas granted to ICT workers in 2002-03 compared to the previous year."

He said people seeking to migrate to Australia on the basis of their work skills received bonus points under the points-tested visa categories if their occupation was on the MODL when their application was assessed.

They receive extra points if they have a confirmed job offer from an organisation that has employed at least 10 full-time people for the past two financial years.

Mr Andrews said other government initiatives, such as suspending priority processing for ICT migration applications and increasing the number of points required to meet the migration passmark, were likely to further slow the entry of ICT qualified migrants and ease pressures in the labour market.

"The ICT sector is critical to the longer-term growth of the Australian economy and the Australian government will continue, in consultation with relevant professional and industry associations, to closely monitor the ICT labour market to ensure appropriate migration arrangements are in place," he said.

AAP


The article is at http://australianit.news.com.au/arti...nbv%5e,00.html
pread is offline  
Old Nov 12th 2003, 7:49 am
  #3  
I CU HACKN
 
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 139
keyurlavingia is an unknown quantity at this point
Default Re: IT occupations to further come of the MODL list

Hi,

Anybody have any idea as to when this is going to take effect and if at all DIMIA is going to implement this ?

This is a big shock for people like me who are in the IT sector.

Keyur.


Originally posted by pread
And an article from Australian IT today confirming, however, there's no mention of any changes in the Immigration website at http://www.immi.gov.au/migration/skilled/modl.htm :

IT cut from migrant skills list

NOVEMBER 12, 2003

INFORMATION and communication technology skilled jobs have been cut from the federal government's list of high-demand jobs for potential migrants.

The Migration Occupations in Demand list (MODL) is available to people seeking to migrate to Australia for use in increasing their migration chances.
Employment Minister Kevin Andrews said the revised MODL comprised a small number of professional and trade occupations and no information and communication technology (ICT) specialisations.

Mr Andrews said the decision to revise the ICT component, which has previously included as many as 26 ICT specialisations, was based on research by his department which confirmed there were no longer any shortages of ICT skills across the nation.

"The revised MODL shows the Australian government is closely monitoring the ICT labour market and the difficulties some Australian computing professionals have finding work," he said in a statement.

"The global downturn in the ICT industry has affected the Australian industry and contributed to a drop in the number of temporary business visas granted to ICT workers in 2002-03 compared to the previous year."

He said people seeking to migrate to Australia on the basis of their work skills received bonus points under the points-tested visa categories if their occupation was on the MODL when their application was assessed.

They receive extra points if they have a confirmed job offer from an organisation that has employed at least 10 full-time people for the past two financial years.

Mr Andrews said other government initiatives, such as suspending priority processing for ICT migration applications and increasing the number of points required to meet the migration passmark, were likely to further slow the entry of ICT qualified migrants and ease pressures in the labour market.

"The ICT sector is critical to the longer-term growth of the Australian economy and the Australian government will continue, in consultation with relevant professional and industry associations, to closely monitor the ICT labour market to ensure appropriate migration arrangements are in place," he said.

AAP


The article is at http://australianit.news.com.au/arti...nbv%5e,00.html
keyurlavingia is offline  
Old Nov 12th 2003, 7:54 am
  #4  
Jaj
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: IT occupations to further come of the MODL list

Looks like it's for real though, as you can find it in the media
releases section of the DEWR website (issued jointly with DIMIA):

http://www.dewr.gov.au

Jeremy

    >On Wed, 12 Nov 2003 08:32:57 +0000, pread <member@british_expats.com> wrote:
    >And an article from Australian IT today confirming, however, there's no
    >mention of any changes in the Immigration website at
    >http://www.immi.gov.au/migration/skilled/modl.htm :
    >IT cut from migrant skills list
    >NOVEMBER 12, 2003
    >INFORMATION and communication technology skilled jobs have been cut
    >from the federal government's list of high-demand jobs for
    >potential migrants.

This is not intended to be legal advice in any jurisdiction
 
Old Nov 12th 2003, 7:55 am
  #5  
Ex Mod (2002-2005)
 
ptlabs's Avatar
 
Joined: May 2002
Location: NSW
Posts: 5,464
ptlabs has a reputation beyond reputeptlabs has a reputation beyond reputeptlabs has a reputation beyond reputeptlabs has a reputation beyond reputeptlabs has a reputation beyond reputeptlabs has a reputation beyond reputeptlabs has a reputation beyond reputeptlabs has a reputation beyond reputeptlabs has a reputation beyond reputeptlabs has a reputation beyond reputeptlabs has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: IT occupations to further come of the MODL list

Originally posted by keyurlavingia
This is a big shock for people like me who are in the IT sector.
Big shock? I would think it's shocking that the MODL still has any IT occupation listed, given the present state of affairs in the IT sector.

