Unsurprisingly, Cameron’s conservatives want to limit Immigration numbers into Britain while the Liberal democrats had plans to call an amnesty on illegal immigrants. Now that the two opposing leaders have been forced into a power sharing deal it will be interesting to see what policy changes may result.

David Cameron

The conservative’s pre election policy vowed to reduce Immigration back to levels seen in the 1990s, with a plan to place an annual limit on the numbers of non-EU economic migrants. This would of course include Australian, New Zealand and South African migrants coming to the UK for work.

In addition, the Conservatives’ policy indicates they will continue to work on the prevention of illegal migrants; they will promote integration into British society through language tests for marriage visas and also tighten controls on the student visa system which they believe to be the biggest hole in their border control.

It does however seem rather unlikely that any UK government would target a particular country in order to reduce overall migration

They have been careful not to say exactly what the annual limit on immigration will be or how they intend to achieve this reduction. But it has been suggested by some tabloids that they may target Australians entering the UK for work purposes on skilled visas or youth mobility visas – roughly 3800 and 13,000 people respectively on an annual basis.

It does however seem rather unlikely that any UK government would target a particular country in order to reduce overall migration. Rather, it is likely that a change in UK immigration policy may impair the foreign nationals of a particular country to satisfy new visa rules as was the case with the introduction of the Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) and nationals of South Africa.

The policy of the YMS states

Sponsors under the youth mobility scheme are the national governments of the participating countries. Participation in the scheme will be limited to those countries that can meet the criteria for the scheme which relate to level of immigration risk, returns arrangements and reciprocal opportunities for young United Kingdom nationals.

Considering that in 2009 over 40,000 UK citizens entered Australia on working holiday visas it is hard to imagine that a UK government would want to restrict the number of Australians entering the UK on the comparable YMS visa when the current policy above infers that there is real value for young UK nationals in the reciprocal opportunities provided by countries like Australia.

“It’s very hard to predict what visa policies this new Government may change, if anything.  Should they decide to do away with the YMS visa, it’s unlikely that any forewarning will be given. The category could be discontinued overnight and my suggestion would be that those people considering traveling to the UK on a YMS visa make an application without delay!” says Sam Hopwood from 1st Contact Australia.

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Australia has – since as early as 1945 – been an extremely popular destination for young professionals seeking greener pastures. In fact in the last 65 years more than six million people have left the country of their birth and made Australia home!

The low crime rate, fantastic climate, massive coastline and friendly inhabitants (not to mention all that space) make for a very good life.

But just what does it take to make it big down under?

1. SPF 50

Australia is a sunny continent and its people spend most of their leisure time outdoors. If you love the sea and the sunshine, you won’t find more of either than in Australia! When you’re not working, you’ll enjoy a lifestyle of watersports, barbeques and plenty of relaxing. And also, plenty of beer. You don’t necessarily have to love beer yourself to fit in, but you will have to grow a fondness for beer lovers because almost everyone in Australia drinks beer! It’s a fun, friendly and social place and because it’s made up of locals and immigrants from all over the world, you’re bound to feel welcome, whoever you are.

1. Visa: a four letter word

Australia has a notoriously complicated visa process, which can continue long after you’re in the country. The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIaC) has strict controls in place, which regulate the amount of people entering the country each year.  There are hundreds of different visas and dozens of visa categories. However, we can summarize the common visa types into three groups of visas: 1. Skilled Migration –based on your skills, particularly your qualifications and work experience and the current demand for such skills in the Australian work force.  2. Employer Sponsored Migration – This is based on an Australian employer deciding they require your specific expertise to fill a position. 3. Family Migration – This allows you to migrate to Australia as the partner or family member of another Australian citizen or permanent resident.

Do you qualify for entry? Let 1^st Contact Visa assess your eligibility. If you have all the right criteria in place, they can do all the behind the scenes work and apply for a suitable visa on your behalf. Go to www.1stcontact.com/visas for more information or to speak to a consultant.

1. Do you have skills?

The Skills Shortage List and Migrants Occupation in Demand List are being reviewed and will be replaced sometime this year with the Skilled Occupations List. In general, opportunities still abound in the engineering, medical IT industries. Make sure your skills are in demand and then be sure to format your CV correctly for the Australian marketplace.  Check www.1stcontact.com/au for more information on which skills are needed in Oz.

