News, Articles

Medical practitioners can migrate only with their skills assessed

Iran Australia Immigration Consultants

20 January, 2005

The medical practitioners who are interested in migrating to Australia can do so now as the occupation has been recently added to the skilled occupations list. However, only those who pass the Australian Medical Council (AMC) examinations and obtain registration in their areas of practice can apply for immigration.

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New processing arrangements to reduce the waiting time considerably

Iran Australia Immigration Consultants

20 January, 2005

Adelaide Skilled Processing Centre (ASPC) has installed a new computer system to reduce the average processing time of skilled independent and sponsored applications. Designated area sponsored applications and applications nominating MODL occupations are already being processed on priority. The new processing arrangements could see the processing time cut by over 50% and the time taken to finalize an application could well come down to 3 months in the near future. This has been a significant development as the average processing times currently hover around a year.

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Priority processing for MODL applicants

Iran Australia Immigration Consultants

20 January, 2005

Applicants who nominate an occupation from MODL will also get processed on priority. This will reduce their waiting time and fast track the processing of their application. Those with an MODL occupation can now expect to have their application finalized in less than 4 months.

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Student Visa Reform Success

The Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs

17 January, 2005

Changes to the Australian Government's Student Visa program since 2001 have been an outstanding success, the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs, Amanda Vanstone, said today.

'A statistical review of the program's performance during 2003-04 has shown that visa approval rates have continued to rise while non-compliance levels have fallen,' Senator Vanstone said.

'As a result, the Student Visa Assessment Levels for a number of countries and education sectors will be reduced from April 2005 to reflect the lower risk, providing more people with the opportunity to study in Australia.'

The Minister said the English language and financial test for student visa applications from certain countries and education sectors will be lower.

'This is good news for Australia's international education industry as it will help the industry grow,' Senator Vanstone said.

'Overseas education is one of Australia's largest export industries, estimated to provide revenue in the vicinity of $5.2 billion.

'The Australian Government recognises that new markets must be opened so that the Australian overseas education industry can continue to grow - however, students must actually study in Australia and abide by their conditions,' she said.

During 2003-04 a record number of student visas were granted 171,616 an increase of more than five percent on 2002-03.

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Deep down, Brits really love us

The Age

17 January, 2005

Forget all the snide remarks - the Brits love Australia, more than any other country except their own, according to an online survey for London's Daily Telegraph.

When more than 2000 Britons were asked to rate 23 countries as the best and worst on 12 criteria, the survey found Australia dominated, emerging as the top-ranked foreign country on seven out of 12 criteria.

The poll found the British were awfully patriotic: Britain was ranked among the top five nations on all 12 criteria. It was even ranked as having the world's fourth-best cuisine, behind China, India and Italy, but ahead of France.

In British eyes, their country is the most democratic in the world, the best place to live and the country most deserving of international respect. Britain ranked behind only Italy as having the most beautiful art and buildings, behind only Japan and Germany as producing the best-quality goods, and behind only China and the US as the world's most dynamic country.

But the Brits are almost as positive about Australia. The survey, by online pollsters YouGov, found they think Australia second only to Britain as the best country to live in, the most democratic and the most deserving of international respect.

On four criteria - the best public services, the friendliest people, the safest country and the best place to holiday - the Brits rank us number one, even ahead of Britain.

The survey asked people to list up to three countries from 23 that they thought the best and worst respectively on each of the criteria. On most criteria, English-speaking countries dominated the positive findings. Israel, Russia, and developing countries such as India and Kenya dominated negative rankings.

Australia was ranked in the top four countries on all criteria except for having the most beautiful artworks and buildings (10th), producing the most reliable goods (11th) and having the best cuisine (12th).

Australia, Britain, Canada, Ireland and New Zealand attracted no negative rankings. The only part of the Anglosphere which did was the United States.

The country ranked least deserving of international respect was Israel.

