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SKILLED migrants who line up a job will be given priority to come to Australia, while those who don't will find it harder to gain a visa, under a revamp of the nation's immigration program to be unveiled today.
The current occupations-in-demand list will be scrapped immediately and replaced with a new list of highly skilled professions and trades to be introduced mid-year.
Immigration Minister Chris Evans will also announce that the "points test" used to assess migrants on their qualifications, English language skills and experience will be overhauled.
The new test could better reward qualifications from ivy-league universities, English skills and certain occupations.
The government will also consider a new system in which businesses and federal, state and territory governments could review applications and prioritise certain candidates.
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The changes are likely to hurt overseas students in Australia who are training in areas scrapped from the skilled occupation list.
Those students will have until the end of 2012 to apply for a temporary skilled graduate visa, with the hope of acquiring work experience and sponsorship from an employer.
In addition, the government will deny skilled migration visas to about 20,000 people who applied from overseas before September 2007, when less stringent rules applied.
Under the changes, state and territory governments will develop their own migration plans and the Immigration Minister will gain new powers to limit the number of visas for any one occupation.
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Skilled visa revamp to focus on jobs | The Australian
SKILLED migrants who line up a job will be given priority to come to Australia, while those who don't will find it harder to gain a visa, under a revamp of the nation's immigration program to be unveiled today.
The current occupations-in-demand list will be scrapped immediately and replaced with a new list of highly skilled professions and trades to be introduced mid-year.
Immigration Minister Chris Evans will also announce that the "points test" used to assess migrants on their qualifications, English language skills and experience will be overhauled.
The new test could better reward qualifications from ivy-league universities, English skills and certain occupations.
The government will also consider a new system in which businesses and federal, state and territory governments could review applications and prioritise certain candidates.
......
The changes are likely to hurt overseas students in Australia who are training in areas scrapped from the skilled occupation list.
Those students will have until the end of 2012 to apply for a temporary skilled graduate visa, with the hope of acquiring work experience and sponsorship from an employer.
In addition, the government will deny skilled migration visas to about 20,000 people who applied from overseas before September 2007, when less stringent rules applied.
Under the changes, state and territory governments will develop their own migration plans and the Immigration Minister will gain new powers to limit the number of visas for any one occupation.
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Skilled visa revamp to focus on jobs | The Australian
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