New rules will aid move to Australia for skilled

THIRD-LEVEL graduates and professionals who speak a second language will find it easier to emigrate to Australia under new rules that come into force from July 1st.

However, skilled tradespeople, such as builders or carpenters, who do not have a recognised education qualification, could find themselves ineligible for a visa under the new system.

Workers in about 200 different occupations are awarded “points” towards gaining a visa depending on the shortage in Australia of workers in their field. Under the new system applicants will still have to work in one of the designated occupations to qualify, but will not be awarded points for their job. Instead points will be awarded for higher educational qualifications, language skills and relevant work experience.

Irish-born applicants aged between 25 and 32 with a third-level degree in one of the designated occupations would meet the new points criteria. Older or younger applicants could still be eligible if they had a PhD. Applicants with a recognised apprenticeship qualification would need to have three years’ work experience in their designated (or closely related) occupation, or one year’s experience if it was completed in Australia. However, applicants who have no degree or recognised apprenticeship would be unlikely to meet the criteria unless they had eight years’ relevant work experience outside Australia, or five years in Australia.

While there are points for sponsorship by a family or local government in Australia, and for having a second language, those without formal qualifications would find it difficult to amass enough points.

Edwina Shanahan of visafirst.com said about 2,200 Irish construction workers were granted skilled migrant resident visas to Australia in 2010 and the figure was expected to rise in the first six months of 2011. “Come July 1st many of those workers who would have had no problem in obtaining a visa last year will now be turned away,” she said.