Americans could have Australian temporary work visas fast-tracked
November 16 2011 by Helen Johnson
New plans from President Obama could see Americans having their Australian visa applications fast-tracked to help them fill gaps in Australia’s mining workforce.
The president is currently visiting Australia to meet with Prime Minister Julia Gillard. One of the topics they will be discussing is increasing the number of Americans visiting and working in Australia.
The changes to the Australian visa process is being called for by the mining firms based in the boom regions of Western Australia and Queensland. Major labour shortages are being reported in these regions and the Australian immigration department wants more foreigners to have the opportunity to move to Australia and work in the mining industry without having to wait months or years for their work visa.
Meanwhile, the US government has postponed an announcement about changes they may be making to 457 visas, which are those given to temporary foreign workers, while the President focuses on the trip to Australia.
It is thought that the Obama administration would like to see more Americans head to Australia to take advantage of the job opportunities in the west of the country on a temporary basis.
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