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Businesses demand urgent action on skills

AAP

14 January, 2005

Red tape and inflexible government-funded training packages are adding to a skills crisis in Australia, new research has found. A study matching workplace skills to business needs found red tape and rigid training packages were creating a bottleneck for Australian businesses wanting to train staff.

The study by Australian Business Limited (ABL) showed there was an urgent need for all levels of government to make training more attractive to businesses and employees by reducing red tape. The study was based on interviews and surveys with almost 400 businesses, training providers and participants in vocational education and training programs.

Almost half of the businesses studied said there was a critical need to better customise government-funded training and 42 per cent wanted to cut red tape in the administration of the New Apprenticeships system, ABL chief executive Mark Bethwaite said.

The research also found the partial implementation of the User Choice Policy - which allows employers to choose their training provider and customise training packages - had not been effective, with 69 per cent of businesses not even aware of the policy.

"This report confirms there is still a long way to go before training in Australia is shifted away from the needs of the bureaucracy to the needs of business," Mr Bethwaite said. He said there was a need to make training more workplace orientated and flexible.

Mr Bethwaite called on governments to fund so-called skills passports. The passports would record competency levels so employees could develop skills best suited to them and their career, he said.

"We are focusing too much on the need for a full qualification than addressing the skills of workers," Mr Bethwaite said.

"This is particularly relevant for existing and mature age workers, who are actively discouraged from undertaking more training because most traineeships require two years study."

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Migrants, refugees in new peak

The Age

10 January, 2005

Australia took the largest number of migrants and refugees in a decade over the past financial year.

More than 110,000 people arrived and settled in Australia in 2003-04 - an increase of nearly 20,000 on the previous yearly total of 93,914.

Australia's migration intake is now climbing back to the highs of the Hawke government's days, when the planned migration program reached a peak of 145,000 for 1989-90.

The figures, to be released today by Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone, do not reveal the entire extent of Australia's migration and humanitarian program, as they do not include the numbers of people who applied for permanent residence after arriving on other visas, such as student visas.

Victoria also attracted its highest number of arrivals, with more than 28,000 migrants and refugees settling.

Senator Vanstone said Victorian arrivals over the past 10 years had increased by more than 76 per cent, while the national increase had been 60 per cent.

New South Wales' share of total settler arrivals to Australia declined after Premier Bob Carr had lobbied for migrants to settle away from Sydney's congested suburbs.

"Our ongoing commitment to new and innovative visa programs and the increased efficiency and integrity of immigration processing means that Australia continues to attract more and more people from around the globe," Senator Vanstone said. The number of people granted refugee and humanitarian visas during the past financial year was 13,851 visas - the highest in eight years.

Senator Vanstone said that commitment maintained Australia's place as one of the top three countries with a dedicated refugee and humanitarian resettlement program.

Labor immigration spokesman Laurie Ferguson said the gradual increased migration intake was interesting, given that the Howard Government came to power in 1996 arguing that the number was too high.

Victoria also attracted its highest number of arrivals - more than 28,000.He said the intake should also be viewed in the context of the decreasing birth rate and the debate about the numbers of Australian residents leaving the country permanently.

"There's got to be a lot more consideration to long-term planning in population policy and how migration fits into that," he said.

His concerns were echoed by the Business Council of Australia, which believes Australia needs an immigration intake of 170,000 a year to achieve strong economic growth.

The council also called on the Government to commit to a population target of 26 million by 2025.

A Refugee and Immigration Legal Centre co-ordinator, David Manne, said he was concerned that Australia's immigration intake continued to emphasise skilled migration at the expense of the less affluent or less skilled cases.

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Trades earn top dollar

Australian News

17 November, 2004

Tradespeople hoping to find work in Australia will be pleased at a recent report that says due to a severe skills shortage, trades such as electricians, welders, boilermakers, plumbers and other skilled tradespeople are being paid AUS$100,000 (approx. £40,350) and more as Australia's skills shortage impacts on the economy. With companies keen to attract skilled workers, wages have rocketed to the welcome surprise of potential trades-qualified emigrants to Australia.

