Once considered an Immigration Nation, Australia is experiencing a huge shortage of workers in nearly every sector of the economy, partly because of the COVID -19 harsh measures that saw the country closed to immigration for two years.
Before the pandemic Australia had the second largest temporary immigrant workforce in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Today Australia is has been rated second, just behind Canada as having the worst labour shortage in the developed world. This shortage involves industries like hospitality, child care and aged care, IT sectors, health and education.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Melbourne had a decline in its population by 65,500 in a single year.
The Federal Government is implementing the largest overhaul of the country’s permanent migration program since the end of the WWII.
Recently the PM said, “We need to be more attractive in the global labour market for the skills that we need,” Albanese said in September. “One way to do that is by providing that path to permanency, which is what we intend to do.”
For this, the government will increase Australia’s permanent immigration intake from 160,000 to 195,000 places for the 2022-2023 financial year. The breakdown of this figure is as follows:
- 6,800 in the tech sector
- 4,700 health care role
- 6,100 workers with ‘critical infrastructure’ skills
It is expected that this number will increase again due to the critical situation.
This opens the opportunity for skilled migrants to come to Australia and start a new life.
Permanent visa options for skilled workers
- 186 Employer Nomination Scheme Visa – this visa has 3 streams
- Direct Entry Stream – This visa lets skilled workers, who are nominated by an employer, live and work in Australia permanently.
- Labour Agreement Stream – This visa lets skilled workers who are nominated by their employer live and work in Australia permanently. The Labour Agreement stream might be for you if you currently work, or will work, for an employer who is party to a labour agreement.
- Temporary Residency Transition Stream – This visa lets skilled workers, who are nominated by their employer, live and work in Australia permanently.
- 189 Skilled Independent Visa – This visa is for invited workers with skills Australia needs, to live and work permanently anywhere in Australia.
- 190 Skilled Nominated Visa – This visa allows skilled workers that are nominated by one of Australia’s states to work and live permanently in Australia.