Released on = May 19, 2007, 12:14 am

Press Release Author = Urmi A Goswami, The Economic Times

Industry = Internet & Online

Press Release Summary = Good news for Indian professionals. Australia has increased
quota for highly skilled immigrants by 5,000, thereby raising the total number to
1,02,500 for 2007-08. Indians now are the third-largest group of immigrants, next to
the British and New Zealanders. Indians make up 10% of new arrivals.

Press Release Body = NEW DELHI: Good news for Indian professionals. Australia has
increased quota for highly skilled immigrants by 5,000, thereby raising the total
number to 1,02,500 for 2007-08. Indians now are the third-largest group of
immigrants, next to the British and New Zealanders. Indians make up 10% of new
arrivals.

While 5,000 places have been added to the skilled migration stream, the family
stream will remain at 2006-07 level of 50,000. Australia is facing labour shortage
in the highly-skilled job segment. The country is also experiencing its lowest
unemployment in 30 years. In this context, increasing the number of migrants to the
country has become quite imperative.

The skilled migration programme allows foreign workers to enter Australia under
various visa categories. Those with skills in labour-shortage sectors who have the
required criteria can live and work in Australia without a sponsor. Others can come
to work in Australia by being sponsored by an employer.

As the demand for foreign skilled workers increases, the Australian government has
also put in place stringent laws to ensure that employers do not exploit the foreign
lot.

Earlier this month, the Australian government announced changes in the Migration Act
to this effect, which include new civil penalties for employers who flout the law,
increased powers for the department of immigration and citizenship (DoIC) and the
office of workplace services to investigate employers, and faster processing of
applications for some employers.

For the prospective skilled immigrant worker, the changes will mean a higher English
language proficiency requirement. Employers that fail to meet their sponsorship
obligations will face tougher penalties.

The measures were introduced to ensure that foreign skilled workers are not paid
less than the minimum salary or used in jobs for which they are overly qualified
such as unskilled jobs or the ones that have not been listed under Migration
Occupations in Demand List (MODL).

Urmi A Goswami, The Economic Times

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