Tradespeople in some areas across Australia earn more than some traditionally high-earners such as doctors, dentists, architects and teachers. It is estimated that Australia needs 21,000 extra tradespeople to solve the national crisis, business groups have announced.

Moreover, a Housing Industry Association report found that the shortage of tradespeople has affected household budgets, The cost of trade contractors has risen 12.5 per cent in just 12 months.

And the crisis could have implications for interest rates. Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Peter Hendy said the lack of qualified workers was the biggest hurdle for business for the first time in 14 years.

"It's not showing in the official numbers like the Australian Bureau of Statistics yet but the Reserve Bank and Treasury are watching for the impact these increased wages will have on inflation and interest rates," said Hendy. "But I can say that, anecdotally, we are hearing stories about higher wages because of the shortage of skills."

Last month, metropolitan newspapers carried job vacancies advertising AUS$100,000-a-year packages for air-conditioning electricians and AUS$70,000 annual salaries for kitchen cabinet installers.

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Top marks for Australian universities

AAP

4 November, 2004

Six Australian universities were named as among the best 50 in the world, with the Australian National University (ANU) the leading Australian institution at number 16.

Harvard University in the United States took number one spot and Britain's Oxford and Cambridge Universities were numbers five and six respectively, in the list by prestigious British journal The Times Higher Education Supplement.

The ANU beat New York's renowned Columbia University, which was placed 19th.

Six other Australian universities were in the top 50: University of Melbourne was 22nd, Monash University at 33, University of New South Wales (36), Sydney University (40) and Queensland University (49).

The table ranks universities on the basis of a survey of 1,300 academics in 88 countries.

Other factors taken into account were the amount of cited research produced, the ratio of faculty to student numbers and an institution's attractiveness to foreign students and internationally renowned academics.

THES editor John O'Leary said: "Leading universities increasingly define themselves in terms of international competition.

"By taking account of the views of academics from across five continents and using the most up-to-date statistics, our ranking gives an informed picture of the world's top universities," he added.

The full table shows that the top 200 universities are in just 29 countries, with the United States having 62, Britain 30, Germany 17 and Australia 14.

In an editorial the Times said: "Lists are invidious, and academics famously jealous.

"This survey will inevitably be criticised as biased towards the English-speaking world and to institutions that actively recruit students and staff abroad ... But the criteria used are relevant," it said.

The top 15 universities, in order, were: Harvard University, University of California (Berkeley), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, California University of Technology, Oxford University, Cambridge University, Stanford University, Yale University, Princeton University, ETH Zurich (Switzerland), London School of Economics, Tokyo University, University of Chicago, Imperial College London and University of Texas at Austin.

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Skilled workers harder to find

Australian Financial Review

7 September, 2004

A leading job index has reinforced small business concerns that finding the right staff is a worrying trend for the sector.

The Olivier Internet Job Index rose by 2.7 per cent in July, with a weekly average of 126, 800 new jobs advertised in that month.

These latest figures confirmed the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations' Skilled Vacancy Index in July, which showed a rise in positions in trades while jobs for professionals fell.

According to Olivier, the data supported the ACTU's concerns about a national shortage of a quarter of a million tradespeople over the next decade. It also underscored recent small business surveys that put recruiting and retaining staff at the top of owner-operator concerns.

"There are a lot of people looking for jobs and many employers are desperate for people," Olivier Group director Robert Olivier said. "But there's a mismatch of experience, skill set or price. This is an early warning that the lack of qualified people could be a constraint on our economy."

As job ads hit a three-year record high and unemployment remains at a 23-year low, the problem for employers will be finding, retaining and adequately rewarding top talent.

Ten out of the 21 sectors rose over the month, with the major growth in trades and services.

"White-collar workers are missing out on the jobs growth, and blue-collar jobs continue to do better," MrOlivier said. During the month, trade and service job ads grew by 23.1 per cent. Olivier tracked outstanding demand specifically in plumbing, security, printing and the building trades.

