Australia has not been hit so hard by recession, and it faces a shortage of skilled workers a gap that a lot of Irish graduates are eager to fill

THE GLOBAL financial crisis hit Australia far more lightly than in most other countries. The combination of a $42 billion (€30bn) government stimulus package and the good fortune of having vast mineral reserves meant Australia, alone among developed nations, avoided recession and has now bounced back, full steam ahead.

Unemployment in Australia is 5.2 per cent, one of the lowest rates in the world. The resources boom is back in full swing, and Australia is a major world exporter of labour-intensive agricultural, mineral and energy commodities. The floods in Queensland are affecting exports from that state, but trade figures are expected to recover soon.

Things are going so well that Australia’s central bank recently raised the official interest rate to 4.75 per cent. The one fly in the ointment is that parts of Australia, particularly the mining-rich states of Western Australia and Queensland, are experiencing shortages of skilled labour.

In the year to the end of June 2010, 3,041 Irish people got permanent-residence visas for Australia, up from 2,501 in the previous 12 months. There has also been a big increase in the number of company-sponsored visas obtained by Irish workers recently, with about 2,300 issued in the past five months. But the numbers getting one-year working-holiday visas fell sharply year on year, to 14,833, down from 22,788 in the year to June 30th, 2009.

Sydney-based Irish migration agent John McQuaid says once people get to Australia they want to stay. “Our experience is that more and more people are deciding not to return to Ireland from Australia. So a lot of our clients are already here, but we are also getting increased numbers of inquiries from Ireland,” he says. “Immigration is now more for economic reasons, whereas two years ago it would have been for lifestyle. For instance, I have recently been working with a couple and their five children who are moving here because their business in Ireland went belly up. There is lots of that kind of thing happening.”

McQuaid says the main focus for long-term Australian migration is in the medical and engineering fields and core trades such as electrical, plumbing and carpentry.

“Some other trades, those that would be considered semi-skilled, such as a truck driver, will find that they need sponsorship by an employer or by a state government to get a visa for Australia,” he says.

The Australian government recently reduced from 400 to 200 the list of skills that allow the holder to apply independently for visas. But people with qualifications in other occupations can still apply with sponsorship.

“If you have a skill that only took a year or two to learn you will find that there are limited options. Even people with management degrees might find they need to get sponsored,” says McQuaid.

Something applicants need to be careful of is applying for a visa with skills that are eligible for temporary sponsorship but are not eligible for any type of permanent visa. Customer-service managers are an example of this.

For those under 30, getting a working- holiday visa is the easiest way to get to Australia. “There are a lot of people in that age group who may not previously have thought about travelling to Australia for a lifestyle or working holiday but are coming now, due to limited work options at home.”

There are also increasing numbers of Irish people studying in Australia, an option that allows them to work part time during the college term and full time during breaks.

“A student visa can be processed in a couple of weeks. A temporary sponsorship application can be processed in about one to two months. For permanent visas, employer sponsorship is processed in about five months,” says McQuaid.

“It is better to use an Australian- registered agent. Australia has a very tight registration and code of conduct for migration agents. You have to have a full working knowledge of the migration laws and have to do professional development every year to maintain their registration. That’s not necessarily the case with operators who offer services from offices in the UK and Ireland.”

A SUNNY LAND WHERE SKILLS CAN SHINE

MARK HAYES, DENTIST

NEWPORT, CO TIPPERARY

Mark Hayes (right) graduated in dentistry from UCC in 2006. He has lived in Sydney since 2008

“I came over for the experience and the sunshine. At the time I probably would have been better off at home in many ways, but I wanted to see somewhere different and to do a bit of travelling.” But, he says, with medical-card and PRSI changes in Ireland he is now glad to be in Australia. “A lot of dentists are finding it very difficult at home,” he says. “Most of my dentist friends [in Ireland] are employed still, but it is much quieter and it is very different to how it was before I left.”

Hayes says the practice of dentistry is no better in Australia than in Ireland, but there are other benefits. “It’s the opportunities outside of work. You meet people from different cultures and walks of life. Where I work, in Parramatta” – 24km west of Sydney city centre – “you see people of all religions and backgrounds. It’s a different way of life to what I had in Ireland.”

He had no problem adjusting to work in Australia. “Dentistry is very similar all around the world, and I had no difficulty getting my qualifications recognised. The main difference is that in Australia you are mainly working for health funds or companies, whereas in Ireland you might be working for a family dentist. You gain to a certain extent, because they are bigger practices, but you lose out on the community-type practice.”

Hayes uses technology to keep up with what is happening in Ireland. “I use e-mail and Skype to keep in touch with home, and I read The Irish Times online every day. I also use the Munster fans’ rugby forum,” he says.

Having initially gone to Sydney on a working- holiday visa, he then applied for residency. “I got it relatively easily, because dentistry is on the skills list. I’m a permanent resident now.”

Referring to a recent trip home he says: “It was a shock to see shops in Limerick that have been there for years now closed. But Ireland is still home, and long-term I hope to go back.

“When I first arrived and went out with Irish friends the conversation would be on anything, but now everyone is discussing visas. People are making more of an effort to stay longer.”

How to emigrate to Australia

* Irish people can take many routes to work legally in Australia. These range from one-year working-holiday visas to time-limited visas based on specific skills, to permanent residency.

* Permanent residency is based on a points system, with points accumulated based on your age, education, skills and English-speaking ability.

* Visa requirements are regularly updated based on Australia’s needs. It is possible, for instance, that the recent floods disaster in Queensland could lead to an increased number of visas given to people from the building trades. State governments and employers can sponsor visa applicants. For the latest information and updates see immi.gov.au.

* The Australian embassy will be the first port of call for many. The address is 7th Floor, Fitzwilton House, Wilton Terrace, Dublin 2. Phone 01-6645300.

* Applying for jobs online is very common and easy in Australia. The biggest job-search site is the government-run jobsearch.gov.au.

* Studying in Australia allows students to work part time during term and full time out of term. There are many courses, both academic and vocational, that qualify for visa programmes. See cricos.deewr.gov.au for details.

* If you are concerned about the distance from home and worried you might not be able to bear being apart from your family, it might help to have a look at how others are coping. See expatforum.com.

* Is my skill one that is needed in Australia? Check out if you are needed down under. Everything from accountants to zoologists is noted at immi.gov.au/asri/a-z.htm.

Emigration Nations: Series continues in Life Culture

In part 1 of the series JAMIE SMYTH looked at where the new Irish emigrants are going, and NIALL STANAGEassessed the prospects of those moving to the US: www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2011/0108/1224287020723.html

In part two, LORRAINE MALLINDER found out how the Irish are faring in Canada: www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/features/2011/0110/1224287154382.html

Part three outlined new chances in New Zealand:

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Thursday Germany and rest of Europe

Friday Britain