The Federal Government has announced it will allow skilled workers from the United States, such as electricians, plumbers and other trades, to get their licence to work in Australia on arrival.

 

Federal Skills Minister Senator Chris Evans said the move will ease shortages in trades and engineering.

 

"This is a great opportunity to address skill shortages in Australia by filling shortfalls in particular areas with qualified candidates from the US, with applications expected to open from mid-April," Senator Evans said.

 

“While the Government’s first priority is to train Australians for jobs in the resources and construction sectors, projections show that we will need workers from overseas for a peak in activity in the next three to five years.”

 

“I understand some of the relevant unions have been talking to their US counterparts about the opportunities for skilled US workers to fill shortages in the resources sector over the next three to four years.

 

”Currently, such workers need to be assessed onshore which can mean waiting months between entry and starting work.”

 

The reform will allow for prompt offshore processing of applications, which have traditionally had to be done with the applicant in country and could take months.

 

Under the new agreement, US workers will be assessed against Australian requirements before entering the country.

 

To support employers in linking with potential skilled workers, Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said the Australian Government had also decided to run its overseas program of Skills Australia Needs expos in the United States for the first time to attract skilled workers in the resources, energy and infrastructure sectors.