AUSTRALIAN IMMIGRATION NEWS

New Immigration Deal to help Philippines Skilled Workers

Thursday, 17 July 2008

South Australia and the Philippines are in discussions to help skilled Filipino workers to work and build their careers.

Within the next 12 months, the State of South Australia and the Philippines’ Department of Labour and Employment (DOLE) are aiming to strengthen ties. The aim is to commit to a memorandum of understanding (MOU) allowing Filipino skilled workers to work in Australia.

It is expected that a further 300,000 new jobs will be created by the states’ booming mining industry over the next 10 years, as well as employment in manufacturing, electronics, hospitality, nursing, steel fabrication and other advanced manufacturing sectors.

It is expected that most of these workers will enter Australia on a 457 visa, expected to last between 6 months and 4 years. The main focus will be the recognition of skills obtained in the Philippines. South Australia Deputy Premier and Trade Minister Kevin Foley said “Australia’s strict immigration requirements can be met through cooperative arrangements around appropriate skills training and mutual recognition of accreditation”.

To encourage this, the State of South Australia is setting up a private training centre in the Philippines to ensure that local tradesmen and workers can meet Australian standards.

If you are interested in Visas to Australia, contact Migration Expert for information and advice on which visa is best suited to you. You can also try our visa eligibility assessment to see if you are eligible to apply for a visa to Australia.