Steven O'Neil

Hi All

This has just been announced ...



'Plan to Attract more Migrants to Regional Australia
Joint release with John Anderson, Acting Prime Minister, Minister for Transport and Regional Services and Leader of The Nationals
VPS 004/2004

New ways to attract more migrants to Australia's regional areas were announced today by the Acting Prime Minister, John Anderson, and the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs, Senator Amanda Vanstone.

In 2002-03, approximately 8,000 visas were granted under regional migration programs, an increase of 92 percent over the 2001-02 program year. This is the highest level on record and now equals 12 percent of the total number of skilled migrants to Australia.

Over 27,000 visas have been granted under these programs since 1996.

'Even though there has been a steady increase in the use of regional migration measures, we need to do more to assist regional Australia to get the people they want and this is what we are announcing today,' Senator Vanstone said.

'From 1 July, qualified people who want to come to Australia as skilled migrants will be able to obtain a three-year temporary residents visa if they commit to living and working in regional Australia. After two years they will be able to apply for permanent residency.'

Senator Vanstone said there was also a new visa for self-funded independent retirees to encourage them to settle in regional areas.

'Under this visa participating State and Territory Governments will be able to sponsor self-funded retirees settling in regional Australia,' she said. 'Self-funded retirees provide an opportunity for Australia to benefit both from their capital investment and the money they spend while in Australia.'

Senator Vanstone said the consultations on these proposals have been continuing for some time and final details are being developed with the relevant State and Territory Governments and regional authorities.

Mr Anderson said many rural and regional communities believed that migration would counter population losses of past decades, helping to revitalise their communities.

'Some of Australia's greatest regional infrastructure projects have been built with the help of migrants, including The Snowy Mountains Scheme and the development of Mt Isa's mining industry,' Mr Anderson said. 'Those early migrants remained and settled in those country towns and regions where they first worked.'

The Australian Government would also implement measures to reduce migration to Sydney.

'These will be the subject of further consultation with the NSW Government before any announcement about the details can be made.'

12 January 2004'




I am sure more details will become available soon. I believe applicants will have to be under 45, good english and skill level. I assume it will be easier than the points test otherwise there is no point in having the new visa ..

Regards

Steven O'Neil
Perth
www.iscah.com

Steven O'Neil

Further information ...


"New visa bid to attract immigrants to regional areas
2:09 PM January 12

New visas will be introduced this year in a bid to boost immigration to regional areas of Australia and away from Sydney.

From July, skilled migrants will be eligible for a three-year temporary residence visa if they commit to working in regional Australia.

Acting Prime Minister John Anderson says migrants who get the visa will be able to apply for permanent residency after two years.

"These initiatives are aimed at redirecting migrants away from high-population centres, supporting regional employers to attract skilled migrants, providing mechanisms within existing visa classes that facilitate settlement outside of the urban centres," Mr Anderson said.

Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone says the conditions for obtaining one of the new visas means regions will get productive residents.

"[You must be] under 45, [have] good English, [have] recent work experience or recent Australian qualifications, recognised qualifications and skills, an occupation that's on the skilled occupations list and a preparedness to live in regional Australia," she said.

The Federal Government says it will work with the New South Wales Government to divert migrants away from Sydney and into the regions.

Rich migrants will also be eligible for a new "self-funded retiree independent" visa. They will need to have at least $800,000 and spend $500,000 on state government bonds."



Regards

Steven O'Neil
Perth
www.iscah.com

Alan Collett

Do you see how the new retiree visa will be more attractive than the existing 410-visa Steven?

Surely the "Regional Retiree visa" will have to offer an incentive such as lower financial thresholds ... unless the 410 is being withdrawn ...??

Best regards.

Steven O'Neil

Hi Alan

I wonder if it is a permanent visa ?

The wording says Self Funded Retiree 'Independent', which sounds a little close to the 136 Skilled 'Independent'. Otherwise as you say what is the point ?

Regards

Steven O'Neil
Perth
www.iscah.com

Alan Collett

In view of the significant increases to the financial thresholds pertaining to new 410-visa applications the introduction of a new retiree visa with lower financial criteria seems logical, and would be in line with the business skills visas which have State Sponsored options with lower financial criteria.

All conjecture on my part of course!

Best wishes for 2004, Steven.

Steven O'Neil

Thanks Alan.
You to mate.

Steven O'Neil
Perth
www.iscah.com

bubcay

Maybe I am just being selfish here, but this info has definitely ruined my day. As many of you know, I have been into the migration process for 13 months now and did the MEDS/PCC 7 months ago. I still did not get my visa (subclass 136 - Skilled Independent). I was planning to settle in Sydney, considering that I have friends there who could help me out after I arrive.

