In an effort to assist businesses and industries dealing with severe staff shortages and lessen reliance on temporary employees, Australia on Friday boosted the number of permanent immigrants to 195,000 for this fiscal year, an increase of 35,000.
Due to the nearly two-year closure of the country’s borders due to the coronavirus pandemic, as well as the outflow of international students and seasonal workers, businesses are finding it difficult to fill open positions.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters on the sidelines of a government jobs summit in Canberra that it doesn’t make sense to bring people in, keep them there for a while, and then get a new batch to adjust to the Australian working environment.
We want individuals to obtain a mortgage, start families, and become part of the Australian family, he continued. Our narrative includes immigration.
The increase will go into effect for the current fiscal year that ends in June 2023 and will put Australia’s immigration objective broadly in line with the 190,000 annual cap that was in place between 2013 and 2019.
Just months prior to the Corona outbreak, that limit was lowered by 15% to 160,000 in an effort to minimise urban congestion. The administration withheld all information regarding the most recent data.
The two-day summit was organised by the recently elected center-left Labor government, which invited industry associations and labour unions to assist identify solutions to pressing economic problems.
Despite the fact that Australia’s unemployment rate has reached a 50-year low of 3.4%, a labour shortage has contributed to skyrocketing inflation, which has driven down real wages.
Home Affairs Minister Claire ONeill told the summit: Corona presents us, on a platter, with an opportunity to reform our immigration system that we will never go back to.
I want to seize this chance.
With an ageing population exacerbating demand, Australia has been competing with other advanced countries like Canada and Germany to entice more highly qualified immigrants.
Germany planned reforms to make itself more appealing to qualified workers, while Canada announced last month that it was on course to reach its goal of giving permanent residence to more than 430,000 people this year, more than double Australia’s.
However, the increase in the length of time it takes to process visas in Australia has put almost a million potential workers in a bind and made the personnel shortage situation worse.
Immigration Minister Andrew Giles said at the meeting, “We recognise that people might feel irrationally anxious when they wait and wait.” This is not good enough, and reflects the visa system that was in crisis.
In an effort to speed up visa processing, Giles said the government will spend A$36.
1 million ($25 million) to add 500 more employees over the following nine months.
Businesses supported the government’s initiatives.
We are in a worldwide race for the greatest personnel, and the more obstacles we take out of the way, the better chance we have of luring the top candidates, according to Ines Willox, CEO of the Australian Industry Group.
Australia increases immigration levels amid labour pressures
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