AUSTRALIAN IMMIGRATION NEWS

Skilled migrants to be attracted to South Australia Monday, 10 January 2011 The federal government of Australia and state government of South Australia have reached an agreement on immigration to meet South Australia needs for skilled migrants. With a huge investment of over $80 billion for major projects, and strong prospects of outperforming the national economy over the next decade, the South Australian Government is afraid that their local workforce cannot meet the demand for skilled labour. According to Immigration Minister Chris Bowen, the Australian Government is committed to attract skilled migrants who can make positive contribution to Australia's workforce in order to support the economy. The state migration plans are part of that commitment. "The implementation of state migration plans will provide flexibility for state and territory governments to nominate skilled migrants in a broader range of occupations than are currently offered on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL)," said Mr Bowen. Overseas residents who have skills in occupations included in the SOL can apply for a permanent residence visa thanks to Australia point- based immigration system.Sponsorship from a state/territory government is required for some of these visas. The list of occupations available for state sponsorship under the South Australian StateSkilled Migration program for 2010-11 contains 258 occupations that range from trades such mechanics, welders, and locksmiths to professional occupations such as doctors and engineers. If you are interested in Australian Visas, contact Migration Expert for information and advice on which visa is best suited to you. You can also try our visa eligibility assessment to see if you are eligible to apply for a visa to Australia. Source: http://www.migrationexpert.com