Source: Simon Mann, From factories to franchises, SMH, November 21, 2009

THEY are the new face of shop-front entrepreneurship: Asian Australians are a growing business band, whether they have migrated to Australia as Skilled Migrants, Refugee’s or through the Business Visa Program.

Milk bars, takeaways, newsagencies and Lotto outlets, post offices, dry-cleaners, fruit and vegie shops, mini-marts are all common business choices. As are bakeries, video stores, fish and chip shops, cafes and coffee lounges.

Previously, many Asian Australians came to Australia as skilled workers, refugees or through family reunion programs and worked in factories and low-paid positions. These people have worked their way up to business ownership.

Increasingly, these Chinese migrants are being joined by new migrants who are using the proceeds of their nation's emerging free market economy to buy businesses across Australia through the Business Visa Program. This program encourages successful business owners, investors and senior business executives with a track record in their own country to establish or develop a business or participate in investment activity in Australia.

The national migration program, launched in 2004 as part of Australia's general upgrading of skills, requires minimum assets of $250,000 for newcomers (in Victoria, $400,000). Migrants can enter on a four-year provisional visa during which time they must demonstrate their business acumen. Increased returns or the creation of local jobs are among the requisites for securing permanent residency. (Click here for further information).

Some qualify easily because of their substantial offshore assets; others invest smaller amounts through the sponsored business migration program, which entices foreign business people with the promise of permanent residency.

Irrespective of their pathway, the business owners share common characteristics.

''They're prepared to work their businesses really hard,'' says leading business broker Ian Wollermann. ''They see Australia as a wonderful country of opportunity. They can buy a business, they can run it and they can make money out of it, and they can work as hard as they like.''

All the shopkeepers agree that communication skills are an entree to success. ''Good English is good for business,'' says Peter Tang, who arrived in Australia in 1988 and worked as a material cutter for Coogi clothing until its local operation closed earlier this decade.

Tang bought his Charcoal Chicken outlet two years ago and works seven days a week, after running a similar venture in Lalor for five years.

For Australia, read: opportunity, he says in as many words. His endeavour has brought rewards - his daughter, now 26, has degrees in law and commerce and works as a tax consultant for a large city firm, and he expects to be able to retire within three years.

The pathway might be different to that taken by the thousands of migrants who preceded them years earlier, but the entry point can often be the same.

Wei, a technician who worked for Ericsson for 15 years and who now runs the post office, says the next generation are better prepared for Australia's business environment. ''When we came we didn't fully know Australian culture … but my sons, while they might look Asian, their thinking and all that they do is Australian,'' he says during a fleeting break from behind the counter.

The transition from generation to generation also confers a sense of belonging. But for many of the original entrepreneurs, the wrench from homeland causes lingering pain.

Chao Ying's milk bar hours are long - 7.30am to 9.30pm daily - and the constant presence of Hong Kong television beamed into the shop via satellite tests her emotions. Beijing's Olympics made her proud, but programs more often than not make her long for family and home.

''I think I will miss China for another 10 years,'' she says, before acknowledging that the couple's sacrifice had been for the benefit of their sons. ''The time will pass.''

Full Article Available: http://www.smh.com.au/small-business/from-factories-to-franchises-20091120-iqyb.html

AMVL has a team that specializes in assisting migrants interested in perusing a business visa. Contact Bill Gamack or visit our Business Visa information page.

Skills Shortfall Predicated

According to the Workplace Futures Report, to be presented today, AUSTRALIA faces a potential skills shortfall equivalent to 1.4 million workers by 2025 unless the workforce participation rate increases. The new research recommends raising the retirement age and boosting skilled migration.

The paper, prepared by the Victorian Employers Chamber of Commerce and Industry, says the shortfall in the state by 2025 could potentially be 440,000 workers, if retirement and migration rates remain at current levels.

One of the authors, Darin Ritchie, said yesterday that if workforce trends did not change, the projected participation rate nationally in 2025 would drop from 65.2 per cent to 61.8 per cent. "To meet moderate levels of labour-demand growth, Australia's participation rate would need to be 68 per cent," he said. "This could potentially leave a shortfall of 1.4 million workers.

