Australia tightens visa programme

The Australian government is abolishing 457 visas for skilled migrants and replacing it with a tighter programme. 
In a Facebook-first announcement, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the temporary visas for foreign workers would be replaced by a new class of visa, better targeted to ensure that foreign workers were only brought in to fill genuine skills shortages, The Australian daily reported.
Announcing the changes at a press conference in Canberra a short time after the Facebook announcement, Turnbull said the new visa would ensure that foreign workers were brought into Australia to fill critical skill gaps and not simply because an employer finds it easier to recruit a foreign worker than go to the trouble of hiring an Australian.
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said anyone now in Australia on a 457 visa will not be affected by the new arrangements. "They will continue under the conditions of that visa," Dutton said. 
As at September 30 last year there were 95,757 workers in Australia on primary 457 visas and 76,430 secondary visa holders (members of their family).
The new visa will include a short term two-year stream with a broad list of occupations reduced from the current list of more than 200. "This is a very substantial reduction in the list of skills that qualify for these visas," Turnbull said.
A second visa class, focused on strategic, long-term skills gaps will have a four-year limit and require a higher standard of English than the two-year visa. Both will require prior work experience.
"That is not the case at the moment," Turnbull said. Both visas will require a criminal record check, which is not currently required. Turnbull said the four-year visa would also require mandatory labour market testing in the majority of cases.

Source: BNA