"There are also plenty of vacancies in the 'pink- collar' industries of fashion and beauty," Mr Olivier said.

Despite the 2 per cent fall in Australian building approvals in June, predicted by economists, the index showed a slight rise in building and construction jobs. Hospitality was also strong, up 11.96 per cent over the month, and showing strength week by week through July.

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Accountants back on migration demand list

Specialist

1 September, 2004

The federal government has today put accountants back on the Migration Occupations In Demand List and extended the Skilled Occupations List to include a range of new trades skills.

The MODL, which gives skilled migrants bonus points under points-tested visa categories, now includes 28 occupations compared with 14 in February 2003, 15 in February 2002 and 22 occupations in February 2001.

Accountants were last on the MODL in 2002.

The Government has also added a range of agricultural and forestry occupations to the more general Skilled Occupations List, including environmental research scientists, foresters, park rangers, soil scientists, agricultural scientists and agricultural advisers.

Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs Senator Vanstone and Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Kevin Andrews said the changes would give industry better access to a range of skills which are in short supply.

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Australia Third in Living Standards

The Age

16 July, 2004

Australia is the third-best country in which to live, says a United Nations report released yesterday.

However, as Australia joins Norway (first), Sweden (second), Canada (fourth) and the Netherlands (fifth) as the top-ranking countries, quality of life in Africa has plummeted because of AIDS, with average life expectancy falling below 40 in some areas.

This year's Human Development Index measured a nation's wellbeing by rating 2002 figures for per-capita income, educational levels, health care and life expectancy.

Issued annually, it includes every country for which statistics are available, with Iraq, Afghanistan, North Korea, and Liberia among nations not included because of a lack of data. Australia, Japan at ninth, and New Zealand at 18th, were the only countries outside Europe or North America in the top 20.

The United States was ranked eighth, a fall of one place from last year, with Norway topping the list for the past four years. The world's newest nation, East Timor, was 158th out of 177 countries. Sierra Leone, emerging from civil war, propped up the list for the seventh year, just below Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali and Burundi. In Africa, the AIDS crisis had dramatically cut the average life expectancy in many countries, making it the biggest factor in the decline of human development indicators, the report said. "The AIDS crisis cripples states at all levels because the disease attacks people in their most productive years," said UN Development Program head Mark Malloch Brown.

Aside from the overall index, the report produces indicators on women's equality, income inequality and consumption, poverty and other categories that countries use to measure development.

The report, which said 1 billion people belonged to minorities suffering from discrimination, called for countries to follow policies to allow immigrants to become full members of society.

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Sydney Named World's Best City

AAP

14 July, 2004

Sydney remains a dream destination for global travellers after being named the World's Best City.

The United States-based magazine Travel + Leisure gave the NSW capital the award for the eighth time in 10 years.

Sydney won ahead of Rome, Florence, Bangkok and Cape Town. Acting NSW Tourism Minister Tony Kelly said the award confirmed Sydney's reputation as a world city and the first destination of choice for international travellers to Australia.

"No other Australian city makes it into the top 10," Mr Kelly said. The Great Barrier Reef islands also featured prominently in the awards. The stretch of islands off the northern Queensland coast was named the 10th in the World's Best Islands category, and No. 1 in the Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific islands category.

Australia's only island state, Tasmania, was second in that category. Lizard Island, one of the Great Barrier Reef's most luxurious and exotic resorts off the coast of Cairns, ranked 16th in the World's Best Hotels category and topped the World's Best Hotels category for Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

Australia provided 19 of the top 25 World's Best Hotels in the regional category.

The Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards 2004 are based on the evaluations of more than 425,000 readers.

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Tech Skill Visas on the Rise

AustralianIT

1 June, 2004

The Federal Government has opened the door to ICT-skilled migrants, granting more permanent visas in the first eight months of the 2003-4 financial year than in the whole of 2002-3.

