By James Elton-Pym
 

Australia’s population of 64,600 lapsed visa holders is more than triple the size of last year’s refugee intake, newly released Immigration data has revealed.


Malaysian visa overstayers were the most highly represented, with around 9,440 living in the country in June 30 last year.


By comparison, the 2015-16 refugee intake was 17,555, including the extra places for 12,000 Syrians and Iraqis.


The data shows the vast majority of visa overstayers were on tourist visas – an estimated 47,000 – followed by student visas at around 10,000.


Marianne Dickie, who teaches a Masters in migration law at the Australian National University, said the numbers were “frustrating” and evidence that the Immigration department was failing to tackle the issue.


“I don’t know if compliance [Immigration officers] chase people that much. Often you hear of raids on cafes and that sort of thing, but it’s not frequent,” Ms Dickie said.

FOR FULL STORY PLEASE CLICK THE LINK BELOW:
www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2017/07/20/migration-expert-says-64000-visa-overstayers-frustrating-given-focus-asylum

Population growth has profound impacts on Australian life, and sorting myths from facts can be difficult. This article is part of our series, Is Australia Full?, which aims to help inform a wide-ranging and often emotive debate.

Developed economies, including Australia, have increasingly been using international migration to compensate for demographic trend and skill shortages. Australia has one of the highest proportion of overseas-born people in the world: an estimated 26% of the total resident population was born overseas. This is expected to increase over the next decade.


So the health of immigrants and their use of health services are having increasing impacts on demands on the health system, its responsiveness, and the national health profile.


One of the most significant demographic trends in Australia today is the ageing of the population. This is an increase in the share of older people – defined as people aged 65 and older – relative to the youth (0 to 14 years) and working-age population (15 to 64 years). One in six Australians is now over 65, compared to one in seven in 2011 and only one in 25 in 1911.


The reasons for this trend are complex. These include the impact of the “baby boomer” generation and declines in fertility and mortality, combined with an increase in life expectancy.


Older people are living longer, which is an achievement of our health system. But an increase in life expectancy and decline in the death rate have created a paradoxical situation in which these older people have increased the country’s rates of illness and disability. This has led to a rise in health-care costs and an increase in use of health services, as well as hospitalisation.


While an ageing population adds to the burden on the health system, an intake of migrants who are generally young and healthier than the average Australian, due to their selectivity, might help balance this out. So, in fact, increasing migration would be of benefit to Australia’s health.

FOR FULL STORY PLEASE CLICK THE LINK BELOW:
theconversation.com/migrants-are-healthier-than-the-average-australian-so-they-cant-be-a-burden-on-the-health-system-79753

​July 11, 2017 6.08am AEST •Updated July 11, 2017 9.18am AEST

Population growth has profound impacts on Australian life, and sorting myths from facts can be difficult. This article is part of our series, Is Australia Full?, which aims to help inform a wide-ranging and often emotive debate.

Rather than being an unsettling force, international migrants are helping to provide stability to the regional Australian communities they settle in. A considerable number of new arrivals are also younger and have the potential to build families and work in these communities.


Research with the Regional Australia Institute, examining the latest 2016 Census data, found 151 regional local government areas were helping to offset declining population in regional areas by attracting international migrants.


We can see that, for many small towns, the overseas-born are the only source of population growth. A majority of these places rely on primary industry for economic viability. Although predominantly rural, these places are not in the most remote parts of Australia.

FOR FULL STORY PLEASE CLICK LINK BELOW:
theconversation.com/migrants-are-stopping-regional-areas-from-shrinking-80740

On 1 July 2017 the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) announced skilled migration reforms.

In line with this announcement, from 1 July 2017, passport holders from Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan applying for a subclass 457 visa or permanent skilled migration in the occupations of Chef and Cook must have their skills assessed through the Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) 457 Skills Assessment Program or Offshore Skills Assessment Program (OSAP).

Details of the TRA-approved registered training organisations who can conduct these assessments are located in the RTO finder.

Please note: It is the applicant's responsibility to confirm with DIBP that their visa pathway requires a skills assessment, and that TRA is the relevant assessing authority for their nominated occupation, before submitting an application.

SEE LINK FOR REFERENCE:
www.tradesrecognitionaustralia.gov.au/News/Pages/Changes-to-the-457-Program-and-OSAP.aspx

VIDEO 0:55 A Canadian backpacker says a farmer attempted to sexually assault her while working in Mildura.
ABC NEWS

The mother of a young woman murdered at a Queensland hostel has been inundated with "horror stories" from backpackers trying to complete their 88 days of farm work.
Key points:

• Mother of murdered backpacker gathering complaints from travellers working on Australian farms
• Backpacker working in north Queensland says he was lured to hostel with promise of work that took weeks to eventuate
• Backpacker in Bowen says hostel owner found 'sly ways' to touch female workers
• Another in Bundaberg lost his thumb in an accident on first day at job

Rosie Ayliffe is campaigning for reform of what she says is a flawed visa scheme that puts young lives at risk.


Her daughter Mia Ayliffe-Chung, 20, was murdered last August while undertaking the rural work required to get a one-year extension to her 417 visa.


Ms Ayliffe has spent the past few months gathering stories from backpackers who have travelled to Australia and experienced the "dark side" of an industry that is crucial to the agricultural sector.


Although many backpackers have enjoyable, positive experiences on the 88-day farm work scheme, many others complain of financial, sexual and psychological abuse.


Ms Ayliffe, an English teacher from Derbyshire in the UK, has heard claims of rent rip-offs, sexual assault and false promises of work.


Four of the backpackers who have been in touch with her shared their stories with Australian Story.

FOR FULL STORY PLEASE CLICK THE LINK BELOW:
mobile.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-17/rosie-ayliffe-uncovers-backpacker-farm-work-horror-stories/8687868?pfmredir=sm

​The Immigration Department plans to hand over large parts of its visa application work to private players. Photo: Getty Images

Vast swathes of its visa system would gradually move to private companies in contracts valued together up to $9 billion over ten years, a cost burden that could be heaped partly on migrants and travellers through user charges. 


Immigration has briefed industry players in San Francisco, Singapore and Bangalore, and has also invited artificial intelligence and robotics companies to help it design a new visa system in a bid to automate more assessments, potentially with AI.


The department hopes the overhaul will prepare it for an expected 50 per cent surge in visa and citizenship applications by 2026, when numbers are predicted to top 13 million a year. 


Businesses already shoulder 20 per cent of the work in Immigration's visa system, but the department told private operators in a consultation paper applications had reached unprecedented numbers and it wanted to avoid cost blow-outs by involving them more. 


"This would enable the department's staff to focus on the more complex elements of the visa business," it said. 


"Doing so is expected to drive substantial financial and non-financial benefits for the Australian public, applicants, the government and the market."

FOR FULL STORY PLEASE CLICK THE LINK BELOW:
www.canberratimes.com.au/national/public-service/immigration-department-moves-to-outsource-visa-system-to-avoid-cost-blowouts-20170712-gx9mo2.html