Dear Guest,

Thank you to everybody who wrote in response to the work we are doing with government to raise the age limit of skilled migration above 45. We received overwhelming support and I will keep you updated on any progress made.

There has been controversy over the investigation of Dr. Mohamed Haneef from India. Whilst I do not believe this situation has been handled well, it has more to do with law enforcement and intelligence than a visa.

Security has become a key issue that has impacted travel and immigration, as every country has a primary duty to do what it can to protect its people. Many of you would agree that increased security measures when travelling on a plane or going through an airport can be annoying, but I respect the people involved are doing their job to help maintain my safety and that of others.

Fairness, freedom and safety are a core part of life in Australia. These values will continue to be rigorously protected by its people. When asked by a leading newspaper whether the government should consider tighter security processes for visa applicants, I commented that everyone should recognise the critical importance of maintaining good quality security checks. However, we must also ensure that any changes are fair and reasonable so that we do not make the visa application process more difficult, without gain.

It's important that Australia understands your view on this particular issue. Please share your thoughts with me.

The LIVE IN australia.com team hope you’re having a wonderful 2007.

Simply click on the links below to automatically scroll down the page of the latest LIVE IN australia.com news. Click on 'TOP' to return to the top of the page:

1. Australia surges on, full steam ahead
2. ‘Australia Needs Skills’ Expo
3. Indian students race into second place
4. Outback welcomes foreign-trained doctors
5. Aussie Surprise of the Month
6. A town like Wagga Wagga
7. Aussie Recipe: Grilled Wild Barramundi fillet, with lemon myrtle mash and quandong confit
8. In Brief

Australia surges on, full steam ahead
The remarkable growth in Australian jobs continues, with official figures showing an increase of up to 25,000, while unemployment remains at a 32-year low.

The buoyant jobs market has led to increased borrowing and kept consumer sentiment at near-record highs. The median consensus of 23 economists in a recent Reuters survey was for a gain of 13,500 jobs. One analyst expects the unemployment rate to remain at 4.2 per cent, and possibly drop even further by the end of 2007.

If you want to take advantage of Australia’s remarkable surge from an already prosperous base, contact a LIA Migration Advisor and get the ball rolling.

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‘Australia Needs Skills’ Expo
Where? Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour
When? 29 September 2007

What happens?

• meet Australian employers who need skilled workers
• talk to State and Territory governments who need skilled workers
• find out more about independent migration into Australia
• hear presentations on topics, such as the Employer Sponsored Schemes, the Skill Matching Database, General Skilled Migration and Skills Recognition.

• international university students
• working holiday makers (backpackers)
• overseas tourists
• temporary visa holders
• skilled workers currently not working in their qualified field
• family members of prospective skilled workers

No need to register - simply turn up on the day. More Expos are planned for 2007 and 2008. LIVE IN australia.com will publicise them when finalised by the government.

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Indian students race into second place
According to Australian Education International (AEI), in the last year, 40,010 Indian students enrolled in Australian educational institutions, a 55 percent increase from the previous year. India is now Australia’s second largest source of overseas students.

Whether it is higher studies or tertiary education, an increasing number of Indian students have chosen Australia over the US and Britain.

While Business Studies remained the most popular course for higher education, nursing, horticulture, environmental science, agriculture science and animal husbandry have also expanded while fields such as computing and engineering, are less popular.

Ramandeep Singh had studied mechanical engineering in Punjab’s Mehr Chand Polytechnic and came to Melbourne to study advanced mechanical engineering, but was lured into horticulture by his cousin. "Australia has skill shortages and needs people to further its economic growth,” he says.

In 2005-06, a total of 14,027 skilled visas were granted to Indian citizens. Of these, some 2,934 visas went to former overseas students in Australia. So is education an easy path to migration? Jacinta Allan, Victoria's Minister for Skills, Education Services and Employment said ‘not necessarily’: "… Victoria is attracting a significant number of migrants from India, and many are coming under the skilled migration program.

"Students who enroll in our courses need to complete assessment requirements … if, after they have successfully completed their course, they choose to apply for permanent residency, and they have the skills that meet an area of skills shortage, that's good for everyone,"

The minister is expecting a steady increase in Indian students in the next five years.

Indian Community: http://www.vicnet.net.au/community/ethnic/indian/

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Outback welcomes foreign-trained doctors
Department of Immigration figures show that in the nine months to March 2007, 550 more health and community workers entered Queensland on skilled workers' visas, than for the same period in 2006.

A rural doctor says that foreign-trained practitioners now make up between 50 and 100 per cent of the workforce in some country towns.

Past president of the Rural Doctors Association of Queensland, Christian Rowan, says areas outside the southeast corner have the greatest need.

"The workforce shortages in regional and remote areas have become more apparent and worse over the last decade," he said.

