Cash set aside for 457 visa crackdown

[hampster 0]

Cash set aside for 457 visa crackdown

Monday Oct 30 00:02 AEDT

The government's troubled temporary skilled migration program will get a $23 million overhaul,

after repeated claims that workers are being exploited under the scheme.

The extra funding, over four years,

will be used mainly to crack down on bosses breaching the conditions of 457 visas.

These new measures will boost the detection of rogue employers who can face the sanction,

of being barred from the temporary skilled migration program,

Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone said in a statement.

The departments of immigration (DIMA) and employment (DEWR) will get $17.6 million

to run "mobile strike teams" - a move announced by the government earlier this year -

to ensure employers are not ripping off temporary guest workers under the 457 scheme.

Almost $6 million will be spent on improving labour agreements for DIMA and DEWR under the program.

Senator Vanstone again defended the scheme which has been used to help plug,

the national skills shortage, insisting most employers were not exploiting foreign workers.

Temporary skilled migration, as part of a carefully managed migration program,

has been vital to the economic success of Australia over the past decade

and these measures will help ensure the 457 visa continues to play a key role

in Australia's future growth and prosperity, she said in a statement.

The overwhelming majority of employers using temporary skilled migrants,

do the right thing.

DIMA's annual report, tabled in parliament this month,

showed it was not keeping up with the explosion in 457 guest workers.

Compliance checks on guest worker visa sponsors plummeted by more than one third

in the past three years as the number of workers employed under the scheme

increased from 27,350 in 2004/05 to 39,530 in 2005/06.

The most recent complaint of alleged exploitation under the scheme

was raised by the construction union in Sydney this week.

The CFMEU said four guest workers employed as crane operators had been sacked,

and faced deportation after refusing to sign individual contracts that cut their pay.

Edited October 29, 2006 by hampster

[Peikko 1,575]

I've never been to Australia, it would be nice to go someday though.