Surika van Schalkwyk, Mail and Guardian Online

DIAC announces capping of Contributory Parent category visas 14/04/08
April 11, 2008

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship on the 11th April, 2008 announced the capping of a series of Contributory Parent visa categories in light of continued high demand for these visas.

Caps are determined by the minister and used to ensure that the planning levels for various components of the migration program are not exceeded.

The numbers for particular subclasses were determined by the relative demand for each visa subclass as a proportion of the total planning level.

Once a specified visa class cap is reached, no more visas can be granted for the remainder of the migration program year, which in this case is the end of June 2008.

It is important to note the capping power does not affect visa grants for applicants who have previously been granted a temporary Contributory Parent visa and who are now applicants for the corresponding permanent Contributory Parent visa.

The total planning level for Contributory Parent visas for 2007-08 is 3500.

New Immigration Measures Announced to Ease Skills Shortage 20/02/08
The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, announced on 17th February that Australia would relax its migration programme, allowing more skilled workers to enter Australia to fill the current labour shortages that are facing Australian companies.

The Skilled Migration program will be increased by 6000 places in 2007-08, bringing the total number of visas to 108,500.

Permanent employer sponsored visas and General Skilled Migration visas will make up the increase in the skilled migration programme.

‘Employer sponsored visas are the highest priority because they put a migrant worker directly into a skilled job,’ Senator Evans said.

Senator Evans said the package had the potential to provide thousands of additional workers in the short term, especially for the labour-strapped mining and construction industries.

Figures out last week showed unemployment falling at a 33-year low of 4.1 percent in January.

‘Skills and labour shortages are also a major cause of inflationary pressures in the economy,’ Senator Evans said.