New Points System Worries Groups

The Australian migration department has recently been all out in its effort to attract more professional workers into the country. Thus, it has started to implement various changes in the skilled migration program since last year. And the department said that there are still a lot of changes that are in store for the program.

One of the latest changes that the Department of Immigration and Citizenship has introduced in the last few months is a new set of points assessment tests for working visa applicants. The points assessment is the test used by the DIAC to determine whether or not an applicant is qualified for a visa based on his qualifications.

Under the new system, English proficiency has been given a significant emphasis. Here, applicants who will be able to get a rating of “Superior” in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam will automatically get 20 points for the assessment. Immigration officials stressed that good English proficiency is important for those wishing to work and settle in the country permanently.

One the other hand, the DIAC has also decided to scrap the points that are awarded to applicants based on the jobs that they are intending to get in the country. Previously, this was granted in order to encourage foreign workers to go to certain fields, which the department has deemed to be in demand. Now, immigration authorities said that the changes will give equal opportunities to all applicants regardless of work plans. 

Another major change in the points system is the increase of the pass mark to 65 points. The age limit for the skilled migration programs has also been upped to 49 years old. This, officials say, is to attract more senior professionals into the fold.

However, various groups are concerned that the new points system might not live up to its promise. In fact, some experts argue that this might even lead to worker shortage. They point out that the tougher criteria will likely discourage a lot of applicants. On the other hand, even though the age limit has been increased, some observers have pointed out that it is likely that a narrow group of applicants will be able to make it through.

However, the DIAC is still confident that the changes that it has made will be able to address the current worker shortage in the country. They said that by providing tougher rules. They will be able to sort out those applicants that have all the qualifications that the country currently needs.

The Other Side Of Immigration

For those moving to Australian, migration into the country is often thought to be the best way to have a better life. Indeed Australia has long been considered as one of the best countries to move in by a lot of people. However, as it turns out, this is not always the case for those arriving in the land down under.

While a lot of immigrants moving into the country do end up having a good, if not better, life, there are also some who end up not be quite as successful. And then there are those that end up in a much worse situation. Thus, a lot of concerned groups are urging for the Australian government to take action on the issue.

Perhaps the group that has gone through such a situation the most are those who have arrived into Australia in less than legal means. Refugees are probably the largest that belong to these groups. Because a lot of them are forced to move out of their homelands, they often have no time to prepare the necessary documents that they need to enter the country. Thus, they have no choice but to make use of not so legal means to enter the country

Because of their situation, they often fall prey to many unscrupulous groups and individuals. It is not uncommon to here of refugees being exploited by syndicates for their own purposes. Often, many of them can not do anything for fear that these individuals would hand them to the authorities. In some cases, there are even much worse instances.

However, it is not only illegals immigrants that face such a problem. Currently, there is a growing problem of many legitimate migrants that are having trouble moving into the country. Often these are those who are not able to Australia's lifestyle. There are also those who are not able to find a suitable job during their stay.

One particular case is that of New Zealanders who are forced to beg around the streets in the major cities. It is interesting to note that Australia and New Zealand share a close relationship together. Thus, it is not surprising that a lot of Kiwis are actually moving here. However, not all of them are able to secure a better life in the country and end up in a dire situation.

Because of these a lot of groups have urged the government to either provide for the welfare of these people or help them in going back to their home countries. In response, the government has said that they have various programs aimed at improving the welfare of these immigrants.

Why A Lot Of People Are Moving To Australia

For Australia, migration of people into the country is very important. After all, the country's growth actually depends heavily on immigrants. However, while it means a lot for Australia, it certainly means more for those wishing to move in here.

You have probably heard all of the reasons that people has for coming to Australia. Some of these rather simple, such as “because I want to see a kangaroo”. On the other hand, there are also those that have a more serious town to it, such as wanting to have a better life. Whichever reason it is, it seems that a lot of people do indeed consider the land down under as the place that they want to move into.

One of the interesting things into look into about the people wanting to move into Australia is their backgrounds. A large portion of the people immigrating into the country are composed of those coming from the western countries, such as the UK or the United States. Perhaps a lot of people are wandering why people coming from wealthy western nations are moving to Australia.

Probably one of the biggest reasons that many of these people are pointing out is that they would want to experience a different lifestyle. This is rather interesting enough, since much of the country's people are actually from the western countries themselves. However, the land down under has evolved differently in the last hundred years or so to make it distinct from the Western hemisphere. Also, it has assimilated the cultures of the people coming from the other parts of the world, which makes it even more unique. This has made even more attractive for people from the western part of the world.

On the other hand, many people see Australia as a land of opportunity. This can be seen at the number of foreign students in the country, many of which came from the Asian regions, such as India. According to them, Australia's education system is ideal for their needs as it gives them better chances of landing a well paying job, either here or in their home countries.

On the other hand, the land down under have also been considered as a haven for those wishing to get free from troubled countries and establish a new life. Despite the country tightening its borders against asylum seeker, many still brave the dangers that they have to go through in order to establish themselves here.

Abbott Says Immigration Not The Solution To Worker Shortage

Over the years, many Australian skilled visa holders have arrived into the country to work. Indeed, Australia has long been considered as one of the best places to work in the world. And the land down under is itself very welcoming of the arrival of these foreign workers.

You see, Australia is, in fact, very much in demand of immigrant labor to fuel its economic growth. This is mainly because its relatively small population (some 22 million as of the last census) is not able to sustain the current level of economic development in the country. And experts said that this rate is likely to grow even more in the years to come.

That is why the country needs to get more and more foreign workers moving in. They are the ones that will be able to sustain the country's economic development, as well as further increase it. However, some groups are arguing that the current dependence on immigrants workers for economic development might not be that good for the country. In the long run.

One of the people urging policy makers to rethink their priorities with regards to immigrant labor is Tony Abbott. In fact, Abbott made this one a central point of discussion when he went head to head with current Prime Minister Julia Gillard and the Labor Party in the elections held last month. And though Abbott lost, he said that he and the Liberal Party will still be pushing for this issue.

According to Abbott, the country can't forever depend on foreign labor to sustain it. He added that with the current jobs shortages that the country is experiencing, it is unlikely that the current influx of immigrants will be able to solve it. He emphasizes that, in order to better handle the situation, it is necessary that training the local population is far more important in order for them to fill up the shortages.

But, Abbott pointed out that he is not against immigration altogether. He said that immigration will still be needed in the near future in order to maintain the stability of the of the country's economy. However, he said that there is still a great need to significantly cut down one the number of immigration intakes in order to open up more opportunities for local labor.

Abbott has said that, despite losing to Labor, his party will still continue to push for these changes. He is also optimistic that the government will be willing to take this into account.