Like many other industries in Australia, the hospitality industry is suffering from a nationwide skills shortage. The closure of international borders in 2020 saw many international students and working holiday visa holders leave Australia – a cohort that makes up a significant portion of the hospitality workforce.
Like many other industries in Australia, the technology industry is also experiencing skills shortages. 82% of Chief Information Officers (CIOs) plan to hire permanent IT staff from overseas.
Businesses and industry groups are aware that it will take some time to overcome current labour shortages but feel that if visa processing is expedited then these labour shortages will be resolved a lot sooner.
Employers should be familiar with the process of hiring from overseas: this includes complying with Australian and overseas laws and any industrial relations factors that may apply.
With a federal election looming, Prime Minister Scott Morrison and opposition leader, Anthony Albanese have hit the campaign trail. As is always the case, immigration is a hot election topic and will be of interest to many business owners who may be considering employing overseas workers. So, what do each of the parties have in mind when it comes to immigration?
Where skills shortages exist in Australia, it is not uncommon for businesses to seek employees from overseas. Australia’s Skilled Migration Program is designed to attract migrants who can make a significant contribution to the Australian economy and fill positions where there are no Australian workers available.
In order for businesses to employ foreign workers they need to sponsor them under a Temporary Skills Shortage Visa (subclass 482) or a Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (provisional) (SERS) Visa (subclass 494). To be able to sponsor overseas workers, employers must first undertake labour market testing as part of the nomination stage of the application process.
There are many things in life that we can do ourselves or pay someone to do for us. In most cases, many people opt to do the job themselves because they think it’s easy and because it’s supposedly cheaper. Many learn though that DIY can sometimes cost you more money in the long run, eat into your time and sometimes cause unnecessary stress.
With international borders being closed for almost two years and visa processing at a standstill during that time, it’s not surprising that there is currently a backlog of pending visa applications.
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