Dear Guest,

One of the first questions we ask when recruiting is, "What does customer service mean to you?"

Why? It's all about you, Guest, and how we can best serve your needs.

LIA staff are passionate about customer service and know that, "Just enough is never good enough". They love to go beyond what's expected and achieve the best possible outcome for Clients.

The process of immigrating to a new country can be highly emotional, fraught with apprehension and fear of the unknown. We make it our mission to ensure a stress-free experience, with warmth, understanding…and a bit of humour (wait until you see this month's recipe below)!

Please enjoy LIAISON and we can't wait to help you achieve your Australian dream, Guest.

Best Regards,


Assyl Haidar
CEO

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. A budget to help you build a booming future
2. Victoria: Small state, huge prospects!
3. Aussie Surprise of the Month
4. Staff Profile
5. A Town Like Toowoomba
6. WA foots the bill, if you have the skill!
7. Aussie Recipe
8. In Brief

A budget to help you build a booming future
Under the 2007/08 Australian Federal Budget, Guest, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) gets additional funding of $359 million. The planning number for the Migration Program is 152,800 places in 2007-08, a level set to strengthen our booming economy and maintain a strong, cohesive community.

The Budget delivers $209.2 million over four years to help 13,000 new refugee and humanitarian entrants annually, to settle happily and become part of the Australian community.

The Skilled Migration Stream will have an increase of 5,000 places for a total of 102,500 places. That's 102,500 opportunities for LIA clients like you, Guest!

Contact LIA and we'll help you get the ball rolling!

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Victoria: Small state, huge prospects!
With a land area roughly that of Great Britain (227,416km2 to 216,777km2) Victoria is the smallest mainland state of Australia. Yet, Guest, with a population of just over 5,000,000, there is plenty of room to spread your wings and build your prosperity.

2007 is a federal election year and skilled migration is a sensitive issue. However, Mr. Steve Bracks, Premier of Victoria, says his state is "willing and able" to accept more skilled migrants.

Victoria takes 30 per cent of Australia's intake of skilled migrants, even though Victoria is home to only 25 per cent of the nation's population. In 2005-2006 it attracted the largest share of migrants granted state specific, or regional migration visas, of any state or territory.

Ballarat, Bendigo, Shepparton and Mildura are four of the fastest-growing regional cities, and all need skilled workers including builders, doctors and other health professionals and accountants.

Mr. Bracks' government has targeted thousands of UK doctors and nurses. Britain's Royal College of Nursing recently revealed that more than 3,000 UK nurses have registered to work 'downunder’.

Health Minister, Ms Bronwyn Pike, says "… the similarities between training in the UK and Australia means doctors will meet requirements to practise their specialties in Victoria". Shepparton obstetrician, Associate Professor Glen Teale, who left the UK in 2002, says, "People here have more fun. I do have a busy job, but I have time now to go swimming or horse riding, and I wouldn't have been able to do that in England".

Victoria is a highly desirable destination for health professionals and skilled workers of all kinds, Guest. Maybe it's time you contact LIA and see what opportunities there are in your field.



Wikipedia on Victoria: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria%2C_Australia
The Age, daily newspaper: http://www.theage.com.au/
Victorian Arts: http://www.theartscentre.net.au/

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Aussie Surprise of the Month

Pick the Aussie in US TV drama Without a Trace.
Look no further than its star, Anthony LaPaglia! Anthony won a Golden Globe Award in his role as FBI agent Jack Malone. He also won an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series, appearing as Daphne Moon's brother Simon in the sitcom Frasier. In the 1980s, LaPaglia was a goalkeeper in the Australian National Soccer league, playing for Adelaide City and West Adelaide.

LaPaglia is now part owner of A-League club, Sydney FC, and flies from California to Sydney to attend matches. (Actually, this is a trick question as there are two Aussies in Without a Trace. The other is Poppy Montgomery, who plays FBI agent, Samantha Spade. Anthony and Poppy are among a burgeoning number of Australian actors landing big roles overseas).

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Staff Profile

Name: Cindy Yap
Position: Operations Manager
Qualifications: PhD Medicine, Ba/BSc
Languages: I had to quickly polish up my Mandarin skills when visiting Shanghai as most people did not speak English. I wouldn't say that I'm fluent but it's amazing what you can remember when the only other method of communicating is hand gestures.
Areas of Expertise: My background is in scientific research, specifically the function of platelets (the blood cells that help you stop bleeding) and development of anti-clotting compounds. These days, I look after the operational side of the business to ensure that the necessary resources are available for the business to run smoothly.
I'm working at LIVE IN australia.com because: I think Australia is THE most fantastic country to live in!
Loves most about Australia: Great food, countryside, clean air and water.
Makes you crazy with happiness: cooking great food & trying new foods.
Favourite food: I have so many favourites that my husband just shoots me a look of disbelief when I say "This is one of my favourites...". Given a choice, I will almost always choose an Asian meal - Japanese, Vietnamese, Malaysian.
Countries visited: US, UK, Germany, France, Malaysia, Singapore, China, Japan, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Italy, Greece and Thailand.
Favourite football teams: Richmond - we're from tigerland...
You can run vast distances and make it look effortless. What's your secret? Start slow, then taper off!
Why is Australia the best place to live? Because we have an amazing multicultural society that is full of enthusiasm & hope!