According to figures from the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs, up to February 29 this year 6313 permanent visas, or 34 per cent of all permanent visas approved under the General Skilled Migration category, were issued to ICT applicants.

In contrast, only 5997 permanent visas, or 25 per cent of all permanent visas, were granted to ICT-skilled applicants for the whole of 2002-3.

The figures reflect a recovery in ICT spending and a creep towards the immigration highs of 2001-2, when 7441 visas, or 43 per cent of approvals, were issued to ICT-skilled applicants.

The number of 457 temporary, long-stay business visas granted to ICT-skilled applicants also appears to be rising.

In 2002-3, 3656 visas were granted, up 1.22 per cent on 2001-2 figures.

DIMIA expects the number of 457 visas granted in 2003-04 to total 3740.

However, a DIMIA spokeswoman said, an increase in 457s granted "does not necessarily" indicate an increase in the number of ICT workers in Australia on such visas.

"Visa grants can be inflated by current 457 visa holders who reapply for a 457 while in Australia."

She said this may be the case when a visa holder changed employer.

Information Technology Contract and Recruitment Association executive director Norman Lacy said the upward trend for 457 and permanent visas could simply reflect growth in the IT sector and job opportunities.

"There are new skills areas in the register. These skills may not be as readily available in Australia as they are from overseas."

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Government Boosts Grant Funding for Settlement Services

The Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs

26 May, 2004

The Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, Gary Hardgrave, said today that increased funding for settlement services will greatly assist newly-arrived migrants and humanitarian entrants to access services, achieve independence and adjust to life in Australia.

Mr Hardgrave said the Government will provide $27.6 million in 2004-05 to enable migrants to participate equitably in the social, economic and political life of our country.

'The money will go to the provision of settlement services through the Community Settlement Services Scheme (CSSS), Migrant Resource Centres (MRCs) and Migrant Service Agencies (MSAs),' Mr Hardgrave said.

'This is an investment in Australia's future. Migrants are encouraged to learn about Australian life and values and to contribute to and be involved in their communities. Under the Howard Government, migration is linked to economic benefit rather than welfare outcomes,' Minister Hardgrave said.

'The 2004-05 Budget allocation includes $12.3m in new grants through the Community Settlement Services Scheme, $7.2m committed in previous funding rounds, and over $8m in funding for Migrant Resource Centres and Migrant Service Agencies.

'This package is the forerunner to the combined grants program recommended in the Settlement Services Review, and further funding will be available in future years as the Review is implemented.

'Settlement services include information and orientation assistance for newly-arrived migrants and refugees, help for emerging communities to assist new arrivals, and casework and referral services to mainstream and specialist agencies,' Mr Hardgrave said.

'These services assist newly arrived migrants to settle into their new life in Australia.'

'Furthermore they deliver a level of independence and encouraged newly arrived migrants to participate fully into Australian society,' Minister Hardgrave said.

'The package includes additional funding provided by the Government for settlement services in the 2004-05 Budget for grants in rural and regional areas and to implement the Review.

'Funding for established communities will facilitate their transition from the Community Settlement Services Scheme to the new $11.6 million Community Partners Projects aged care program to be administered by the Department of Health and Ageing.'

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Further boost to regions to attract skilled migrants

Amanda Vanstone - Minister for Immigration

20 May, 2004

Minister for Immigration, Amanda Vanstone, today announced a new service to help regional Australia attract more skilled migrants.

The Minister made the announcement during a speech to the Australia's Future - Growing Regional Cities conference in Wodonga.

'The Australian Government is committed to supporting regional Australia in efforts to attract its share of skilled migrants,' Senator Vanstone said.

'This is as much a challenge for State and Territory Governments as it is for regional communities.

'Today I'm announcing that my Department (DIMIA) will place a Regional Outreach Officer (ROO) in every state and territory to increase awareness of and access to the Skilled Independent Regional (SIR) visa.

'The SIR visa was announced recently and opens the door to Australia for a group of skilled migrants who are willing to commit to settling in regional Australia for three years, who would otherwise not be able to gain permanent entry into Australia.'

