Australian visa rules eased for chefs, bricklayers, tilers   

澳洲联邦放宽技术移民条件 厨师砖瓦匠无需担保

据澳洲新快网援引《澳洲人报》报道，为解决劳工短缺问题，联邦政府放宽了技术移民的条件，将厨师(chef)、砖匠(bricklayer)及瓦匠(tiler)这三种职业加入到了“技术移民职业列表”(Skilled Occupation List)，7月起生效，这意味着相关工人不需要雇主的担保就能获得永久签证。[查看全文]

(ECNS) -- Australia has eased requirements for foreign chefs, bricklayers and tilers who apply for permanent visas, a move to fill skilled labor shortages.

The three professions have been added to the country's Skilled Occupation List, which means experts in these fields can come to Australia without an employer's sponsorship starting in July.

The Australian government has limited the general skilled migration program to 43,990 visas over the next financial year. Each of the listed occupations is capped at six percent of the industry's workforce.

Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Michaelia Cash said the government has decided to set the cap for chefs at three percent for an initial six months.

About 76,100 chefs, 23,360 bricklayers and 15,800 tilers work in Australia, according to a survey by ABS Labour Force. Under the three percent cap, up to 2,283 overseas chefs could apply for visas in the program, and the number will rise to 4,566 if the cap goes to six percent. The maximum number for bricklayers would be 1,401, and 948 for tilers.

Cash said the changes would fill positions in regional areas where the number of completed apprenticeships has dropped.

However, the move has aroused opposition from the union representing chefs, which said there was no shortage of local chefs in Australia.