| | | | Workers granted visas are managers and professionals | | |
Llb - Sat Feb 20th 2010
Back to blog home Ninety percent of temporary migrant workers granted visas are managers and professionals.September’09 changes to immigration requirements for sponsoring temporary skilled migrant workerson 457 visas have led to a trend towards sponsoring higher skills.
Figure released this week indicate that 90% of sponsored temporary skilled workers are professionals and managers. Those in the mining industry the most highly remunerated. Registered nurses, doctors and computing professionals account for the majority granted the temporary 457visas.
Grants of subclass 457 visas dropped by 45% s between January 2009 and January this year. Of those granted 25% were to UK citizens, 15% to Indian citizens and 8% to citizens of US.
The average salary level for workers on subclass 457 visas is $100,000. Temporary skilled migrant workers employed in the mining industry are, on average, the highest salaried with average total remuneration packages of $169,000 followed by the financial and insurance services sector at $127,600.
Average total remuneration of 457 visa holders over the past year were Western Australia, $114,800, New South Wales $101,100, Queensland $97,900, Victoria $94,200, Tasmania $94,100, Northern Territory $85,500, ACT $83,600 and South Australia $81,700.
Measures to maintain the integrity of Australia’s temporary skilled migration program include skills assessment for chefs and trades people and the requirement that subclass 457 visa holders are paid the market rate salary and employed under the same terms and conditions of employment as those provided to an Australian worker undertaking the same work in the same location.
According to a media release by the Minister for immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, “These latest figures show that the subclass 457 visa programs is responding to the changes made by the Rudd Government to protect local jobs.”
Though the Rudd Government does recognise the need for industry to access temporary skilled overseas labour where there are demonstrated skills shortages the government is also committed to protecting the vulnerable overseas worker from exploitation and ensuring that Australian workers are not disadvantaged by employers of overseas workers undermining Australian wages and conditions.
It is anticipated that changes this month to the General Skilled Migration program will lead to a greater demand for 457 visas for skilled temporary workers as a means to fill skills shortages and by some migrants as a possible pathway to employer sponsored permanent residency.
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