The Government has earmarked about 9000 SIR visa places in 2004-05 and is willing to provide more if required.

The Minister said the Regional Outreach Officers would be able to work with regional authorities, employers, organisations and communities to spread the message of the benefits of settling in the regions.

'Getting the message out is the biggest challenge regional Australia faces in attracting skilled migrants,' the Minister said.

'While DIMIA provides comprehensive information on regional migration, nothing beats direct contact, and that's where the Regional Outreach Officers will come in.

'They will be local contact points, providing a clear pathway to regional migration for those communities that take up the challenge.

'Most importantly, the Regional Outreach Officers will be able to help communities match the skills of potential migrants to the needs of local communities.

'In addition, the Regional Outreach Officers will be able to help iron out complexities and difficulties that regional areas have historically faced in attracting skilled migrants and help bring the skills of new Australians where they are most needed - in regional Australia.'

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Australia's Skills and Migrants to Increase

The Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs

2 April, 2004

Today the Government has moved to increase both the skills and numbers of migrants coming to Australia and in particular to focus migration to regional Australia. For details, see table below.

To increase the skills of migrants coming to Australia the passmark for the general skilled independent visa categories for permanent residence will be raised from 115 to 120. Rising demand for migration to Australia allows us to attract migrants with higher levels of skill. The passmark was last increased in 2002.

To protect international students currently completing their studies in Australia the new passmark will not apply to those who apply before April 2005.

The number of migrants coming to Australia will also increase because 5 000 additional places will be allocated to the new two stage Skilled independent visa. This special visa was announced in January and is available to those people who can't meet the new passmark but do meet the 2002 standard, provided they commit to living and working in regional Australia.

This increase will help States and territories to match migrants to skill shortages and economic needs.

States who want skilled migrants will have the opportunity to sponsor them under this visa. States who don't want them will not sponsor them.

More doctors will also be brought to Australia. The revised program provides for an extra 1 000 places for doctors and their families in 2004/05.

Modelling by Access Economics estimates that the migration program will contribute over $4 Billion to the Commonwealth Budget over the next four years.

The 2004-05 Program continues the Government's strong commitment to managed migration in the national interest.

We expect to deliver the largest Skill Stream in Australia's history at around 77 000 people. Over 70 000 visas in 2003-04 will be delivered.

The new Program also ensures that Australia's working age population will continue to grow past the middle of this century, rather than decline as it would without immigration.

A likely outcome for the 2004/05 Migration (non-Humanitarian) Program will be around 120 000 places.

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New Skilled Visas for Regional Australia

The Australian Government

23 March, 2004

The Australian Government recently announced that it will introduce a new visa for skilled migrants who are prepared to live and work in regional Australia.

From 1 July 2004, eligible people who want to come to Australia as skilled migrants will be able to obtain a three-year temporary residence visa (Temporary Skilled-Independent Regional Migration Visa) if they commit to living and working in regional Australia.

After two years, they will be able to apply for permanent residency.

There are reports that migration agents and media operating in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) have misrepresented this initiative, claiming that Australia is seeking migrants for regional areas and that there will be no skills or English language requirements.

Agents are allegedly taking money from people to 'put them on the list' for migration.

Under the new visa type, existing minimum requirements for skilled migration will still need to be met. Applicants will need to:

-be under 45 years of age when they apply,

-have at least vocational English,

-nominate an occupation on the Skilled Occupations List (a skilled occupation), and

-be found suitable for that occupation by the relevant Australian assessing authority

-have recent work experience in a skilled occupation, or

-have recently completed an Australian qualification.

The new visa is aimed only at skilled migrants who can meet the minimum requirements for the visa. People who cannot meet these requirements should not apply.

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Melbourne ranked world's top city

The Age

6 February, 2004

Melbourne has retained its position as the best city in the world to call home.

Often derided as Bleak City by Sydneysiders, Melbourne topped a survey of 130 cities, narrowly beating out the other four Australian capitals surveyed - because its weather rated the best.