"To address this workforce deficit, Australia needs to raise the average retirement age, increase the workforce participation of disadvantaged groups, increase migration, or offset labour demand through productivity growth."

The paper goes on to say "The prominence of demographic change and skill shortages has recently been overtaken by the economic downturn of the last 12 months," the paper says. "With unemployment increasing over that period, it would be easy to assume we no longer have a labour or skills shortage problem. However, skills shortages still exist in many industries, and the reality of Australia's ageing workforce means we face a structural deficit of workers over the next 15 years."

Recommendations in the paper also include suggesting that the federal and state governments should work with universities to assess the potential for using overseas students to meet current and future skills and labour needs. This could include increasing the ratio of postgraduate research in overseas student enrolments and improving job opportunities for graduate overseas students.

Full article available at: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/politics/shortfall-of-14m-workers-threatens-pension-age/story-e6frgczf-1225798395249

Source: Ewin Hannan , Shortfall of 1.4m workers threatens pension age, From: The Australian, November 17, 2009

The recent article by Ewin Hannan in the Australian (above) is a little ray of sunshine after so many DIAC processing changes this year.. As we have previously said, Australian does still need skilled migrants and more reports like this can only mean good news!

At AMVL, we assist people who wish to apply for a visa under the General Skilled Migration Scheme. This scheme is part of DIAC’s contribution to addressing skills shortages which the article refers to and which will only increase with the declining population. 

Click here for more information on General Skilled Migration.

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) is going after backpackers who are ‘buying’ their three months agricultural or regional work.

AN IRISHMAN was recently fined Aus$1,400 (€850) and deported from Australia after being convicted of immigration fraud. He was convicted after admitting he bought employment verification details for a second year working holiday visa (WHV) for $500.

To get a second WHV backpackers must work for three months in agricultural or regional work during their first visa year. But many backpackers, in their anxiety to get the visa without doing the tough work, have risked imprisonment for up to 10 years, and/or a fine of up to $110,000 by claiming they worked on a farm when they did not.

This work is “proved” with the provision of the Australian business number (ABN) of a farmer who has previously hired backpackers, saying you worked there too.

One story doing the rounds of the backpacker community concerns a man, since returned to Ireland, who made tens of thousands of dollars selling ABNs to backpackers desperate to get a second year visa.

Using an alias, he took out adverts on the Gumtree backpacker website under the heading: “2nd year visa, no problem.” A fee of $400 would then be required to be paid directly into his bank account once the visa was granted.

Many thought he was a farm manager, reducing the risk of a comeback should the visa application be randomly checked and denied.

He told clients that the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) checked only 10 per cent of second WHV applications. These are done online to ensure details are correct.

A DIAC spokesperson said: “The department has successfully prosecuted an Irish national for second working holiday visa fraud. Another case has recently been accepted by the Commonwealth director of public prosecutions and others are under consideration . . . The department has recently cancelled 32 second working holiday visas in New South Wales on the basis of fraudulent documentation, and refused many applications.”

Billy Cantwell, editor of the Sydney-based Irish Echo newspaper, said stories about getting illegal WHVs are passed around in Irish bars and backpacker hostels.

“It’s very disappointing that Irish nationals have been ripping their own people off,” he said. “Word gets out that there’s a way round the rules and it spreads like bushfire. People do it without thinking of the consequences.

“It would be a dreadful shame if this led to the whole [second WHV] scheme being ditched. It would be a very heavy price to pay if it denied other people a chance to get the visa,” he said.

Despite the risks, many people continue to post on internet sites ways to fraudulently acquire a second WHV.

A DIAC spokesperson confirmed that the department is “closely scrutinising online advertisements offering fraudulent documentation for the purpose of applying for a second working holiday visa”.

Australia is expected to grant 200,000 one-year WHVs this financial year. About 23,000 of these will go to Irish people. Whether fraud affects that number remains to be seen.

This item was obtained from the Irish Times, Wednesday, November 11, 2009. For the full story, visit - http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2009/1111/1224258549670.html