Australia's Working Holiday Maker visa program grew by close to 16% last year with the grant of over 258,000 visas last year. Minister Scott Morrison is looking to expand the program further saying that the program significantly benefits the economy in general and is of particular importance to the hospitality and tourism sectors.

Impressed with the economic benefits backpackers bring to Australia, DIBP Minister Scott Morrison is looking to expand and improve the working holiday visa programme.

Speaking at the Transport and Tourism Forum in Canberra recently, the Minister said he has noted calls from the tourism sector for improvements in the program.

“I am aware that many in the tourism sector would like to see substantial changes to the program. These will be potential considerations for the government going forward. We also anticipate the program will continue to grow, as will the support it provides to both the tourism sector and those sectors which are crucially interrelated,” said the Minister.

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IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) visa – Closure of ACT nomination program to overseas applicants for 2013/14

Acting on complaints from overseas investors and industry bodies about the difficulties and costs of doing business in Australia, DFAT has made submissions to the Coalition government to keep politics out of the sc457 programme and called for the introduction of a new “less politicised” visa for foreign workers.

Foreign companies and governments in the region have raised concerns with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) about the high cost of labour and the language requirements attached to the 457 visa program for temporary overseas workers, reports The Australian.

DFAT has taken these complaints to parliament in submissions calling for a less onerous programme in order to encourage overseas investments. The complaints raised include the following:

• Chinese investors have complained that the English-language requirements on the sc457 visas are discouraging investments. They also cite Australia’s foreign investment screening processes, long-time frames for environmental and other approvals, and infrastructure bottlenecks as a barrier to extra investment.
• Japanese businesses have told DFAT officials they want deregulation of environmental, labour and immigration restrictions.
• Indian investors have cited the cost of labour and access to visas for temporary workers, costs on resources projects and the “onerous” nature of regulatory approvals process.

The Australian also reports that Australia China Business Council national president Duncan Calder said the usual English-language test used was designed by universities and not appropriate for tradespeople and managers.

Mr Calder said requirements for higher test scores had excluded “vital” labour, and was “unreasonably” increasing costs for overseas investors on major projects. Recent changes to the English requirements had been “problematic” and the labour market testing introduced last June - which require companies to show they have tried for four months to recruit Australians - were even more concerning.

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