The signing of a reciprocal work and holiday visa arrangement between Australia and Spain will give young people from both countries a unique opportunity to experience the vibrancy of each other's culture, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, the Hon Scott Morrison and Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash said in a media release.

The arrangement, signed at Parliament House yesterday, means young people from Australia and Spain will have the opportunity to experience short-term work and study arrangements in each other's country.

Minister Morrison said the agreement will facilitate cultural exchange between the two countries, both in terms of the once–in–a–lifetime experience for the individuals involved, and in terms of the insights they will bring back to their home countries.

'The reciprocal work and holiday visa arrangement fosters people–to–people links between the two countries, bolstering our already close and positive relationship,' Minister Morrison said.

Minister Cash said the agreement will enable up to 500 young adults from Spain and 500 young adults from Australia to enjoy a holiday in each other's country, during which they may engage in short-term work and study.

'This agreement is a testament to the constructive relationship between Spain and Australia, to the benefit of young adults seeking a unique cultural experience,' Minister Cash said.

OMARA has just released some figures in a sort of passing snapshot of the current migration agency profession.

Most agents have not had a complaint, but over a quarter have, which is about 1340 agents.

Well over a third have less than 4 years’ experience and 14% less than one year’s experience. So a third of those with under 4 years’ experience are in their very first year of practice.  This may indicate the profession is growing as OMARA states, but we need to know how many are leaving the profession every year before we can conclude that.

Average age is 44, so most have had substantial other work experience before becoming an agent. This is most likely a good thing. Experience can bring wisdom.

However, almost half of us operate as a sole trader (and this is probably understating it depending on other business structures). Certainly, there is an aversion to or avoidance of working together. There could be many reasons for this. One reason could be the average age, an age where most people have the skills and experience not to want or even perhaps need a job or to be in business with others anymore.

What can we draw from these figures? Many things I presume upon deeper reflection. 

Initially the “profession” seems as a whole fairly cautious, experienced and self-reliant. Perhaps however, there are too many inexperienced with the legalities of migration law and migration agency procedures and the realities of migration’s cut and thrust and or with running a business (closer examination of the complaints would reveal more here).

The figures leave much to work out and could be more detailed.

It is agreed that the need for initial and ongoing education is paramount.

Let’s see what the future holds. It is up to us to make it a good one.

Although there has been a plunge in the demand for sc457 visa workers with grants down by 25% from last year,  there remain some 108,870 people with 457 visas in Australia as of June 30 this year, up slightly on the same time last year, according to a new Immigration Department report.

A report in the Herald Sun estimates that 'at least one million such migrants have work rights, including 457 visa holders'. However, the report conveniently does not elaborate this point any further. Their figures would probably include students on limited work rights who actually contribute some $15 billion dollars to the economy by choosing to spend their education dollars in Australia over the UK and US. They in fact create work in the Australian economy.

The report also notes that across Australia about 52,000 people got 457 visas in 2013-14, with cook being the number one job (2720 visas), followed by cafe or restaurant manager (2070), computer programmer (1900), marketing specialist (1470), university lecturer (1290) and GP (1270).

In Victoria, there were 960 cooks approved, 560 programmers, 430 cafe or restaurant managers, 370 lecturers and 350 IT business analysts, said the department’s Subclass 457 Quarterly Report.

New Online Solution for Invoicing Overseas Clients in A$

Do you have a forthcoming invoice to send to an overseas client? Are you awaiting payment from a client based outside of Australia?

Migration Alliance have recently partnered with TorFX to introduce their currency exchange and money transfer services to both migrants and RMA’s who are sending and receiving funds to and from Australia, providing a cost saving alternative to the banks and credit card companies.

The Office of Deregulation has responded to a complaint that Migration Alliance made about high registration fees for Registered Migration Agents.    The response is below.

CRT150-Allan-1.pdf