Australia and New Zealand Immigration News

Australia's Prime Minister John Howard has said the number of skilled immigrants should be increased to counter labour shortages, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reports.

In a radio interview on March 3, Mr. Howard stated that more skilled workers are needed and that more immigration to Australia could be the solution. There is speculation that the skilled migrant intake could rise by 20,000 in the next financial year.

Australia's Federal Government is predicting a fall in the number of Skilled Migration visas issued to technology applicants in 2004-05, reports The Australian newspaper.

Citizens of the Czech Republic can now apply for 12-month Working Holiday visas to New Zealand, the New Zealand Immigration Minister announced on March 1.

100 young Czechs will be allowed to enter under the program annually. They will not be allowed to work for the same employer for more than three months. They will however be permitted to attend educational courses for up to three months.

Australia may bring in temporary unskilled workers to fill chronic labour shortages in some areas, the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper reports.

In a speech before the National Press Club on February 23, Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone said she was "very interested" in the idea of a guest worker program, which has been recently proposed by the National Farmers Federation (NFF), an agriculture lobby group. Her statements also follow comments by Prime Minister John Howard a few days earlier that Australia is "running out of workers."

Australia will not make any changes to Working Holidaymaker arrangements for British nationals, despite changes announced February 9 to the UK working holidaymaker program.

Australia's immigration system is one of the most successful in the World with over twenty percent of the total population of Australia being born overseas. There have been several new studies looking at the level of skilled immigration needed to maintain economic growth.