Australia is Still Needing Skilled Migrants From All Over the World

For the financial year 2005-2006, Australian immigration has successfully attracted more than 130,000 people, 8,000 more than the previous year. This year 2007, if things are to go smoothly, Minister for Immigration Amanda Vanstone said the government is targeting 140,000.

That’s 140,000 new skilled and professional migrants who will be granted their Australian visa and living the good life there.

Australia’s labor shortage is still on the rise, and it’s campaign to attract overseas workers has helped the booming economy.

For years, Australia has been a favorite immigration destination of the world. The reasons: high standards of living at a low cost, plenty of work opportunities, warm climate, safe surroundings, quality education (for people wanting to study in Australia), and most important of all, friendly people who would welcome anyone into the community. The figures for 2005-06 is in fact the biggest recorded intake of immigrants in almost 20 years. No wonder Australia is one of the most-diverse and culturally rich countries in the world.

Immigrants’ Choices

It used to be that more immigrants chose New South Wales to settle in—after all, New South Wales is home to the vibrant city of Sydney, both the mecca for job opportunities and established migrant communities. For 2005-2006, NSW topped among the other states, with 44,661 migrants coming in.

These days though, people migrate to all states in Australia and are finding out that other states have excellent opportunities to offer as well.

People who want to avail of their Australian working visa are advised to take online visa assessments to see their chances at a sucessful entry into Australia. Australian visa application is based on a points system, for example if his/her profession falls under the list of in-demand jobs in Australia. Accordingly, the more points a skilled migrant earns, the faster his/her visa will be processed.

Last year, some 59,507 skilled professionals settled in Australia, while family visas attracted 34,771 arrivals.