Australia to encourage immigration from India
In a bid to overcome the shortage of skilled workers in various fields, Australia has decided to fast-track the process of approving immigration applications by setting up assessment centres in India and other countries. The government has appointed a consortium to assess skills of would-be migrants in India an other countries like Britain, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. The consortium of TAFE colleges of Victorian and West Australian state will concentrate on workers in occupations where there are shortages of labour in Australia, including electricians, plumbers, motor mechanics, carpenters and bricklayers. The intention is to ease skills shortages by reducing the time it takes to approve immigration applications and ensure migrants arrive in Australia having met requirements for recognising their qualifications and gaining occupational licences. Currently, people applying to come to Australia as skilled migrants have to send their papers, including details of their training and qualifications, to Australia for assessment. But under the new system, these assessments will be carried out in their home country. From the second half of this year, all prospective migrants with trade skills will be tested to Australian standards before coming to the country.
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