Dr Rowan says he believes the numbers of foreign-trained doctors will continue to rise, especially in regional Queensland. He says overseas workers are vital to many communities, but says more needs to be done to redress the declining number of health professionals being trained in Australia.

Are you a health professional looking for a relaxed, rewarding lifestyle? Contact LIVE IN australia.com for a consultation and examination of opportunities.

Rural Doctors Association of Queensland: http://www.rdaq.com.au/main.asp?NodeID=258
Australian Medical Association: http://www.ama.com.au/web.nsf?opendatabase

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Aussie Surprise of the Month
World’s first movie! Hollywood? Paris? London? No, the world's first feature length film - The Story of the Kelly Gang - was produced in Australia in 1906.

Even earlier, the Salvation Army’s Limelight Department, set up in Melbourne in 1892, was Australia’s first real film production house. Soldiers of the Cross, a major turn-of-the-century multimedia production included 3,000 feet of film and 200 coloured glass slides.

Around 2000 people attended the premiere at the Melbourne Town Hall on September 13, 1900. In 1902 Herbert Booth resigned from the Army and took it around the world. In that same year, Cecil B. De Mille saw Soldiers of the Cross in the United States. It ignited his imagination and he went on to become creator of such Hollywood blockbusters as The Ten Commandments (1923) and The Sign of the Cross (1932).

Australian Centre for the Moving Image: http://www.acmi.net.au/great_aust_cinema.aspx
Australian Film Institute: http://www.afi.org.au/

The helmet Ned Kelly wore during his last stand

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With a population of 57,000 people, it is an important Australian agricultural, military, educational and transport hub. Midway between Sydney and Melbourne, Wagga is a major regional centre.

Wagga offers professional opportunities and challenges, stimulating cultural activities and investment growth, which create an ideal family environment when combined with a lifestyle and cultural infrastructure to suit the most discerning.

Wagga has four distinct seasons, with warm to hot summers and cold winters by Australian standards. Mean annual rainfall in Wagga is 557.5 mm (22”) and is distributed evenly over the year. Wagga has eight secondary schools and 22 primary schools.

Wagga Wagga's ‘odd’ name leads many to believe it is a mythical city. For example, Harry Potter character Gilderoy Lockhart claimed to have conquered the ‘Wagga Wagga Werewolf’!

If you’re looking for a prosperous and pulsating rural city to call home, talk to a LIA Migration Advisor today!

Wagga Wagga info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wagga_Wagga,_New_South_Wales
Wagga Wagga City Council: http://www.wagga.nsw.gov.au/www/html/7-home-page.asp
Business Wagga Wagga: http://www.businesswaggawagga.com.au/

The country city of Wagga Wagga

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Aussie Recipe: Grilled Wild Barramundi fillet, with lemon myrtle mash and quandong confit
Generally, the Barramundi (Lates calcarifer) is found in northern and eastern Australia. They are typically a pale grey-green with a coppery shimmer, and can grow to a maximum length of 2 metres (6’ 7”). Australian Barramundi has a reputation as one of our finest eating fish in the world. Barramundi is now being farmed right around Australia (and also overseas) and is exported to all parts of the world. This recipe is best with ‘wild’ barramundi.

• 4×200g wild barramundi fillets, skin on
• 1kg potatoes (peeled)
• 1 cup of milk
• 80g of butter
• 5g lemon myrtle sprinkle
• Sprinkle Outback Salt
• 50ml quandong confit

The famous Aussie fighting Barramundi

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The boom that keeps on booming
The head of the Fortescue Metals Group, Andrew Forrest, says the iron ore boom in the Pilbara will outlast current expectations.

Mr. Forrest told a West Australian ports conference in Port Hedland the proximity to the Chinese market and banded iron ore reserves would allow for continued prosperity. BHP Billiton Iron Ore President Ian Ashby says he expects another 60 years of iron ore mining in the Pilbara.

However, Mr. Forrest says that is a conservative estimate. More opportunities for skilled workers

Thar’s gold near them thar opals!
A new mine will be developed south of Coober Pedy, South Australia, providing up to 100 new jobs in a magnetite iron ore and copper gold project. Goldstream Mining managing director Duncan McBain, says the mine could be operational by the end of the year if government approvals are granted.

He says there is an estimated 11 million tonnes of the product, which will be exported to China, where the minerals will be separated.

Aussie Word of the Month
Croweater (noun), The term 'croweater' is a colloquial name for South Australians. Early settlers, when short of mutton, ate unwary crows. The name is now a badge of pride, being applied to the State football team and so forth.

Aussie words in action: Talk to LIA about joining the croweaters, who now feast on steaks, fine wine and lovingly brewed macchiati.

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Best Regards,

Peter Seers
Marketing & Client Services Manager