Australian immigration refocuses on attracting skilled workers

February 08 2010 by Liam Clifford

Australian government plans to change strategy to attract highly skilled migrants.

The Australian government has announced that it is to refocus its immigration strategy on attracting highly skilled migrants to fulfill shortages in particular industries.

It says it will reject some 20,000 Australian visa applications from low-skilled workers in an attempt to award more work visas to highly skilled migrants. The move is a response to increasing demand from China, which required greater resources to fuel its growth.

Industries like mining have welcomed the announcements as fears were growing that it would suffer severe skills shortages in the coming years.

Steve Knott of the Australian Mines and Metals Associations explained, "we need the people on the job now and the demand going forward will be even greater as these projects get off the ground.”

The international student industry is expected to suffer as a result of the changes, as the focus switches from attracting young students to study in Australia to attracting experienced workers to work in Australia.

Australian immigration minister Chris Evans put it simply, "we want to make sure we're getting the high-end applicants." He says that the immigration drive will focus on attracting health workers and people who work in engineering and mining.

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