What is wrong with making New Zealanders apply for a permanent visa? The process of applying and being assessed for a permanent visa is designed for those who would otherwise not be allowed to live in Australia, not those who already have residence rights. The Australian Government is, however, using this process, designed to determine who should be allowed to settle in Australia, as a way of assessing whether people who are already residents of Australia should be granted the basic rights of all other residents. The sheer unsuitability of applying this process to New Zealanders becomes instantly apparent on examining the selection criteria. The main avenue through which people can apply is on the basis of skills. Skills selection criteria are used to determine who can enter the Australian labour market to make sure that Australian workers are not subjected to too great competition for jobs and that migrants are able to alleviate skills shortages. However, New Zealanders already have a right to work in Australia and would continue to do so whether or not their permanent visa applications were successful. Australia and New Zealand already form a single labour market so the idea of applying a skills test for people moving within that market is patently ridiculous. Indeed, many occupations are likely never to appear on the desired skills list for a permanent visa for the simple fact that labour shortages are already being filled by New Zealanders. Other requirements largely relate to health and age. These are largely designed to prevent people who might be a burden on the health system from migrating to Australia. However, New Zealanders are already allowed to both live in Australia and access government health services and would continue to do so, regardless of the outcome of a permanent visa application. Due to these requirements, most New Zealanders will never be eligible. Most of those who are eligible will likely never apply, as the process can take years and cost thousands of dollars. Those who apply and are rejected receive no refund on fees paid. Simply put, for most who might be eligible, the costs outweigh any immediate benefits, as they already enjoy the main benefit the visa brings for other migrants, namely the right to live in Australia.
Posted on: Tue, 03 Jun 2014 07:53:14 +0000
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