Peter
ptlabs is offline  
Old Nov 12th 2003, 8:14 am
  #6  
I CU HACKN
 
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 139
keyurlavingia is an unknown quantity at this point
Default Re: IT occupations to further come of the MODL list

I can understand what you feel there. I assume you are already in Oz and are able to see the picture more clearly. Just to get this cleared out of my head, it is the MODL that IT has been removed from right, not from the SOL I hope. Please throw some light on this if possible. Also, if it is just the MODL, will DIMIA throw out all the applications for migration even if the applicant has not applied for MODL bonus points ?



Originally posted by ptlabs
Big shock? I would think it's shocking that the MODL still has any IT occupation listed, given the present state of affairs in the IT sector.

Peter
keyurlavingia is offline  
Old Nov 12th 2003, 8:51 am
  #7  
BE Enthusiast
Thread Starter
 
Joined: Nov 2002
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Posts: 368
Steven O'Neil is an unknown quantity at this point
Default Re: IT occupations to further come of the MODL list

It seems ALL the IT specialisations have come off the MODL.

This is not to be confused with the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) where there has been no change and all those IT occupations still attract 60 skills points as before. Just you don't get any additional MODL points if you have not yet been points assessed on your application.

Cheers
Steven O'Neil
Perth
www.iscah.com
Steven O'Neil is offline  
Old Nov 12th 2003, 9:16 am
  #8  
skbn136app
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: IT occupations to further come of the MODL list

Originally posted by Steven O'Neil
It seems ALL the IT specialisations have come off the MODL.

This is not to be confused with the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) where there has been no change and all those IT occupations still attract 60 skills points as before. Just you don't get any additional MODL points if you have not yet been points assessed on your application.

Cheers
Steven O'Neil
Perth
www.iscah.com
Dear Steven,

We sincerely hope and wish that tomorrow morning Steven wontt come up with a news that IT is wiped out from the SOL altogether.

Regards

skbn136app
 
Old Nov 12th 2003, 9:37 am
  #9  
I CU HACKN
 
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 139
keyurlavingia is an unknown quantity at this point
Default Re: IT occupations to further come of the MODL list

I agree with that totally. What is your ASCO code skbn ? Mine is 2231-13. Looks like you are from India ...looking at your previous posts on this forum. I am.

Keyur.


Originally posted by skbn136app
Dear Steven,

We sincerely hope and wish that tomorrow morning Steven wontt come up with a news that IT is wiped out from the SOL altogether.

Regards

skbn136app
keyurlavingia is offline  
Old Nov 12th 2003, 9:42 am
  #10  
George Lombard
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: IT occupations to further come of the MODL list

Hi Steven, Jeremy, Peter,

Actually there is a para in the Financial Review piece which is probably or
much greater significance than the MODL list (although apologies to those
who were relying on SAP and PeopleSoft points), and that is the virtual end
of PQBS labour hire firms. We learned today that DIMIA is amending the PAMS
to prevent the kind of short-term contract arrangements they have previously
used. The following email from one of the PQBS firms explains the position.

Cheers

George Lombard
--
www.austimmigration.com.au

For a number of years now Geoffrey Nathan Consulting has been working in a
complementary way to assist recruitment agencies in meeting client demands
for skilled personnel. Geoffrey Nathan Consulting has been able to sponsor
people from overseas who have skills in demand in Australia, and then
provide those personnel under contract to recruitment agencies to satisfy
their client's demands. This mechanism enabled recruitment agencies to
place skilled expatriates at different client sites to meet changing client
needs, whilst the expatriate remained a sponsored employee of Geoffrey
Nathan Consulting.


CHANGING THE WAY WE DO BUSINESS
Geoffrey Nathan Consulting and a number of other similar organisations have
been engaged in detailed and intensive discussions with the Department of
Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs regarding the
application of migration law and policy to sponsored employment
arrangements.

It is now clear that the arrangements that have operated until now between
Geoffrey Nathan Consulting and recruitment agencies that facilitated short
term contract placement of expatriates sponsored by Geoffrey Nathan
Consulting must now cease.
It has been agreed with the immigration department that all future
sponsored employees of Geoffrey Nathan Consulting may be contracted only
directly to client sites pursuant to contractual arrangements between
Geoffrey Nathan Consulting and the client site employer. That is, Geoffrey
Nathan Consulting must have a direct relationship with the employer at the
client site at which the sponsored employee is performing services.

No further short-term contract placements will be entered into between
Geoffrey Nathan Consulting and recruitment agencies. Geoffrey Nathan
Consulting will be working with recruitment agencies with whom existing
arrangements exist, to regularise the visa and employment status of those
visa holders who are working under current arrangements.
The immigration department understands that many labour hire firms and
recruitment agencies will need to change the way they do business with each
other when a sponsored expatriate is involved.

