​PLEASE SEE LINK BELOW:
mobile.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-27/census-australia-as-100-people/8634318?pfmredir=sm

The State Government has released an updated version of the WA skilled migration list, slashing it to just 18 eligible occupations.

The list, which used to carry 178 occupations including bricklayers, engineers and nurses, was torn up on Labor’s first day of government in March.

Premier Mark McGowan said the 18 occupations on the list were mainly in the health sector where there was a genuine need, including midwives, psychiatrists and several classes of registered nurses.

Mr McGowan said in the current economic climate it did not make sense to give jobs to migrants ahead of West Australians.

“In the current economic climate, it’s more important than ever that we maximise employment opportunities for Western Australians,” he said.

“Our policy will ensure that, whenever possible, Western Australians will be given first preference on WA jobs. It doesn’t make sense to fast-track workers from overseas when there are unemployed Western Australians who are capable of doing the work.

“Our economy has changed dramatically since the height of the mining boom and we need to do everything we can to get Western Australians back to work.”

Mr McGowan also confirmed the Federal Government agreed to remove Perth as a region from the regional sponsored migration scheme, which provided an additional pathway to obtain a visa to work on WA.

FOR FULL STORY PLEASE CLICK THE LINK BELOW:
thewest.com.au/politics/state-politics/wa-state-government-slashes-jobs-on-skilled-migration-list-ng-b88513511z

Anna Pavoni, co-owner of the two-hatted restaurant Ormeggio at the Spit in Sydney's Mosman, has lost three senior staff members in the past two months.


Not to other restaurants, not to career changes, not for family reasons: the staff are returning overseas, citing no future in Australia due to the federal government's drastic changes to 457 visas, announced in mid April.


The changes mean cooks, wait staff and restaurant managers have been moved to the short-term list and are not eligible for permanent residency.


For a niche, fine-dining institution that relies on highly trained staff, many of them skilled migrants, Pavoni says the changes are scary and are already being felt across the industry.

FOR FULL STORY PLEASE CLICK THE LINK BELOW:
www.afr.com/brand/australias-top-restaurants/chefs-says-457-policy-makes-people-get-up-and-leave-the-country-20170615-gwrog3

An Iranian woman says her future in Australia has been "destroyed" after being told she could face deportation by the end of the year.


Mojgan Shamsalipoor, 24, has been living in Brisbane for the past nine months after being released from immigration detention.


Now, her supporters are back to square-one in their fight for freedom after the Department of Immigration gave Ms Shamsalipoor a "clear message" she has six months left in Australia before returning to Iran.


However, under an international agreement, Iran refuses to accept the involuntary return of asylum seekers.


Her lawyer Kevin Kardigamar said this could mean Ms Shamsalipoor could be sent back to indefinite detention.


Ms Shamsalipoor claimed she would risk torture or even death if she returned to Iran, and she has no intention of going back.


"For the Minister to fail to offer her certainty for her future, despite the groundswell of public support and most compelling reasons, shows total lack of compassion," Mr Kardigamar said.


"We know that at least for now, Mojgan can continue her life in the community with her husband.


"It would be the ultimate cruelty for Mojgan to be returned to detention and the community expects better than that."


The ABC has contacted Immigration Minister Peter Dutton's office for comment and clarification as to whether Ms Shamsalipoor will be returned to detention.

FOR FULL STORY PLEASE CLICK THE LINK BELOW:
www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-20/mojgan-shamsalipoor-in-limbo-again-after-visa-rejection/8635030

Immigration and Border Force staff have delivered a damning indictment of their department's culture and senior leadership.

Documents obtained by the ABC reveal public servants are becoming "increasingly disassociated" with their superiors and feel their work is not valued, which may be reducing their productivity.


The Freedom of Information documents reveal the department has been concerned by cultural problems ever since it merged with the former customs agency in 2014 and the Australian Border Force was launched.


Each year the department asks staff to rate the leadership skills of their bosses, consider whether their colleagues are honest and reflect on their overall job satisfaction.


The results at immigration have been among the worst in the federal public service since 2014 and the department has acknowledged the problem cannot be fixed overnight.


"Staff have become increasingly disassociated from the department's culture and achievements and its leadership," an internal review of the survey said.


"These results are significantly lower than Australian public service wide results.


"Analysis of the data shows that the perceived quality of both an immediate supervisor and the senior executive staff leadership has a significant effect on staff engagement."

FOR FOULL STORY PLEASE CLICK THE LINK BELOW:
www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-20/immigration-department-blames-management-for-morale-slump/8632470

Welcome to Community Spotlight! Each week we introduce a different member or mentor in our community to celebrate their work, visions and achievements here at Spacecubed and FLUX.

​www.spacecubed.com/en/blog/read/393433048/community-spotlight-andrew-mcauley-visa-makers

This week's candidate is Andrew McAuley, Migration Agent at Visa Makers, and assists both individuals and businesses to prepare and lodge visa applications with the Department of Immigration. Andrew recently joined the community as is available to help anyone with any visa related questions for their friends or family members.

Tell us about your business experience, and how it lead to where you are now.
Growing up in Wales I always had a connection and fascination with Australia. We had relatives living in Perth at the time that used to come back to Wales with stories of endless sunny days, white sandy beaches and (my favourite) weird creatures that could kill or at least give you a nasty shock. I was lucky enough to visit Australia as a backpacker in 1997 and decided to move permanently in 2009. I decided to contract a Migration agent back then to help me apply and it was during this process that I started to think that this would be an interesting career. I certainly got to know first hand what an emotional roller coaster applying for a visa to Australia can be.
I hold an Honours Degree in Business Management from Aston University in the UK and completed a Graduate Certificate in Migration Law from the Australian National University. I am an accredited Registered Migration Agent based in Perth.
In a nutshell, we assist both individuals and businesses to prepare and lodge visa applications with the Department of Immigration. However, we know that it is much more than just obtaining a visa. The visa gives you with a clearer vision of your future, lets you plan ahead and in many cases gives you the hope of a happy and prosperous life in Australia. I find it very rewarding to help people achieve this every day. 


What ideas are you exploring at the moment, and what are you working on?
As you may be aware there have been some huge changes made to the visa and citizenship rules over the last month. The Turnbull government, if not closed the door, have certainly made it far more difficult for a wide range of people to access permanent residency in Australia. The effects of this will no doubt be felt over the next year or so in the numbers of migrants deciding to make Australia their home. As such, we are currently having to re-evaluate the visa advice we provide to clients as this has changed considerably since the changes in April 2017. At present we are also exploring the different ways we can better use technology in our business to improve our systems and processes. 


Who are you looking to connect with and what areas of expertise can you offer them?
It would be great to connect to people with a technology-based background. I guess that is everyone in Flux so no problems there. I can help anyone if they ever have any visa-related questions for their friends or family members. We specialise in employer-sponsored, skilled and all family-based visas.
 
What do you love most about the Spacecubed community? 
I am just 2 weeks into my time at Flux and so far I have been very impressed with the work setup and amazing access to a whole range of networking and mentoring activities. Last week I went to the random coffee morning, met some very interesting people and came away feeling pumped and motivated. I can’t ask more than that!!

www.spacecubed.com/en/blog/read/393433048/community-spotlight-andrew-mcauley-visa-makers