Migration agents wary of changes

Migration agents have warned new restrictions requiring trades people to have formal qualifications to obtain work visas will reduce the number of trades people entering the country.

The changes, which were announced by the federal government’s skills assessment authority, Trades Recognition Australia, last week, come at a time when business is already experiencing severe skills shortages and has sought ways to increase immigration to meet demand.

The TRA said that it had made formal qualifications compulsory for visa applicants in trade occupations and had abolished its skills pathway D, for workers with on-the-job training or work experience.

This affects both 457 visa applicants and those seeking entry via the general skilled migration channel.

In addition, as of this month, applicants from India, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, the UK and South Africa will be required to undertake a skills assessment if their occupation is in one of 10 trades.

These trades include general electricians and plumbers, mechanics, bricklayers, and carpenters and joiners.

“I think we’re going to see a shortage of tradespeople in about a year’s time. There’s a pool of applicants in Adelaide now, but we’ll start to see the effect in nine to 12 months,” ISCAH Australian Migration Consultants migration agent, Steve O’Neil, said.

Mr O’Neil said he estimated that at least 40 per cent of all trades applications came under pathway D. He said the changes had been made partly to combat misleading applications.

“The department has often found that work experience letters are fraudulent, or that the applicant never worked there, or they exaggerated their experience,” he said.

A further change, which is likely to affect applications from 457 visa candidates, is the government’s decision to award skills assessment for the select group of trades to VETASSESS – a consortium of Western Australian and Victorian training organisations.

The cost of a skills assessment will be $2,100, rather than $300 under the existing TRA system, which Mr O’Neil said was likely to be prohibitive.

He believes the government may reintroduce some option for work experience applicants down the track.  “I think what will happen is that in the next few months, a more rigorous testing process will come in,” he said.

“Until [the government] is able to say the assessment process is better, TRA has canned all applications and sent them back.”

Visa Solutions Australia managing director, Dan Engles, said the changes would provide a bias against applicants from countries without a formal trades qualification requirement, including countries in Asia.

“It’s a catch-22. They give an advantage for Australian work experience, but you can’t get experience without being here,” he said.

“The indication is the government wants the 457 visa to be the main point of entry.”

Other legislation to come into effect this week nominates a revised minimum salary for workers on a 457 visa. For those working a 38-hour week, the minimum salary of $41,850 applies. Workers employed for 45 hours or more will be paid on a pro rata basis.