Some things will not change. For example, Geoffrey Nathan Consulting will
continue to sponsor skilled expatriates for whom a recruitment agency has
arranged a permanent placement. Under this arrangement the sponsored
employee will be contracted directly by Geoffrey Nathan Consulting to the
client site.


LOOKING AHEAD TO SOME NEW BUSINESS
Geoffrey Nathan Consulting does have some alternatives to suggest about how
we can continue to work with recruitment agencies and would like your
feedback on these:
1. Geoffrey Nathan Consulting can deal directly with the work site client
employer and invoice directly for the sponsored employee's hourly rate as
well as the recruitment agency's margin and on costs. Upon receipt by
Geoffrey Nathan Consulting of the funds from the client, Geoffrey Nathan
Consulting will pay immediately the recruitment agency their margin.
2. A recruitment agency may be interested in participating with Geoffrey
Nathan Consulting in a joint venture whereby the two parties have a joint
account into which the work site client employer client is able to pay the
contractor rate, from which the recruitment agency is able to directly
withdraw its margin and on cost, and Geoffrey Nathan Consulting is also
able to withdraw its payment to enable the sponsored employee to be paid.

Geoffrey Nathan Consulting is an ethical company and in entering into an
arrangement with a recruitment agency, would not contact the agency's
clients directly without prior agreement, nor would Geoffrey Nathan
Consulting offer the agency's clients a recruitment service.


STARTING NOW
Geoffrey Nathan Consulting is currently reviewing its sponsorship processes
for candidates and there will be some changes made in the next few days to
facilitate the firm's commitment to compliance with the immigration
department's requirements.
Until such time that we have agreed upon new arrangements with recruitment
agencies, we will not be able to process any visa applications for your
candidates.

Regards,

Nisha Patel
Placement Account Manager
Geoffrey Nathan Consulting
Level 14, 23-25 Hunter Street,
Sydney, NSW, 2000

Ph: (02) 9235 3598
Fax: (02) 9235 3605
Email: [email protected]





"ptlabs" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Originally posted by keyurlavingia
    > > This is a big shock for people like me who are in the IT sector.
    > >
    > Big shock? I would think it's shocking that the MODL still has any IT
    > occupation listed, given the present state of affairs in the IT sector.
    > Peter
    > --
    > This post is an expression of opinion and is neither legal nor immigration
advice.
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com
 
Old Nov 13th 2003, 12:45 am
  #11  
BE Enthusiast
Thread Starter
 
Joined: Nov 2002
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Posts: 368
Steven O'Neil is an unknown quantity at this point
Default Re: IT occupations to further come of the MODL list

Thanks George

Very useful and as you said significant information !

Regards

Steven O'Neil
Perth
www.iscah.com
Steven O'Neil is offline  
Old Nov 13th 2003, 7:38 am
  #12  
Carlos
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: IT occupations to further come of the MODL list

..and about time too - there's way too many local IT professionals
unable to find meaningful work.

