Australia and New Zealand Immigration News

Australian meat processor T&R Pastoral has paved the way for a new era of mass migration into the town of Murray Bridge.

The company is sponsoring the migration of 100 skilled Chinese meat-processing workers and their families, 40 of whom arrived in Murray Bridge this month.

And, much like the wave of European migration following World War II - the most significant reminder of which is Murray Bridge's market garden and glass house industry - the latest influx of migrant workers is expected to reshape and enrich the town.

Parents are to blame for a shortage of skilled workers in Australia, the authors of a new study claim. Ambitious mums and dads are pushing children to enrol in high-status university degrees such as law, without regard to the labour market, the authors say.

Australia is suffering a shortage of workers with in-demand qualifications and skills in industries such as construction and mining, with some projects delayed as a result.

Rural Australian fruit growers desperate for workers have been helped out by the large number of backpackers who took advantage of changes to the working holiday maker visa scheme.

Australia faces a shortfall of 195,000 workers in five years time, the federal government spokesman says.

An ageing population was to blame for the expected shortfall, which would have a massive impact on Australia's economy, Workplace Relations Minister Kevin Andrews said.

"The impact of the ageing of the population is not something that is happening in 10 or 20 years' time, it's something that is happening now," Mr Andrews said.

Australia is crying out for immigrants to bring their skills. That's good news for Britons, who will be pleasantly surprised by house prices in cities such as Melbourne. Catherine Moye of the Telegraph reports.

Australia's Department of Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA) is looking to open a call centre based in London as a first contact for people in the UK and Europe enquiring about Australia and its visa requirements.

According to a Statement of Requirements (SOR), DIMIA is looking for companies to submit tenders for implementing and maintaining a call centre capable of servicing up to 1200 calls per day for at least two years.