Now, I am not certain that it would ever happened considering that the few lines that were mentioned in this press release announce changes and possible bans on settlement to Sydney.

This is really not fair since I hoped that we are almost there ...

George Lombard

Dear Bubcay,

Don't panic :-)

These announcements cannot be evaluated yet because they were made in what
is known here as the political "silly season" by the acting Prime Minister
at the beginning of an election year, and the details have not been
released. He was simply repositioning his party for more migration to the
"bush", as we call the non-urban areas here.

I listened to the acting PM discuss this last night and it's clear that a)
these are extremely general concepts; and b) the NSW government has yet to
co-operate. I would doubt that there will be any significant decrease in
numbers going to Sydney, and certainly not in IT/financial/business
occupations, but we will need to look at the program details to evaluate
them. As a measure of how pathetic the announcement was, look at the last
two sentences:

"The Australian Government would also implement measures to reduce migration
to Sydney.

"These will be the subject of further consultation with the NSW Government
before any announcement about the details can be made."


Cheers

George Lombard


"bubcay" <member13063@british_expats.com> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Originally posted by Steven O'Neil
    > >
    > > The Australian Government would also implement measures to reduce
    > > migration to Sydney.
    > >
    > > 'These will be the subject of further consultation with the NSW
    > > Government before any announcement about the details can be made.'
    > >
    > > 12 January 2004'
    > >
    > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    > > -----------
    > >
    > > New visas will be introduced this year in a bid to boost immigration
    > > to regional areas of Australia and away from Sydney.
    > >
    > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    > > --------------
    > >
    > > The Federal Government says it will work with the New South Wales
    > > Government to divert migrants away from Sydney and into the regions.
    > >
    > >
    > Maybe I am just being selfish here, but this info has
    > definitely ruined my day. As many of you know, I have been
    > into the migration process for 13 months now and did the
    > MEDS/PCC 7 months ago. I still did not get my visa (subclass
    > 136 - Skilled Independent). I was planning to settle in
    > Sydney, considering that I have friends there who could help me
    > out after I arrive.
    > Now, I am not certain that it would ever happened considering that the
    > few lines that were mentioned in this press release announce changes and
    > possible bans on settlement to Sydney.
    > This is really not fair since I hoped that we are almost there ...
    > --
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com

Jaj

Hi Bubcay
The new measures will not affect those who already have PR visas.
And it's unlikely that people with 136 applications already in the
system will be affected.

Jeremy

>bubcay wrote:
    >>The Federal Government says it will work with the New South Wales
    >>Government to divert migrants away from Sydney and into the regions.
    >
    > Maybe I am just being selfish here, but this info has
    > definitely ruined my day. As many of you know, I have been
    > into the migration process for 13 months now and did the
    > MEDS/PCC 7 months ago. I still did not get my visa (subclass
    > 136 - Skilled Independent). I was planning to settle in
    > Sydney, considering that I have friends there who could help me
    > out after I arrive.
    >
    >
    >
    > Now, I am not certain that it would ever happened considering that the
    > few lines that were mentioned in this press release announce changes and
    > possible bans on settlement to Sydney.
    >
    >
    >
    > This is really not fair since I hoped that we are almost there ...
    >
    >

Alan Collett

I think you're spot on George ... the more times I read yesterday's announcements the more I question the Minister's grasp of her portfolio ...

Either that or it is political posturing in an effort to shore up the regional vote.

Indeed, if the eventual legislation bears any resemblance to what I have read thus far the skilled migration program and retiree visas will come to a shuddering halt.

Best wishes for the New Year.

bondipom

I agree with you both.

Anderson from the National Party (previously known as the country party) appears to be closely involved with the policy. Personally I wonder who in their right mind with that money will settle in Mount Isa. I also wonder how they will define regional.

Steven O'Neil

Here are another couple of newspaper articles about the changes ...

Regards

Steven O'Neil
Perth
www.iscah.com


18.
From Sri Lanka to Ballarat - a sign of things to come
By Orietta Guerrera
The Age (Australia), January 13, 2004
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/20...877762540.html

Two years ago Dr Shirani Gamlath and her husband Jayantha moved from Sri
Lanka to Ballarat - and they couldn't be happier. Their daughter Ashini,
11, and son Yasith, 6, quite agree.

The Gamlath family knew little about Ballarat, where Dr Gamlath took up a
position in food sciences at the local university, but were not deterred.
"We especially think Australia is better for children" Dr Gamlath said. "It
holds a better future."

The couple, who have permanent residency and are nearing eligibility for
citizenship, are taken by Ballarat's "calm and quiet and family atmosphere"
and say they would not want to be anywhere else. Now they are building
their own home, and Mr Gamlath is studying for a PhD in brewing and malting.

