AUSTRALIA 2015 Annual Immigration Survey MARCH 2015

Transcription

1 AUSTRALIA 2015 Annual Immigration Survey MARCH 2015

2 BACKGROUND Demand for high-skilled workers in Australia has increased significantly in the past few years. Meanwhile, Australian immigration laws have been evolving in line with the policy objectives of the ruling Liberal Party. Many immigration reviews have been implemented over the past two years, and it is anticipated that 2015 will be a year of immigration change in Australia as the conclusions from various reviews are considered and adopted by the government. In February 2015, the Australia chapter of the Global Immigration Benchmarking Association (IBA) conducted a survey regarding Australian immigration policies and adjudication trends. The results of the survey will assist Australian companies in managing and understanding recent policy trends The survey was widely distributed to members and via public announcement and the social media outlets of IBA and our partners. The survey was open to all companies that sponsor employees for visas in Australia and represents responses from a wide range of industries, including technology, manufacturing, electronics, consulting, finance, banking, energy, academics, textiles, construction, transportation, engineering, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, relocation, and goods and services. The survey was comprised of five questions that cover areas central to the Australian immigration process.

3 SPONSORS The Global Immigration Benchmarking Association (IBA) (previously the Global Immigration Benchmarking Council) as formed to advance business immigration policy through information collection, dissemination, and advocacy. Participating companies come from every industry and range in size from startups to Fortune 100 corporations. Berry Appleman & Leiden (BAL) is a global corporate immigration firm providing representation to employers and their personnel worldwide. Founded in 1980, the firm has offices in seven countries and its 500 immigration professionals represent a wide range of companies, from some of the world s largest corporations to small start-ups in emerging growth industries. The Employee Mobility Institute (TEMI) is a dynamic community of professionals and industry specialists responsible for guiding Australian and New Zealand business through the complexities associated with relocating employees across country or state borders. Established to support mobility professionals and those servicing the mobility industry throughout Australasia, TEMI provides members with local access to information, education, resources, and a network of supportive peers.

4 KEY FINDINGS Employers continue to rely on the Subclass 457 visa category as their primary vehicle for accessing high-skilled workers. Indeed, every respondent said they expect to use the Subclass 457 visa category to secure workers for their company in the upcoming year. Demand for Australian work visas remains high and is expected to increase in the year ahead. Approximately 65 percent of companies say that their utilization of work visas will increase or stay the same in the upcoming year. The cost of sponsoring work visas is the largest impediment to utilizing Australian work visas. Respondents say that they lack clear guidance regarding the types of activities that are permitted on the Subclass 400 visa. Respondents also said that monitoring employee compliance is a significant challenge for that visa category. There is strong support to create a new Short Term Mobility visa. Close to 75 percent of respondents stated that their company would consider that type of visa beneficial.

5 QUESTION: For the upcoming year, what kind of work visas will your company utilize? Subclass 457 visas 100% Subclass 400 visas 67.8% Subclass 600/601 visas 44.6% Other 17.8%

6 QUESTION: For the upcoming year, do you anticipate your company s utilization of work visas to: Increase 34.7% Decrease 4.3% Stay the same 30.4% No decision has been made within the company I do not know 5.7% 8.6%

7 QUESTION: As an in-house immigration professional, what are the largest impediments to utilizing work visas? Departmental processing times are too long Bureaucratic requirements are too burdensome 36.3% 38.1% Bureaucratic requirements are unclear 21.8% Costs of work visas sponsorship are too high 45.4% Wage requirements or other local labour protections are too onerous 25.4% Other 9.0%

8 QUESTION: Permitted stay on a Subclass 400 visa is usually 3 months (with 6 months a possibility in some situations) and for most roles must be highly specialised and not ongoing. What challenges does your company experience when evaluating or using the Subclass 400 visa? Types of activities permitted on the visa are unclear Tracking and monitoring employee compliance with visa 49.0% 49.0% Paperwork requirements are onerous Difficulty obtaining change of status Length of time to obtain the work visa Other 19.6% 15.6% 21.5% 25.4%

9 QUESTION: The Australian Government is considering introducing a Short Term Mobility visa in the future. The proposed visa would be valid for up to 12 months, intended for intracompany transfers or very highly skilled specialists and executives, and very streamlined. Would your organisation find such a visa beneficial? Yes 72.4% No 1.4% I would need additional information 8.6% No Response 17.3%

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