The battleground in the government’s sc457 review has now become more defined with both unions and industry bodies targeting the English-language standard as the key question the panel must decide on: should the panel recommend that the standard be maintained, or lowered?

The unions want it to be maintained given the current high-unemployment rates. But industry bodies indicate that due to the unrealistic English-language standards here, unemployment rates will go-up even further should employers be forced to send more jobs offshore in search of skills.

This stark industry warning has been put to the sc457 review panel by the Australian Industry Group (AIG), according to a report in The Australian.

Minimum English-language requirements were introduced in 2007 by the Howard government and raised by the former Labour government a few years later. Unions concerned about losing out jobs to foreign workers maintain that low English-standards threaten local jobs, lead to rorting and exploitation of workers.

Employers however maintain that evidence from their workforce surveys reveal that there is a national skills shortage which can be addressed with the lowering of the language standards to a level that is actually required in the workplace.

Join the Think Global VIP Delegation to Guangzhou & Shanghai for Australia China Business Week from 25th to 30th May.

To read more, please visit http://bricandchina.com/mission-to-acbw-china-2014/

David Thomas (pictured here) a BRIC Expert (Brazil, Russia, India, China) with a focus on China, and Dr Caroline Hong, Ambassador of the Migration Alliance, are co-leading the delegation.

China’s rich are funding business and investment opportunities in Australia via the Significant Investor Visa (SIV) scheme.

The magnitude of this development can be seen in the $650 million in legal/immigration fees spent by 65,000 applicants on Canada’s SIV equivalent.

These Australian opportunities are outlined in a recent SIV Newsletter produced by Basis Point Consulting.

Just a quick reminder to register your attendance for our information sessions.

There are still places available for the trade specific and general skills assessments information sessions in Melbourne and Perth.

Will job losses, fee hikes, a compromise on service standards and a dilution of Australia’s humanitarian commitments be the legacy of the new budget and the potentially departing immigration minister, Scott Morrison?

It has come as no surprise that the Budget has taken a tough stand on matters connected with illegal immigration. It is a culmination of Immigration minister Scott Morrison’s tough stance that has become steadily bolder and more uncompromising. But the new super-agency for border protection should not and cannot be allowed to be shaded in secrecy.

Noticeably, the Budget has hit illegal immigration hard. Unfortunately, it may also hit hard genuine refugees. For one, the Immigration Advice and Application Assistance Scheme (IAAAS) which largely helps pay for legal advice for protection visa applicants has been axed. In addition to this, some 4000 places in the family stream allocated to illegal maritime arrivals have been removed. These together have sealed a life-saving avenue for genuine refugees.

Of particular concern is the establishment of the Australian Border Force (ABF). Clearly emboldened by the success of 'Operation Sovereign Borders', the government has now decided to merge customs and immigration border operations into one unit with purportedly an uncompromising focus on border protection. The United Nations High Commission on Refugees and Amnesty International have criticised this suggesting that the Coalition government is plumbing new depths in international relations and obligations.