1. A place to call home

Once you’ve established that Australia is somewhere you really want to live, you’ve let a 1^st Contact Visas consultant affirm that you could qualify for a visa and you’re pretty sure they’ll want your skills down under, the next step is to decide exactly where in Australia you want to be. Most people moving to Australia choose to settle in one of the main cities: Perth in Western Australia; Adelaide in South Australia, Brisbane in Queensland, Melbourne in Victoria or Sydney in New South Wales. Do a little research to see which of these cities would best suit your lifestyle and career expectations and get in touch with friends and family who have made the move and ask for their opinions on the different Australian cities.

1. Somebody to lean on

If you’re serious about moving to Australia, don’t try to go it alone! You might drown in a sea of paperwork, phone calls and red tape! Australian immigration experts 1^st Contact have offices in Australia and have an excellent track record for getting their clients organised, moved and settled. From visas to bank accounts to practical information about the country, 1^st Contact has all the experience and know-how needed to get you started, including a unique Kickstart package, which is like a survival kit for anyone moving to Australia. If you have any friends or family in Australia, be sure to look them up prior to your move and check whether they can accommodate you while you job hunt or find a home of your own. You’ll also be amazed at how much advice and assistance the locals are willing to give you!

Deciding to move to another country is a big decision. If it feels like the right decision for you, it probably is!

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According to expert immigration group 1^st Contact, recent changes to Australia’s immigration policy presents good news to both current domestic workers as well as to hopeful migrants seeking to relocate to Australian shores.

In a bid to head off an impeding skills crisis, the Australian Department of Immigration has radically shifted their focus onto attracting more highly skilled professionals by scrapping the current Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL) in favour of the new Skilled Occupations List (SOL).

This dramatic change was announced by Immigration Minister Chris Evans on the 8th of February 2010 who went on to say that   ‘Immigration should be demand rather than supply driven.”

Sam Hopwood, managing director of 1^st Contact’s Australian office says “It is clear that the government’s intention is to focus the migration policy toward sponsorship. Their view is that this particular change in policy will attend best to the problem caused by prior defunct policies that lured many thousands of accountants to Australia, who did not continue to work in their professions, and left continued shortages for local employers to cope with.”

It is clear that the government’s intention is to focus the migration policy toward sponsorship

The SOL is a far a more comprehensive and targeted list, making the MODL redundant. The most critical shortages are in the health-care, engineering and mining sectors.  The need for international recruitment came on much faster than anticipated largely due to the 5.3% drop in unemployment rates and a positive upturn in Australia’s economy.

“The skills shortages that have occurred on the back of these low unemployment rates has directly caused the shift in immigration policy – a change that is vital in order for Australia to continue to feed its growing labour market.” Hopwood adds, “Skilled workers living outside of Australia would be best advised to employ the services of a specialised recruitment and visa company, such as 1st Contact, who have the contacts in Australia to be able to seek out appropriate employers who are searching for their skills.”

For more information on this issue, contact 1^st Contact on www.1stcontact.com

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“Same sex unions could open up doors for those seeking to relocate to Australia”

According to 1st Contact, the recognition of same sex unions could open up doors for those seeking to relocate to Australia. This could result in the possibility of same sex couples being eligible to apply for prospective Australian spousal visas. Robyn Cory, 1st Contact’s Visa manager says “although we have not had confirmation from the DIAC (Department of Immigration and Citizenship) of this change, we remain confident that the criteria governed by marriage laws are the same criteria needed to motivate sufficiently for the approval of an Australian Spousal Visa”.

Warren McGaw and Chris Rumble have become amongst the first to publicly declare their commitment in a legally-recognised union saying they believed the majority of Australians supported them.

Various reports in the media state that some are concerned that the legality of the unions could be overturned which may result in a sudden rush of civil union registrations across Australia. The national government is currently seeking legal advice on whether to quash the laws passed earlier this month.

“We’ll be really disappointed and devastated if (the legislation) does get overturned, said McGaw. We took the opportunity today to have the legal ceremony as the law stands. “We couldn’t be happier, couldn’t be more delighted.”

