Tag Archives: 457 visa

CFMEU rejects 475 visa program expansion plans:

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CFMEU rejects 475 visa program expansion plans

Created on Monday, 19 August 2013 05:53 Written by Editorial staff

CFMEU rejects 475 visa program expansion plans
The Construction, Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) has announced that it is gunning for swing seats in five states across Australia and the Northern Territory as part of a new election campaign.

One of the factors that has seemingly spurred them to conduct this campaign is the 457 visa system, which they continue to claim is being rampantly abused.

This is a claim migration agents in Australia have heard many times before, and will no doubt hear again in the days and weeks leading up to the election.

The campaign is costing the CFMEU more than a million dollars to conduct, and they have really gone all-out in terms of advertising.

According to a media statement released today, TV, radio, billboards and the internet will all be broadcasting the organisation’s message.

So, what exactly is this message? Basically, that Australians have “a lot to fear” from a proposed 457 visa program expansion.

“Young Australians are already missing out on jobs and training opportunities because of the 457 scheme and the coalition’s plans to expand it will be to the detriment of working Australians,” said Michael O’Connor, who is national secretary of the CFMEU.

This campaign is part of a larger CFMEU strategy, titled “Let’s Spread it Around,” which aims to increase the number of employment opportunities being given to Australians following the resources boom.

Liana Allan, treasurer of Migration Alliance, and other migration agents around the country have slammed this campaign.

In a recent blog post, Ms Allan drew attention to one of the CFMEU’s billboards, saying it was “misleading” and that Migration Alliance condemn the message it was attempting to convey.

It claims that Tony Abbott supports temporary overseas workers – in other words, those in Australia on immigration visas – at the expense of local ones.

It is Migration Alliance’s opinion that Mr Abbott has never made any such claims. Ms Allan called the suggestion “ridiculous” and said the CFMEU’s entire campaign effectively “vilifies people based on their immigrant status”.

This billboard was set up in Geelong. The CFMEU also plans to target advertising at Queensland, the Northern Territory, Western Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales.

So, Australian migration agents might want to keep an eye out for more “misleading” comments and make their objections heard!

CFMEU misleading billboard re temporary overseas workers:

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Why Mr AbbottCFMEU misleading billboard re temporary overseas workers
Posted by Liana Allan on Wednesday, 14 August 2013 in General

Migration Alliance members will be interested to see a picture of a billboard Dave Noonan and the CFMEU have released in Geelong.

From my perspective this is misleading electoral material. Migration Alliance condemns this advertisment. In our opinion, Abbott has never said he supports temporary overseas workers over locals. The suggestion that he has said that or indicated that is just ridiculous.

In my opinion this is just a beat up by the CFMEU to win votes for the Labor party.

To complain about the truth of this CFMEU ‘temporary overseas workers’ advertisement please contact the Australian Electoral Commission media unit on the email below. media@aec.gov.au

Debate over labour market testing laws continues:

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Debate over labour market testing laws continues

Brendan O’Connor, minister for immigration and citizenship, has been accused of bending the truth at the Skilled Migration National Employer Conference in Melbourne on June 21.

He was discussing the government’s proposed labour market testing laws, which have been the cause of much controversy among migration agents, business owners and industry groups.

The Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA), for instance, released a statement earlier this month that deemed the laws “unworkable” and likely to cause more harm than good.

According to Scott Morrison, shadow minister for immigration and citizenship, and Michaelia Cash, shadow parliamentary secretary for immigration, Mr O’Connor told those at the conference that the labour market testing laws were quite simple and just involved “putting an ad in the paper”.

“That’s it. There is no other undertaking required from the employer,” Mr O’Connor stated.

The Australian reports that he also said the intention of these laws is to strike the right balance between making it easy for employers to access skilled migrant workers while at the same time ensuring they invest in the local workforce.

However, when David Wilden, deputy secretary of the Department of Immigration, was questioned about Mr O’Connor’s statements at Friday’s senate inquiry, he contradicted the minister.

He said that in some cases “putting an ad in the paper” would be adequate, but revealed that “the way the system is going to work is yet to be determined in great detail”.

Mr Wilden went on to say that Mr O’Connor’s comments about the proposed labour testing laws and how they would affect those applying for 457 immigration visas were not entirely sanctioned by his office.

“I can’t speak to why the minister would have made that statement. I wasn’t aware of the statement and it wasn’t prepared by this office,” said Mr Wilden.

In a joint press released, Scott Morrison and Michaelia Cash have said they are unimpressed with what they call the latest in series of untruths from Mr O’Connor, which include his infamous claim about there being “10,000 rorts” in the 457 temporary skilled worker visa program.

Their press release said the 457 bill has been drafted without consultation or a regulatory impact statement, and that it is “bad for Australia”.

They are encouraging Mr O’Connor to apologise to the Australian people and “explain the lies he has been pedalling in secret to try and get support for his union bill”.

DIAC makes changes to 485 immigration visas

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DIAC makes changes to 485 immigration visas

DIAC makes changes to 485 immigration visas

Health insurance requirements for temporary graduate 485 immigration visas have been updated by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC).

The visa previously allowed graduates to stay in Australia for just 18 months after finishing their studies, but the new Post-Study Work stream element enables individuals to live in the country for up to four years provided certain specifications are met.

The updated visa, which came into effect on March 21 2013, means health insurance requirements are now different, prompting Bupa to release a statement clarifying several details.

Bupa confirmed:

·         as per 457 requirements, a signed letter from a health provider is needed for the 485 visa
·         Bupa’s existing Short Stay Education Cover is no longer adequate for the DIAC to accept for temporary graduate visas
·         Bupa’s new Essential Visitors Cover product became available from April 1 2013 and is on offer for people seeking both 485 and 457 visas

Bupa also said there is no official obligation to buy health insurance for the length of a 485 visa stay upfront and that this only applies under overseas student health cover.

Despite this, the DIAC has said every application is assessed on merit, meaning the upfront payment may be required in some cases – although this is not an official ruling across all applications.

Furthermore, Bupa recommended that people who had already applied for a temporary graduate visa when the changes were introduced should contact the DIAC to check the progress of their application.

Registered migration agents (RMAs) that are members of Migration Alliance (MA) can now benefit, along with their clients, from a new partnership between MA and Bupa.

The arrangement means RMAs and their customers now have access to a variety of health insurance products that can be specifically tailored to their circumstances.

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