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Prime Minister Tony Abbott says he
will overhaul the 457 visa scheme as part of his innovation and competitiveness
agenda.
Mr Abbott says he
wants to make changes to the scheme to make the 457 visa process more flexible
for business.
The Federal Government
says the current 457 visa scheme is too rigid and any changes are not a way of
substituting overseas labour for domestic labour.
Those planned
changes include streamlining the processing of sponsorship, nomination and visa
for low-risk applicants.
And they include
increasing the sponsorship-approval period from 12 to 18 months for start-up
businesses.
The Government says
that would give start-ups more time to make their businesses sustainable.
There would also be
more flexible English-language testing and skill requirements for 457
applicants. Mr Abbott says safeguards would be kept in place to prevent
exploitation and protect local workers.And he says the Government would
continue to require foreign workers be paid the same as Australians.
"We want these
to be more flexible, and we want these to be a way of helping business to grow.
457s are not a way of substituting overseas labour for domestic labour. They
are a way of helping Australian businesses to grow so that Australian workers
have more opportunities and higher wages. So, where there is the chance of more
investment and substantially more employment for Australians if we are more
flexible, that's what we want to look at. "
While business has
complained the 457 visa scheme is too rigid, unions fear businesses seeking
cheap overseas labour could rort the system. The main union representing
construction workers has criticised the Government's planned changes, saying
workers' rights would be undermined. The secretary of the Construction, Forestry,
Mining and Energy Union, Michael O'Connor, says they would be bad news for
overseas workers and unemployed Australians. "The changes will basically
impact badly on 457 visa workers, and it will impact badly on those people in
Australia looking for work. It will increase the chances of 457 visa workers
being seriously injured or even killed on the job, because it's going to water
down English requirements and that's going to compromise health and safety on
especially the areas that we cover. And by allowing employers easy access to
457 visa workers, it's going to make sure that young people and people who are
looking for work, long-term unemployed, aren't going to get a chance for a job
when they should do."
But the national
president of the Migration Institute of Australia does not share CFMEU concerns
about the effects of poor English-language skills. Angela Chan says current
English-language requirements are too strict and she also agrees with the
Government that more flexibility is needed in other areas of the scheme.
"What's
happened is that the program had bogged down in red tape and requirements that
made it very difficult for employers to sponsor skilled workers from overseas.
People often don't need to have a high level of English to perform their
trades. For example, a cook ... I would rather have a cook that could cook a
beautiful and safe and hygienic and first-class sushi, or any other type of
food that requires a high level of skill, then (for that cook) to be able to
read the sports pages of the local newspaper."
The Opposition says
Mr Abbott's announcement on the visas is unclear and it is concerned the
changes could have occupational health-and-safety implications.
The Government says
it will soon make further announcements on the recommendations of reviews into
both the 457 and the Significant Investor Visa programs.
SOURCE: SBS