Although Australia’s ruling party voted in August to uphold the country’s gay marriage ban, the government has also passed legislation to remove same-sex discrimination from almost 100 national laws, notably in areas around such as tax issues and employment.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has been a steadfast opponent of gay marriage rights and recently stated that his government may veto for a third time those laws which recognise civil partnership ceremonies.

The Civil society organisation, Australian Marriage Equality are campaigning for Australia to recognise the marriages of same-sex couples legally entered into overseas in such countries as Canada, Spain and South Africa.

The coming days are likely to be decisive in determining whether or not same-sex couple equality unions of men and women become the new status quo in Australia.  The immediate effect is for same sex couples to take advantage of the current laws as it has been speculated that should the laws be overturned, all unions formalised under the current law would be upheld.

From an immigration perspective, Robyn Cory adds that “this presents an excellent opportunity for our clients who have previously been disadvantaged, together with our future clients to harness the immigration possibilities that this most recent development in Australian marriage law presents”.

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The most prominent changes made, involves the English language requirements for offshore skilled migration applicants. 1st Contact have listed the details of this change below and are available to advise you further on how these changes could affect you.

* English language requirements have increased, by removing the option of ‘vocational English’ for foreign migration applicants (Australian Standard Classification of Occupations (ASCO) Level 4 occupation)
* The option for foreign applicants to receive points towards a qualifying points score, for the general points test for ‘vocational English’ has been removed.
* Applicants applying with ‘concessional competent English’, will no longer be restricted to being nominated by a State or Territory, or sponsored by a person who resides in a State or Territory, in which arrangements are established for suitable English language training. They will also not be required to enroll in an English language course and pay the fee.
* For primary applicants who are relying on attaining partner points in the general points test, no points will be awarded if the partner has ‘vocational English’ and if claiming ‘concessional competent English’.

Further to the above changes, 1st Contact would like to create awareness around the closing of a loophole that previously allowed applicants, of the contributory parent visa, to avoid paying half the required contribution, thus saving them in the region of $30,000 AUD. It has been found that eligible parents were nominating just one parent and paying just one of the required contributions, then, after two years of residence the one parent would be granted permanent status in Australia and be eligible to sponsor their spouse on a partner visa. Although not illegal this loophole has been identified and is not in the spirit of the design of the visa. As such measures have been put in place to stop this occurring in the future.

For additional advice on how to overcome the above issues, please contact us on
0800 856 2474 (in the UK) or 021 657-2180 (in South Africa) or 1800 039 300 (in Australia).

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According to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) a 70% increase in working holiday visa grants over the past five years has been reported. Figures previously stood at 93,844 in 2003-04 versus a massive rise to 157, 574 for the period of 2007-08.

There is currently no limit to the number of applications for holiday visas for 25 participating countries whose citizens aged between 18 and 30 are eligible to apply for work in Australia. Though many applicants tend to undertake unskilled jobs, one is legally able to work in any position for up to six months.

Even before the economic crisis set in last year, residents of the world’s most sophisticated cities have been quietly making their way down under.

American Jessica Rubinstein in her twenties told FC Blogger’s Lindsey Pollak that the lifestyle in Sydney was part of her decision to work in the land down under. “I just love how Sydney is a big international city and there are beaches 20 minutes away from the Central Business District. It’s laid back, has a beautiful landscape, people are friendly, the food is good and life here is just great.”

In the same article New Yorker Tracey Taibe says she has had more opportunity to advance her marketing career in Australia than when working in New York. “I also think having international working experience can boost anyone’s resume,” she adds, noting that her previous managers advised her that the “international experience is very valuable to anyone’s career”.

Contact Us

1800 835 148
(free phone within Australia)

Level 9
278 Collins Street
Melbourne 3000
Australia

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“Australia does still need skilled migrants,” says Anna McKellar, a Visa Consultant at 1st Contact’s Migration Office in London. “Occupations for skilled professionals are still open so individuals possessing sought after skills remain in demand.” She identifies recent confusion in the media as having emerged, given several professions have been removed from a critical skills occupations list designed to fast track applicants’ processes for individuals possessing skills in high demand in the Australian economy.