There should be many more Gamlaths, with the Federal Government announcing
changes yesterday to encourage migrants to settle in the regions.

But a word of warning from the Gamlaths, who said many centres did not have
the social networks, job opportunities, youth activities or educational
options to hold immigrants.

And Ballarat Mayor David Vendy said if the Government was serious about
retaining migrants in the regions, it was vital that services were available.

"We believe we should have a bigger multicultural population in Ballarat,"
he said, noting that only 10 per cent of its population was born overseas,
one of the state's lowest rates. The State Government also stressed the
need for support services.

Under the changes, from July 1 qualified migrants can obtain a three-year
temporary resident's visa if they agree to live and work in regional areas
- and the right to apply for permanent residency after two years. At
present most temporary visas bar people from applying for permanent residency.

Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone, who unveiled the plans with acting
Prime Minister John Anderson, said the Government hoped migrants would then
choose to stay on in the regions in which they settled.

"Once people have been in a particular place, their family are there,
they've made friends, their workplace is there, there's a very strong
likelihood that they'll continue to stay," Senator Vanstone said.

The skill level needed to qualify for the new visa has been dropped to 110
points, from the 115 points usually required to gain permanent residency
under the skilled migration program.

In 2002-03, of the 108,070 people who migrated under the non-humanitarian
program, 66,050, were skilled migrants. Another new visa, to be introduced
in November, will encourage self-funded retiree migrants to settle in
regional areas.

To qualify for the four-year visa, they must pay an $8000 second visa
charge to offset aged care costs, have full private health insurance and
invest $500,000 in bonds. Last year about 8000 visas were granted under
state-specific and regional migration programs, with more than half the
holders coming to Victoria.

+++

Migrants pressed to head for bush under new visa moves
By Mike Seccombe
The Sydney Morning Herald, January 13, 2004
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/...877763522.html

New measures to push migrant workers and retirees into rural Australia
through visas with more stringent settlement criteria were announced by the
Federal Government yesterday.

Skilled migrants under 45 who are willing to go to regional areas will be
granted three-year temporary resident visas, with the prospect of permanent
residency after two years if they stay there.

The scheme is aimed at helping solve the twin problems of population drift
from rural and regional areas, and the tendency of migrants to settle in
the big cities, particularly Sydney.

A second string to the plan, jointly announced by the acting Prime
Minister, John Anderson, and the Immigration Minister, Amanda Vanstone,
would encourage wealthy foreign self-funded retirees to settle in regional
Australia.

Retiree migrants would be given four-year residential visas if they agreed
to live in rural Australia and invest at least $500,000 in state or
territory bonds.

The scheme to attract workers will operate from the start of July, and the
plan to get retirees would begin in November, Senator Vanstone said.


The changes to the skilled migrant scheme are based on the theory that
skilled migrants would be more likely to stay in the regions - something
that has often not happened in the past - if they had the prospect of
permanent residency.

It also posits that once they had spent two years establishing themselves
in an area, they would probably stay there, even after gaining permanency.

Migrant retirees would need about $1 million to provide income, meet
settlement costs and the bond requirement. They would also need to have
full private health insurance and no dependants other than a spouse.

In Adelaide, Mr Anderson said the scheme to attract skilled migrants was
aimed at making up "real skill shortages" in the regions. He said despite
initial reluctance, people quickly decided these were good places to live
once they had "tasted" them. "Of course, if they haven't obliged to the
terms of the visa then they won't be able to stay in Australia."

Thousands of would-be migrants already live and work in rural Australia but
the Government is resisting allowing them to stay as they arrived as asylum
seekers and hold temporary protection visas.

bubcay

Thank you for reassuring me guys, I really appreciate your replies. Let us hope that they will not do anything hasty.

Best regards,

Cheers.

Jaj

Hi bondipom
There are already at least three definitions of 'regional' in place.
One for skilled designated area sponsored, one for RSMS, and one for
determining extra points for onshore graduate students for studying in
regional Australia.

Jeremy

>bondipom wrote:
    >
    > Anderson from the National Party (previously known as the country party)
    > appears to be closely involved with the policy. Personally I wonder who
    > in their right mind with that money will settle in Mount Isa. I also
    > wonder how they will define regional.
    >
    >

chris n

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Steven O'Neil

'Plan to Attract more Migrants to Regional Australia
Joint release with John Anderson, Acting Prime Minister, Minister for Transport and Regional Services and Leader of The Nationals
VPS 004/2004

Guess we'll have to wait and see when it's all announced. But a question I want to ask after reading all these threads and the actual press release - why is Jon Anderson acting Prime Minister?

Chris