Australian Visa Update
Australia’s mining industry is advocating for a more flexible immigration policy as local unemployment rates continue to fall and a greater emphasis on access to skilled immigrationbecomes central to sustaining new and expanded mining-related projects already in the pipeline.
Sam Walsh, Rio Tinto iron ore executive director, told The Australian on November 6, 2010 ….
“As we move forward with $A.140bn of projects, there will be shortages in specific areas and there will be an overheating of the labour market — neither of those are good for improving Australia’s terms of trade or improving the basic economics of employment in this country.
“I’m not talking about a guest worker program — I’m talking about 457s providing more flexibility, providing a longer period,” he said.
“If you really want somebody to uproot themselves and come and live in a remote part of Australia, three years doesn’t quite meet muster,” he added.
Expat agrees with Mr. Walsh’s assessment, and believes the Federal Government will be obliged to relax the rigourous changes they have made to Immigration Policy in order to sufficiently support industry, economy, and investment within Australia