In January 2009 the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIaC) introduced the Critical Skills List (CSL), which highlights occupations in critical demand in Australia. On the basis of this list, authorities fast track an application if the potential migrant performs an occupation which is registered on the CSL. When any given skill is removed from the list, it isn’t removed from the overall Australian migration category of skills in demand.

1st Contact says it’s important to understand that there are 2 lists used specifically for the purpose of allocating points to an applicant’s points score when seeking employment in Australia. “They comprise the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) and the Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL),” McKellar points out.

In mid March, the DIaC reviewed the CSL and removed all trade occupations in building and manufacturing, with exceptions for Gasfitters, Wall and Floor Tiler and Electronic Equipment trades. The move led some to assume or report that these skills were thus no longer in demand at all, when in fact they were simply no longer eligible for fast tracking as they had been removed from the CSL. The BBC was amongst those who erroneously reported “bricklayers, plumbers, welders, carpenters and metal fitters are no longer required,” when, in fact, their applications are simply not eligible for fast-tracking during the application process.

According to Australian Senator Chris Evans, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, building and manufacturing trades will be removed from the Critical Skills List, meaning fast tracked applications for bricklayers, plumbers, welders, carpenters and metal fitters will no longer apply. “The list will now comprise mainly health and medical, engineering and IT professions,” he noted in an online statement on a government website.

The changes to the Critical Skills List are due to the economic situation in Australia, which has prompted authorities to limit migration intake for the next visa year, which starts in July and runs through to June 2010. The biggest slow down has occurred among the trade sector in Australia and due to this slow down in the market, DIaC reviewed the CSL, and has taken the appropriate action.

The Australian authorities will continue to review the critical skills list and according to Senator Evans, the “government remains committed to a strong migration program but will continue to monitor the migration intake and will set the 2009-10 migration program to reflect the economic climate as part of the Budget process.”

Although some occupations have come off the CSL, they will remain on the SOL (Skilled Occupations List) and MODL (Migration Occupations in Demand List), so applicants who satisfy the points criteria can still make an application for migration to Australia. The option of fast-tracking applications for skilled professions, which no longer fall on the CSL, are still available under State or Territory sponsorship.

www.1stcontactvisas.com

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According to expert financial services and immigration group 1st Contact, most of the UK migrants include young professionals ranging from 18-30 years of age, together with graduates, where it is believed that these individuals are fleeing the city of London to avoid the cold winter spell coupled with the dismal economic outlook, to take advantage of Australia’s flux job market and attractive life-style.

According to 1st Contact, with the UK banking, finance, construction and trade industries, to mention a few, being adversely effected from the declining UK economy, Britain’s young professionals who previously populated these professions are now actively seeking greater career advancement and skills development opportunities abroad, where Australia is proving to be a popular destination.

The abundant nature of the Australian job market has opened up copious amounts of opportunities for the foreign recruitment market, where it has been confirmed that last year alone, up to 30 000 British citizens took up Australian working holiday visas. This has been further confirmed with a 14.86% increase (from 2006 to 2007) in the uptake of Australian working holiday visas by foreign nationals.

On the other end of the spectrum, according to an article published in London’s Paola Totaro on 4 December 2008, the volumes of Australian citizens returning home from the UK, over the festive season has remained consistent and can therefore not be directly attributed to Britain’s economic downswing.

In order to facilitate the ease of migration to brighter Australian shores, 1st Contact is geared towards assisting these individuals with their Australian tax compliance requirements. 1st Contact offers the following advisory tips to individuals seeking a new start within the Australian terrain:

* You will be required to submit an Australian tax return for the 2008 tax year if you have earned assessable income in Australia or were an Australian tax resident during the year ended 30 June 2008.

* Most Australian citizens, who have resided in the UK on a working holiday visa, will be regarded as Australian tax residents and therefore may have tax obligations in Australia. Similarly certain individuals who have obtained alternative UK visas may also have tax obligations in Australia.

For any additional queries regarding the management of tax obligations in Australia, please contact Simon Howard on simon.howard@1stcontact.com or +61 3 9670 0669

For Australian immigration queries please contact 1st Contact Visas:
UK Office
+44 20 7759 7546
migration@1stcontact.com

South African Office
+27 21 657 2196
saoffice@1stcontact.com

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