Sydney lost ground because its crime rate was rated on a par with New York and London.

1= Melbourne 1= Vancouver 1= Vienna 4 Perth 5 Geneva 6= Adelaide 6= Brisbane 6= Copenhagen 6= Montreal 6= Oslo 6= Sydney 6= Zurich 13= Helsinki 13= Stockholm 13= Toronto

Others: 19= Auckland 19= Honolulu 28= Paris 45= London 51= Dublin 51= New York 57= Washington 64= Athens 75= Beijing 130 Port Moresby

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) survey ranked Melbourne, Vancouver and Vienna as the best cities for expatriates to live, with Perth fourth and Adelaide, Brisbane and Sydney equal sixth.

Geneva was ranked fifth, while Papua New Guinea's capital Port Moresby kept the title it took in the last survey in October 2002 as the worst.

"Melbourne pretty much top scored in everything," said survey co-editor Jon Copestake.

"But the difference between all the Australian cities is minimal. One thing Sydney had different to the other cities was a higher crime rate, and it's climate. It's level of humidity was worse than Melbourne's."

The London-based EIU assessed the level of hardship for expatriates in the 130 cities, using 12 factors including housing, education, recreational activities, health, climate and terrorism.

Cities were rated one to five in the 12 categories, with one meaning there was no hardship and five indicating extreme hardship.

Melbourne received the perfect one in each category, including its unpredictable weather, to give it an overall score of one.

The other Australian cities were all given a two for climate, while Adelaide also received two for housing, Brisbane and Perth scored two for transport and Sydney for its crime. Port Moresby received five for crime and an overall score of 80.

While Perth was given an overall mark of 1.1, Adelaide, Brisbane and Sydney scored 1.2.

The heightened terrorist threat only had a minimal impact on western cities, even those in the United States, largely because of newly developed security measures.

The highest ranked US city was Honolulu in 19th on eight points, while New York was 51st with 16 and Washington was the lowest of 16 American cities in the survey at 57th, mainly due to a higher risk of terrorism giving it an overall score of 19.

London was equal 45th, along with Los Angeles, Madrid and San Francisco.

Kuwait fell the most places, dropping from 87 to 97 because of the war in neighbouring Iraq, while Harare suffered the greatest actual drop in living standards as a result of ongoing unrest and slid eight places to 118.

The Iraqi capital Baghdad was not included in the survey.

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Student Visa Numbers Increase To Record High

Philip Ruddock MP - Minister for Immigration and Indigenous and Multicultural Affairs

22 September, 2003

Overseas student numbers in Australia are at their highest level ever, the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs, Philip Ruddock has announced.

'There has been a twelve percent increase in the number of overseas students entering Australia in the last financial year,' Mr Ruddock said.

'Overseas students made a significant contribution to Australia both socially and economically, creating jobs and producing revenue.

'In total, my department granted 109,610 offshore student visas for the 2002-03 Program Year, compared with 97,650 offshore visas in the previous year,' Mr Ruddock said.

The major source countries for visa grants offshore in 2002-03 period were the People's Republic of China (14,215), the United States (10,477), Malaysia (8,032), the Republic of Korea (7,323), Hong Kong (6,576), and Japan (6,319).

'At the same time, the number of student overstayers and students applying for protection visas continues to fall,' Mr Ruddock said.

Protection visa applications from overseas students during 2002-03 have declined by 46 per cent, when compared to the previous program year. The total number of students unlawfully in Australia decreased by 19 per cent.

Mr Ruddock noted that increasing and more effective compliance efforts have resulted in an increase in the identification and location of students not complying with their visa conditions, most notably due to non-attendance or failing to meet the requirements of the course.

'The student visa reforms of 1 July 2001 have allowed for continued strong growth in the number of bona fide students coming to Australia, while at the same time sustaining the quality and integrity of Australia's education export industry,' Mr Ruddock said.

