The proportion of IT professionals from India granted 457 visas and paid base salaries of $53,900 or less, much lower than experienced Australian IT professionals, has tripled under the Coalition government, a study has found.
The Australian Population Research Institute has found that IT professionals are the largest single occupation represented in the 457 program and more than three-quarters are Indian nationals who mostly work in Sydney or Melbourne.
The findings of the report Immigration Overflow: Why it Matters were released on Friday at the same time as the federal government announced a review of the skilled migration list.
Immigration and Border Protection Minister Peter Dutton has tasked the Ministerial Advisory Council on Skilled Migration to review the skilled migration program to ensure it better reflects “genuine” labour market needs.
Mr Dutton said the review of the Consolidated Sponsored Occupational List was part of reforms to “ensure that Australian workers have priority”.
He said Labor’s “mismanagement” resulted in the 457 program growing from 68,000 to more than 110,000 primary visa holders.
“It is important that the integrity of the list be maintained to ensure that skilled migration meets the genuine needs of Australia’s economy and does not displace Australian workers,” Mr Dutton said.
“Only the Coalition can be trusted to put AustralianAustralian workers first.”
Mr Dutton said former Labor immigration minister Chris Bowen included hundreds of occupations on the skilled migration list, regardless of whether they were in shortage or not.
Article Source: smh
