The Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) is very unhelpful with the parents wanting to migrate or join later with children. This is appalling government action or policy direction. 30 years is hard to comprehend how they can live that long for many. If the Abbott government relies on this as good governance, then we are sorry to say, your policy direction or attitude towards this particular visa category is not going to work. You are doomed to lose your ambition to continue your regime. A regime of uncertainly, ineffective governance and a regime of utter shame!
Further to this immigration tale, Migration Alliance through Liana Allan and Kristie Morgan has come up with the story of current need for workers in regional parts of the country posted online on 17th July 2015. They likewise commented that a change is needed to adapt DIBP policy consistent with its needs to make it fair and attractive to those potential workers and potential employers in regional areas.
It says and I quote entirely, “Regional employers are crying out for workers in regional areas. Regional Victoria is experiencing a lack of local talent in the following areas:
1. Hospitality - chefs and cooks
2. Diesel Mechanics
3. Fish Filleters
4. Farm workers in fruit and vegetable picking, planting and cultivation
5. Truck drivers (HGV and LGV)
Currently, the area of Gippsland, Victoria is struggling with ANZSCO codes in the agriculturual industry, as they are not reflective of the actual tasks and duties performed. Regional employers believe that ANZSCO is being applied inflexibly by DIBP case officers.
One example is the occupation of ‘Nurserypersons’ where the DIBP are restricting the applicants to ‘retail nurseries’. The first line of the occupation description in ANZSCO states:
NURSERYPERSONS propagate and cultivate trees, shrubs, and ornamental and flowering plants in plant nurseries.
DIBP case officers are applying ‘plant nurseries’ and adding in the concept of RETAIL to the definition, which knocks out persons who work in non-retail environments. The ANZSCO definition for nurserypersons does not state ‘retail’ in its definition.
By adding in the requirement for the position to be performed in a retail work environment, this restricts regional applicants to working in a ‘retail environment’. Let’s get a little bit real here. How many retail nurseries are there going to be in regional and rural Australia? Retail nurseries do not provide us with our fruit and vegetables. Wholesale nurseries do. Both require the same skill-sets. The bottom line is that the ANZSCO code for nurserypersons does not state that a person needs to work in retail. There are persons who work in large wholesale nurseries and on farms who propagate the plant from the start to the finish. Not anyone can just look after fruit and vegetables.
Now let’s have a look at the occupations of Chef or Cook. If an overseas national Chef would like to apply for direct entry RSMS then at the moment they need to score 6 in each of the 4 bands on the IELTS test. A chef who is applying for direct entry should not need 6 in each band. They commonly don’t need that level of English. Employers in regional areas are struggling to find people who can score this level of English. There is no incentive for chefs and cooks to look outside city areas if the IELTS test levels for rural and regional areas are exactly the same. If the whole purpose is to drive skilled workers to regional areas then the IELTS test for RSMS should be the same as the IELTS test for 457 visas in regional areas. At least that way there would be some consistency for regional and rural employers and their employees. If workers score less than IELTS band 6,6,6,6 then potentially they could move outside the metropolitan areas and score slightly less on the IELTS, applying for positions in regional and rural areas. There is currently no incentive for workers to move away from city and metropolitan areas”.
For those interested you can focus on those works or occupations listed on skilled occupation lists (SOL) or those in consolidated list. Find someone else who can help you go through the puzzle or maze.
What’s Up by Charlie Bulos, Solicitor in Victoria 30 years waiting period for Parent’s visa. Regional areas need workers!
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