'Student visa grants have continued to increase strongly since the introduction of the reforms. Offshore grants increased by over 13 per cent to 97,650 in 2001-02, the first year of the reforms. This figure increased to 109,610 during 2002-03, which was an increase of 12 per cent on the previous year figure.

'Overall, offshore grants have grown by 27 per cent since the introduction of the reforms.

'To continue this growth, I will be implementing further streamlining of requirements for overseas students, while also tightening some requirements in order to further enhance the integrity of the program.

'Of particular note among the coming changes is the move towards greater flexibility in the financial requirements for student visa applicants from higher risk countries.

'The range of acceptable financial evidence will be extended. The financial requirements will also be made more consistent across education sectors, increasing the transparency of the visa process for students.

'A number of changes will also be made to the current English language proficiency requirements. These changes will include provisions to accommodate students who have previously studied outside Australia in certain English-speaking countries, and to support alternative pathways to university.

'At the same time, I will be introducing an English language test requirement for some very high-risk school students,' Mr Ruddock said.

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Regional Boost for Business Migration

Speech by Philip Ruddock MP - Minister for Immigration and Indigenous and Multicultural Affairs

27 February, 2003

More business migrants will be able to call regional Australia home under changes to business skills visa arrangements announced today by the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs, Philip Ruddock.

The changes which come in on 1 March 2003, seek to increase the number of business people settling in regional and low population-growth areas of Australia.

'Currently New South Wales, and Sydney in particular, receive the lion's share of the business migrant intake,' Mr Ruddock said.

'The changes will provide State and Territory governments with more influence over the number and the skill level of business migrants who settle in their area, by enabling them to sponsor business migrants in line with their economic and regional development objectives.'

The changes include the grant of a State and Territory Government sponsored four-year provisional visa to business migrants. These people will then be eligible to apply for permanent residence after they have successfully operated a business for at least two years, and have again obtained State or Territory Government sponsorship.

'The changes were a result of close partnership between the Commonwealth and State and Territory Governments and I thank the State and Territory Governments for their valuable input in developing these new arrangements,' Mr Ruddock said.

'The Tasmanian Government has endorsed the Commonwealth's objectives, while the South Australian Government has stated its pleasure in having a new visa category providing for State or Territory Sponsored investors.

'Likewise, the Queensland Government has expressed gratitude that a direct permanent residence category has been retained for high calibre business migrants,' he said.

The changes also aim to increase the number and proportion of business migrants who are successful in getting into business.

Information received from recent surveys of business migrants is that one of the principal reasons for failure to set up a business, is the lack of information about Australia's complex business rules and obligations.

The new system will provide improved links with State and Territory government business-related services, such as information on business licensing and taxation requirements and assistance with business plan development, providing the help that many business migrants need.

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Australian education among world's top five

The Age

20 January, 2003

Australia ranks fifth as having the most effective education system among the world's richest countries, according to a United Nations study.

South Korea leads the ranking ahead of Japan, Finland, Canada and Australia, with Britain ranked seventh, New Zealand equal tenth and the United States 18th among the 24 nations.

The ranking "provides the first 'big picture' comparison of the relative effectiveness of education systems across the developed world," the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) study said.

"It is based not on the conventional yardstick of how many students reach what level of education, but on testing what pupils actually know and what they are able to do," UNICEF said.

It said it based the study on five different tests of 14- and 15-year-olds to determine their abilities in reading, math and science.

What is new about the study is that it averages the results to give "the most comprehensive picture to date of how well each nation's education system is functioning as a whole," UNICEF said.
The credit does not go exclusively to a nation's schools, said the 36-page study. "It is clear that educational performance is born not at school but in the home," said the report. "Learning begins at birth" and is fostered by "a loving, secure, stimulating environment."

UNICEF spokesman Patrick McCormick said the study had been unable to draw conclusions on a range of factors, such as how much was spent on education. Some countries spent less and did better. "The biggest thing is obviously the socio-economic background of the child and how well-educated their parents are."

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