Australian Migration News

Why Australian Immigration is so successful

According to an immigration expert, Australia's successful immigration is the direct result of key change made in 1999 to the immigration legislation. Lesleyanne Hawthorne said the speed and efficiency at which Australia processes skilled migration makes it one of the best immigration systems in the world.

Ms Hawthorne said successful economic migrants to Australia can be granted Australian skilled visas within three months if they apply offshore, and three weeks if they are already in Australia, reports the Embassy.

In 1999, the Australian government made changes to its immigration legislation so that only those immigrants were admitted who could prove specific English language ability and a certain level of skill. The requirements for Australian skilled migration are continually being updated and are reflective of the current needs of the Australian economy.

"Employers will not accept people to work as professionals unless they have a good degree of fluency in the host country language," Ms. Hawthorne said.

Ms Hawthorne also added the Australian student visa program works well to placing international students in areas of skills shortages, and the government is committed to making it easier for overseas students to gain a visa for Australia.

According to new research, around 80 per cent of international students studying in Australia feel that their degree is relevant to their post-graduate occupation. The research, run by IDP, found that the key skills shortage areas of information technology, finance and accounting, education, health, engineering and technology were being filled by overseas students studying in those sectors at university.

"Australia has world's best practice on international education," Melissa Banks, an IDP researcher, told Australian IT. "We have the best recruiting strategies and ethics, excellent quality assurance, excellent data and reporting, and now we have the opportunity for ensuring Australia's future labour market demands are met by better mediating the transition from overseas student to Australian worker."

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