Skills Shortages
457 visa influx not heading to farms
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
The numbers of people coming into Australia under the government's 457 work visa program has jumped more than 30 per cent in the last two months. The Federal Government says 457 grants expanded following a commitment by the Minister for Immigration to clear a backlog of applications before June 30. But independent immigration analyst, Bob Kinnaird, doubts rural and regional areas are benefiting from the influx..
"The number of visas going to agriculture, forestry and fishing employers has been relatively small," he says. "I'm talking about between 1000 and 2000, out of the 46,000 visas that were granted in 2006-07."