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It is strategically located at the junction of major highways linking Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Darwin. Toowoomba is the economic and commercial hub of the Darling Downs, serving diverse primary and secondary industries. The city plays a significant role in the economic development of a large area of southern and southwestern Queensland.

In 2005, the population of Greater Toowoomba was 119,133, of which there were 95,956 persons residing in the City itself. The summer high temperature for Toowoomba is approximately 27°c and the summer low is around 16°c. The winter temperature range is from around approximately 6°c, to 17°c.

Toowoomba City actively assists prospective residents with settlement, skills-matching and employment. The people of Toowoomba originated from many countries including the United Kingdom, South Africa, the Sudan, Zimbabwe, New Zealand, Taiwan, India and China to name a few.

If you're looking for somewhere bustling, prosperous and peaceful, make sure Toowoomba's on your list. Talk to an LIA Advisor today, Guest, and make sure you don't miss out on starting the new life you desire.

 
The Toowoomba Town Hall

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What's more, those numbers reflect only positions for which "recruitment action has been taken". Industry gurus say the reality is even more extreme. "In the energy and resources sector now, we're short around 20,000 people," said Lisa Barry, national human capital partner at Deloitte, adding that the number was likely to rise to 75,000 by 2015.

Jeff Mackie, principal of human resources consultancy Mackie Employer Solutions, said the situation was likely to remain extremely difficult for mining companies for the foreseeable future, adding that employers were struggling to retain existing staff, let alone find new recruits.

Overseas recruitment still targets the UK and US, but many other countries also, from the Philippines to Azerbaijan. Mr. Mackie said, "In the past, getting people from overseas took several months and seemed all too difficult. Now, people realise that each position will be vacant for three months anyway, so they're willing to wait for the international staff".

Family-friendly conditions, training and development, overseas opportunities and attractive option and bonus packages all play a role in attracting staff. Other strategies in the recruitment sector include the use of "greenskins" (people with skills in an allied field who are then trained for related positions), and "academies" (company-run training programs designed to educate prospective candidates while promoting the corporate brand).

If you have the skills, Guest, and would like to build a solid, lifelong foundation in this exciting environment, contact LIA today.

WA Government: http://wa.gov.au/
WA Industry & Resources: http://www.doir.wa.gov.au/
WA Natural Attractions: http://www.calm.wa.gov.au/

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Aussie Recipe: Gum Smoked Crocodile
Crocodile meat is a succulent white meat, akin to fish in both appearance and texture, but with the taste of chicken. Thus, croc is best cooked in the same manner as chicken or lean pork. We're told crocodile curry is very tasty, but today, Guest, we're introducing you to gum smoked crocodile.

Ingredients:
1 crocodile steak per person; freshly ground peppercorns; lemon aspen or limejuice; gum or tea tree branches.

Method:
Over a bed of hot coals, place grill or pan over gum or tea tree branches. Rub crocodile steaks with aspen or juice and sprinkle with pepper. Put on grill, or in pan, and turn a couple of times until the steaks are medium rare. Serve with salad so you can savour the wonderful flavour of the crocodile.

Now, Guest, you're unlikely to find croc in the meat section of Tesco, Asda, Safeway, Sainsbury's, Foodland, Reliance or Aldi … let alone your local butcher. But if you're interested, here's an Australian website where you can discover more about the culinary delights of eating crocodile.

http://www.gamemeats.com.au/index.html

Believe it or not…tastes like chicken!

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Brits jump ship in their thousands!
Five hundred Britons are leaving every day to live in the sun or find work abroad, according to the UK Office of National Statistics. A record 380,000 people left the country in 2005.

Australian immigration numbers
A quick glance shows the growing demand and the skyrocketing opportunities available to skilled migrants in Australia.
1997-98
Total migrant intake 67,100; Family intake 31,310; Skilled intake 34,670
2005-06
Total migrant intake 142,930; Family intake 45,290; Skilled intake 97,340
2007-08
Total migrant intake 152,800; Family intake 50,000; Skilled intake 102,500

Make sure you don't miss out while the opportunities are there, Guest. Log in to your Visa Management Centre today!

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Aussie words in action: You don't get to be Australia's most advanced and successful immigration consultancy by lairising around.

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Best Regards,

Peter Seers
Marketing & Client Services Manager