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Regional migration - adding value to regional communities

Are businesses in your region unable to find suitable skilled workers? Is your community interested in attracting business people who are prepared to establish a new venture in your region?

If the answer to either of the questions above is "yes", the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (DIMA) may be able to assist Š DIMA works towards enriching Australia through the entry and settlement of people. It works in partnership with Local Government to boost regional development in Australia.

The Department has targeted initiatives to help regional communities address gaps in local labour markets, through the strategic matching of skilled migrants to skill shortages. Working together, these initiatives will provide direct economic benefits to regional Australia.

DIMA has introduced a number of specific initiatives designed to:

• help employers find suitable skilled workers when their job vacancies can't be filled locally;
• encourage people with business skills to consider starting a business outside of major cities like Sydney, Brisbane and Perth; and
• attract skilled people from overseas to settle in less populated areas.

Interested? The following is a broad outline of some of the Department's programs and how they can assist you.

Can't find a skilled worker?

The Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) is for regional employers wishing to recruit overseas personnel, whether they are in Australia or still overseas.

The scheme:

• assists employers in regional Australia who are unable to meet their skilled workforce needs from the local labour market;
• assists the economic development of regional Australia by encouraging skilled migrants to settle in these areas; and
• provides quick processing.

A skill matching database has been designed to link skilled migrants with specific skilled vacancies or skill shortages in Australia. It contains the occupational and personal details of applicants for migration under the Independent and Skill Matching visa categories.

These details are forwarded to participating State and Territory Governments, and a number of regional development agencies. A summary version of the skill matching database will soon be available on the DIMA Internet site (see web site address below). Applicants can be nominated by an employer to fill a specific skilled position which cannot readily be filled from the local labour market.

It is important to note that the RSMS does not take jobs or training opportunities away from Australians. This scheme has safeguards built into it to ensure that it is only used when employers have been unable to find a suitably skilled person in the local labour market.

Trying to attract business to your community?

The Regional Established Business in Australia (REBA) program has been designed to assist regional Australia to retain a higher proportion of business migrants. It allows people who are temporarily in Australia on Business (Long Stay) visas to apply for permanent residence if they have successfully established a business venture in a designated area of Australia.

Certain concessions apply under this program provided the applicant:

• is in business in a "designated area" (outside Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong in New South Wales and outside the major metropolitan areas of Perth, Brisbane and south eastern Queensland);
• has operated the business for at least two years; and
• is sponsored by an agency of a relevant State or Territory Government.

Can your State or Territory Government assist?

Yes. State and Territory Governments have the opportunity to nominate skilled migrants who are willing to settle in States and Territories where their skills are in demand. Migrants who are eligible for nomination are skilled, young and have good English language skills.

State and Territory Governments are not obliged to nominate people, but if they do, their nominations are based on skill audits which identify what skills and occupations are in short supply.

What are the benefits for the regions?

Nomination of migrants under this program achieves two things:

• firstly, it helps to ensure that skill shortages in regions are addressed; and
• secondly, it assists State and Territory Governments in pursuing their own individual regional development programs by attracting the necessary skills to their State or Territory.

Can relatives sponsor family members to live in regional Australia?

Yes. The Skilled-Regional Sponsored category is for people who want to sponsor skilled relatives to designated areas of Australia. People already living in regional Australia can sponsor brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, non dependent children, working aged parents, first cousins and grandchildren providing they meet certain criteria.

What are the criteria?

• the sponsor must have lived in regional Australia for at least 12 months.
• the applicant must have a post secondary qualification, be under 45 years of age and have good English language skills.

What's the background?

The Commonwealth Government, in consultation with State and Territory Governments, has developed the initiatives that have been described in this article.

The aim of the Government's jointly developed State specific migration strategy is to:

• provide regional employers with a mechanism that will help them find the skilled workers they need to run their businesses;
• give State and Territory Governments the means of influencing the volume and type of skilled and business migrants settling in their jurisdictions; and
• encourage a more balanced dispersal of Australia's skilled migrant intake.

The initiatives focus on skilled and business migrants because they have a positive influence on the economy, on employment and on Australia's Budget.

Skilled migrants can remove production bottlenecks, allow for skills transfer and generate additional employment opportunities. Business migrants bring capital for investment, create employment and help establish international business networks.

CASE STUDY: CHIROPRACTOR TO REGIONAL COMMUNITY

The chiropractor arrived in Australia in September 1997 on a short-term business visa and transferred to RSMS. He currently works as a chiropractor for a chiropractic centre in a small community in South Australia. He had previously visited Australia on a Working Holiday Maker visa. The chiropractor brought with him a variety of skills and experiences.

In addition to being qualified as a Doctor of Chiropractic he also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications/Economics and has trained as a police officer from 1988 to 1991. His brother is also a qualified chiropractor and he works at a chiropractic centre in Adelaide also via the RSMS.

Visit the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs' homepage at www.immi.gov.au

This information is a summary only, provided to assist enquirers. Complete, detailed information on all Australian visa requirements and procedures is available from any office of the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs. December 1999

Business Centres

For additional information or help please contact one of the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs' Business Centres listed here.

Adelaide(08) 8237 6667 or 131881

Brisbane(07) 3360 5141 or 131881

Canberra (02) 6274 4541 or 131881

Darwin (08) 8946 3131 or 131881

Hobart (03) 6220 4227 or 131881

Melbourne (03) 9657 4101 or 131881

Perth (08) 9261 2366 or 131881

Sydney: Parramatta (02) 9255 4907 or 131881

The Rocks (02) 9255 4903 or 131881

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