Mining Boom Putting Pressure on Government to Increase Migration Intake
The mining boom in Western Australia is leading to drastic skill shortages across many areas and putting pressure on the Government to increase the General Skilled Migration intake.
Western Australia has always had a thriving mining industry, but in recent years the growth and development of this industry has led to severe skill shortages in the area. This skills shortage is prompting industry experts to call on the Government to increase the skilled migration intake.
Business Council of Australia (BCA) CEO Jennifer Westacott believes the time has come for Australia to attract more skilled migrants “We believe at least two-thirds of the migration program should be skills-based so that people who come into the country have the skills for a stronger, increasingly diverse economy,” she said.
The current permanent immigration targets in Australia sit at around 168,000 a year, but the BCA would like to see this increased to at least 180,000 a year. The BCA is also pushing for the Government to make a greater use of many of the temporary migration visas including the 457 visa program and other new proposals.
If you are looking to migrate to Australia and have a skill that you think could be in demand you may be eligible to migrate under the Skilled Migration Program. For more information on this program or for assistance with your application please contact The Emigration Group on 01244 321414 (North) or 0207 118 2526 (South) and let our experts help you.