Carlos

Steven O'Neil <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
    > An article from an Australian newspaper ..
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    > IT skills to drop off migrant list
    >
    > By Rachel Lebihan
    >
    > The Australian Financial Review, November 11, 2003
    >
    > http://afr.com/articles/2003/11/10/1068329484457.html
    >
    >
    >
    > The federal government is today expected to reduce the number of
    > technology
    >
    > skills that feature on Australia's most-wanted list after coming under
    >
    > pressure to alter the rules governing the migration of IT workers to the
    >
    > country.
    >
    >
    >
    > The Migration Occupations in Demand List produced by the Department of
    >
    > Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs lists occupations that
    >
    > are in short supply in Australia.
    >
    >
    >
    > Migration applicants receive points if their nominated occupation
    > appears
    >
    > on the MODL.
    >
    >
    >
    > The technology component of the MODL peaked at 26 skills in May 2001.
    >
    > Before the six-monthly update expected today, that had shrunk to
    > four; SAP,
    >
    > PeopleSoft, Java security and CISSP (Certification for the Information
    >
    > Systems Security Professional).
    >
    >
    >
    > The executive director of the Australian Information Industry
    > Association,
    >
    > Rob Durie, said he would welcome the tightening of the IT skilled
    > migration
    >
    > list because it lagged marketplace reality.
    >
    >
    >
    > "It would be nice if the lag wasn't quite so pronounced," Mr Durie said.
    >
    > "We certainly wouldn't disagree with further tightening. However, we
    > want
    >
    > to make sure it's flexible in the future as we expect that demand for IT
    >
    > professionals will increase."
    >
    >
    >
    > The president of the Australian Computer Society, Richard Hogg, said any
    >
    > change to immigration policy needed to be controlled and not a
    > "knee-jerk
    >
    > reaction" like that which had led to the glut of people in the IT labour
    >
    > market.
    >
    >
    >
    > "We need to get some of those people driving cabs and mowing lawns back
    >
    > into the IT workplace," Mr Hogg said. "I'm sure we've got enough SAP and
    >
    > Peoplesoft trained people in Australia. The only area that we're likely
    > to
    >
    > have shortages is in security."
    >
    >
    >
    > But changes to the MODL alone are considered by some to be
    > insufficient to
    >
    > benefit the technology sector's tight labour market.
    >
    >
    >
    > Immigration analyst Bob Kinnaird has told an ongoing
    > parliamentary inquiry
    >
    > into Australia's skilled migration that policy changes, including a
    >
    > reduction of IT skills on the MODL, "did not go far enough to adequately
    >
    > protect Australian residents, especially new graduates".
    >
    >
    >
    > Mr Kinnaird said the number of overseas IT students that were allowed to
    >
    > work upon completion of local university courses needed to be
    > reduced "very
    >
    > substantially . . . possibly down to zero for a time".
    >
    >
    >
    > A DIMIA spokeswoman said recent changes had been made to policy
    > affecting
    >
    > overseas students graduating from universities.
    >
    >
    >
    > In July the minimum study period enabling overseas students to apply for
    >
    > general skilled migration was increased from one to two years.
    >
    >
    >
    > Mr Hogg, however, said overseas students who worked in Australia after
    >
    > studying here were not the concern, but the short-term 457 visa
    > scheme was
    >
    > a loophole that needed reform. The scheme is not subject to the MODL so
    >
    > applicants - including holiday makers - can be employed in IT roles that
    >
    > are in oversupply.
    >
    >
    >
    > Critics also argued that recruitment agencies, which can apply for the
    >
    > visas on behalf of employees, do not have to conduct labour
    > market testing
    >
    > to prove local talent was unavailable.
    >
    >
    >
    > Mr Hogg said there was evidence that certain recruitment companies were
    >
    > "flogging a significant amount of people out at cheap rates and
    > not looking
    >
    > at the Australian labour market to see what's available first".
    >
    >
    >
    > Mr Kinnaird also told the skilled migration inquiry that the 457 visa
    >
    > scheme needed to be reviewed. He suggested 457s only be granted for
    >
    > computing skills in short supply and that labour market testing
    > first be held.
    >
    >
    >
    > However, DIMIA is now believed to be more vigorously enforcing the
    >
    > requirement that people on 457 visas have to be employed for the
    > whole time
    >
    > they are in Australia.
    >
    >
    >
    > This requirement should help stamp out recruitment firms that obtain the
    >
    > visas, give them to people without job availability, and then
    > farm them out
    >
    > as cheap contract labour for a few months at a time.
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    > Regards
    >
    >
    >
    > Steven O'Neil
    >
    > Iscah Migration
    >
    > Perth
    >
    > www.iscah.com
 
Old Nov 13th 2003, 7:50 am
  #13  
Vincent
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: IT occupations to further come of the MODL list

Just as a clarification...I am on a 457 visa and have a three tiered
arrangment in place:

1) My sponsor - a managment company
2) Recruitment Agency
3) Actual client site where I have been for almost 2 years

Is this the sort of arrangment that will cease? and if so, when will
this new edict be in place?

please advice

Vincent


Steven O'Neil <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
    > Thanks George
    >
    >
    >
    > Very useful and as you said significant information !
    >
    >
    >
    > Regards
    >
    >
    >
    > Steven O'Neil
    >
    > Perth
    >
    > www.iscah.com
 
Old Nov 13th 2003, 5:07 pm
  #14  
George Lombard
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: IT occupations to further come of the MODL list

Hi Steve,

I think that the news of the end of the current MODL is premature. I
understand that the Minister still hasn't signed the instrument so it won't
be gazetted until, most likely, 26 November. Time to start lobbying case
officers...

Cheers

George Lombard
--
www.austimmigration.com.au
 
Old Nov 14th 2003, 11:41 am
  #15  
BE Enthusiast
Thread Starter
 
Joined: Nov 2002
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Posts: 368
Steven O'Neil is an unknown quantity at this point
Default Re: IT occupations to further come of the MODL list

Hiya George

You are right, there does seem to be a bit of a time lag. Was just the article that got me interested. But to everyone out there who may find they don't meet the passmark because they may lose 10 points for their specialisation dropping off MODL.. take George's advice and encourage your case officer to assess your points before it happens !

Cheers
Steven O'Neil
Perth
www.iscah.com
Steven O'Neil is offline  

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.