Australian Immigration News

Research Finds 457 Visas do not Threaten Mine Jobs for Australians

Australian immigrants under 457 visas do not take jobs from Australians in the mining industry, a pilot study shows.

The study called "457 visa workers in the Western Australian resources industry – the benefits and costs for business, migrant families and the community" was conducted by the Edith Cowan Law Faculty in Western Australia in collaboration with the Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA).

The study focusing on the costs and benefits of the 457 visa program aims to answer the following questions:

• What are the benefits to business, communities and migrant families in Australia employing 457 visa workers?
• What are the costs to business, communities and migrant families employing 457 visa workers?
• What are the issues encountered by business, migrant families and communities when employing 457 visa workers?
• What support do business, migrant families and communities need when employing 457 workers? and
• What are the implications of the study findings for policy and practice?

As stated in the pilot study, foreign workers to Australia are critical to helping fill gaps to get resource projects off the ground.

According to report author Dr Susanne Bahn, resource projects often require extremely specialised skills that aren't taught in Australia.

"Specifically engineers, but very specialised engineers. I use the example of the helicopter engineers, that need up to to six different tickets or licences to maintain the equipment," she said.

If you are interested in Australian visas , contact Migration Expert for information and advice on which visa is best suited to you. You can also try its visa eligibility assessment to see if you are eligible to apply for a visa to Australia.