Australia has welcomed highly skilled human resource from India and those with outstanding abilities to the country through its new reformed immigration policies, aimed at boosting its economy. This will enable highly skilled human resource from India with Indian degrees in the fields of healthcare, IT, engineering to apply for immigration to Australia under its Global Non-discriminatory Immigration programme, Peter Speldewinde, Assistant Secretary, Labour Market Branch of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship of Government of Australia told reporters here today.
?We have brought in a fundamental shift in the immigration process, focusing on medium and long-term skill needs for Australia and the age limit for immigration of such human resource has been increased to 50 (from 45 yrs),? he said.
Those who apply from July 1 this year will come under the new point system for a direct visa application. While the proposed system of skilled migrant selection model will be based on an Expression of Interest (EOI) and will be launched from July 1, 2012, he said.
For the 2011 application, once the threshold English language requirement is met with, the applicant can claim points under a range of different factors (Indian degrees are now recognised by Australia) and must meet the pass mark of 65 points to be eligible for a points tested visa, he said adding that the highest points were for PhDs. The EOI is an online application form for skilled migration to Australia and once selected under the merit list the candidate will be invited to apply for visa, he said.
All these reforms will be brought together in the Skilled Migrant Selection Model (skill select) that gives government ultimate control over the level of Net Overseas Migration (NOM) by providing similar tools to those used by business employers to flexibly alter the skill composition of its workforce and speed up or slow down recruitment of workers as circumstances changes, the official said.
Australia is also trying to promote the intake of Indian students who are committed to pursue higher studies in areas that will help Australia as well as the individual. The visa procedures have also been made easier classifying only under 10 categories instead of 45, he said.
Justifying the reform in immigration policy, Speldewinde said, projections had indicated that without immigration, Australia’s human resource growth will almost cease within a decade and then become negative after 2036. This poses significant challenges for Australia, he said adding the solution was not simply to import foreign skills but was about attracting people, best and the brightest, well suited to meet Australia’s unique needs. Australia has also introduced the Worker Protection Act which imposes legal obligations on sponsors and stronger sanctions for non-compliance, he said.
The recent reform will also help in fast-tracking applications for permanent residence for those who have spent two years in Australia and if their employers are willing to sponsor them for another two years, the official said. Those who do not get sponsorship can go back to their country and apply to get the invitation under EOI, he added.