Australia abolishes visa programme used largely by Indians
Team Udayavani, Apr 18, 2017, 11:44 AM IST
Melbourne (Australia): Australia today abolished a visa programme used by over 95,000 temporary foreign workers, majority of them Indians, to tackle the growing unemployment in the country. The programme known as 457 visa allows business to employ foreign workers for a period up to four years in skilled jobs where there is a shortage of Australian workers.
“We are an immigration nation, but the fact remains: Australian workers must have priority for Australian jobs, so we are abolishing the 457 visa, the visa that brings temporary foreign workers into our country,” said Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. The majority of the visa holders were from India followed by the UK and China. “We will no longer allow 457 visa to be passports to jobs that could and should go to Australians,” he said.
He said Australia will adopt a new ‘Australians first’ approach to skilled migration. As at September 30, there were 95,757 workers in Australia on primary 457 visa programme, ABC reported. The programme will be replaced by another visa programme, with new restrictions.
“It is important businesses still get access to the skills they need to grow and invest, so the 457 visa will be replaced by a new temporary visa, specifically designed to recruit the best and brightest in the national interest,” Turnbull said.
Turnbull said the new programme will ensure that foreign workers are brought into Australia in order to fill critical skill gaps and not brought in because an employer finds it easier to recruit a foreign worker than go to the trouble of hiring an Australian.
Turnbull’s announcement comes days after he visited India where a range of issues, including national security, counter terrorism, education and energy, were discussed and six agreements were signed.
Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.
Top News
Related Articles More
Will impose 25 per cent tariff on all imports from Canada, Mexico: Trump
Internal divisions leave open question whether Gandhi’s vision will ever be fully realised in India: Bill Clinton
COP29: India rejects new USD 300 billion climate finance deal
Royal tour of India in offing for King Charles, Queen Camilla: Report
Indian-American leaders applaud PM Modi for inclusive growth in India
MUST WATCH
Latest Additions
Alphabet gets CCI’s clearance to acquire stake in Flipkart
‘COVID was different’: SC bemoans distribution of free ration
Telugu actor Shri Tej booked for alleged cheating, false marriage promise
Five arrested in connection with botched angioplasty deaths at Gujarat hospital
Deceased Kannur official’s widow moves Kerala HC for CBI probe into his death
Thanks for visiting Udayavani
You seem to have an Ad Blocker on.
To continue reading, please turn it off or whitelist Udayavani.