No major immigration cut for Australia.

January 3, 2009 by Danis Foster

Chris Evans, the Minister of Immigration and Citizenship, has been urged by an influential business group not to cut the annual skilled migration quota.

The Australian immigration quota reached record level during the 2008-09 financial year, with 31,000 extra intakes, thus taking the quota up to a total 190,300 visas for Australia, including 133,500 skilled visa migrants.

However, according to ABC News, under the light of the global economic crisis, Senator Evans has requested advice from a number of sources regarding a cutback to the Australian immigration program.

Suggestions that a rise in unemployment could affect Australians as well as Australian migrants have cause concern and the issue if forming a major part of the immigration discussions held by the Senator.

Yet, the chief executive of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Peter Anderson said that the government needs foresight while considering the future of the Australian immigration program, especially in terms of its effects on long-term progress of the Australian economy. He said that skilled migrants add value to the economy of Australia.

He said that even though the country is going through a slower period of economic growth, it is likely that the government will not be able to make any major changes to the immigration system without adversely affecting the economic activity of the country.

According to The Australian, Senator Evans has put fears at rest that the global financial crisis is going to cause to a drastic reduction in the skilled migration quota of Australia.

Senator Evans has reassured the lobbying business groups that there is no way that the government would overreact to the global recession. He said that immigration is a global market, so reputation and brand of a country is very important.

Therefore, a lot of advice is not to ruin to brand by knee-jerk reaction, because the country will have to recruit in these areas, if not this year, then the year after, he said.

Australian ranked number one in the world in Futurebrand’s Country Brand Index (CBI) 2008, for a place people would like to live in outside their home country.

Australia also won the desirable award for the best-branded country in the world, and the country business travelers are most likely to extend their business trip for holiday purposes than in any other country, followed by New Zealand at the second spot. Participants also voted Australia as the best country for outdoor activities and sports, and here also it was fooled by New Zealand.

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