Australia's 457 visa programme has reportedly seen its highest number of applications and grants since 2008, as more workers enter the country to fill vital skills gaps, Australia Magazine reported.
The latest Department of Immigration and Citizenship data suggests that the number of applications granted reached 42,840 in the 11 months to the end of May, marking a 38.3 per cent rise on the same period last year.
Construction jobs for 457 visa holders in Western Australia more than doubled, from 1,060 to 2,160, while mining jobs in Queensland also saw a dramatic lift – increasing from 460 to 860.
Meanwhile, seasonally-adjusted data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics has shown this month that 488,500 people visited the country on a short-term basis in May.
This represented a decrease of just one per cent from the number that entered Australia during the previous month.
Posted by Steve Douglas