In the 2012-13 Commonwealth Budget announced in May, Australia’s Government had good news for those hoping to migrate to the country.

The financial plan outlined a targeted increase in numbers accepted on the Migration Program to support Australian regions and sectors with acute skills shortages.

The standout feature of the Budget was an increase of 5,000 places in the Migration Program from 185,000 places in 2011‑12 to 190,000 for 2012-13 made up of 129,250 skilled stream places, 60,185 family stream places and 565 special eligibility places.  Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Chris Bowen MP said the increase “comes in the context of significant skills gaps in both the short and medium term in certain sectors of our patchwork economy” and that skilled migrants “are complementing rather than competing with our domestic labour force.”

Information courtesy of Anglo Pacific

For further information on immigration: http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/