Hospitality visa update - govt admits shortfall of 92,000 workers by 2015

Hi all

An update on the proposed hospitality visa:

Australia’s hospitality and tourism industry is so short staffed the government is in discussions to import 36,000 cooks, waiters and bartenders to fill vacancies with another 56,000 needed by 2015, according to federal Tourism Minister, Martin Ferguson.

Experts say high-paying mining jobs are luring young Australian workers from traditional fields such as retail and hospitality, while others would rather go on the dole than do certain jobs themselves.

Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said that under the new hospitality visa plan, tourism and hospitality employers would be able to bring in workers on a two to three year visa similar to the subclass 457 visa program.

“Employers would need to show they are doing their best to employ and train domestic workers and paying market rates,” he said.

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McGrath Migration Lawyers is Australia’s longest established specialist immigration law firm. With 30 years’ experience in all aspects of corporate and personal immigration, we count thousands of Australian visa holders and citizens amongst our clients.

If you’re an employer considering a subclass 457 , ENS or RSMS sponsorship to fill your business’ skills shortages, or a prospective Australian visa applicant, contact us today, for fast, friendly and professional service.

Best regards

Susan