As Queensland and Western Australia continue to attract thousands of skilled workers to the mines, Victoria and Tasmania are both attracting plenty of people looking for non-mining jobs and/or a different lifestyle. As reported in The Australian, the current resources and mining boom hitting Australia is having a huge impact on increased employment vacancies and the need for overseas skilled workers, as each State competes for the numbers.

Western Australia is pulling workers out of Queensland for the first time but both states are, in turn, losing people to Tasmania as the mining boom reshapes the nation.

Queensland lost 1127 more people to WA than it gained last year -- one of the few times in the sunshine state's four-decade-long development that it has shed a large number of citizens to another state.

Nonetheless, Queensland retained its position as the most popular state for interstate migration last year, collecting 7243 more people in total than it shed to other states. But the figure was almost half the 2009 result of 13,814.

WA and Victoria each improved their standing last year. WA almost doubled its gain, from 2274 to 3944, while Victoria's increased from 1801 to 2870.

The surprise was Tasmania, which picked up 544 people from the mainland -- including 249 from NSW, 259 from Queensland and 104 from WA.

The data suggests a two-way competition for people in the national economy. The mining states of Western Australia and Queensland are drawing people from every state, while Victoria and Tasmania are attracting those chasing non-mining work, or a better lifestyle.

The population flows are seeing older workers such as Colin and Nenita Pike travel across the continent, from depressed Cairns to buoyant Perth, to start new lives.

"There's not much work over in Cairns and we heard there was plenty of work in Perth, so we just shot over," Mr Pike, 62, said.

"We heard the young ones from Perth are going out to the mines and leaving a hole in Perth. So we thought, instead of going out to the mines, well, go to Perth."

The move was triggered by Mr Pike being made redundant from his maintenance job at a Cairns nursing home. Within three weeks of arriving in Perth, the couple had found work; he in a plastic coating factory and she as a support worker in a nursing home.

To read the full article at The Australian, click here.

If you're interested in migrating to Australia on an Employer Sponsored (457) visa, contact us to speak to our Recruitment Specialist and become a member of our Australia Migration & Visa Lawyers (AMVL) Employment Network. The AMVL Employment Network facilitates overseas skilled workers seeking both sponsored visas and employment.

A 12 month investigation in to a group of unregistered migration agents who have been illegally providing migration assistance and lodging visa applications came to a close today. The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) today announced this break-through in which the Australian Federal Police (AFP) has also been involved, which illustrates an effort to protect the integrity of Australian migration programs.

A criminal syndicate providing unregistered migration advice to foreign nationals has been shut down following a police operation in Perth early today.

The execution of the search warrants brings to a close a 12-month multi-jurisdictional investigation.

“People who practise as unregistered migration agents in Australia are breaking the law and may be subject to fines of up to $6600 or imprisonment for up to 10 years,” a DIAC spokesman said.

The investigation involved DIAC officers with the assistance of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) in which the scheme’s unregistered migration agents claimed to be able to arrange ‘working visas’ for non-citizens.

“Organisers were charging exorbitant fees for unregistered migration assistance, and were also lodging visa applications which contained false information relating to claims for asylum,” the spokesman said. “Over the past 12 months, DIAC has conducted a series of targeted operations in New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia aimed at dismantling this syndicate.”

As a result of information obtained during recent operations, search warrants were executed by immigration investigators with the assistance of the AFP early today in Perth.

The operation follows the execution of warrants Sydney in July in which large numbers of visa applications were seized at the residence and office of the principal suspect of this investigation.

“If you are a migration agent you must be registered with the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority [Office of the MARA],” he added.

To read the full DIAC announcement, click here.

Australian Migration & Visa Lawyers has a team of fully qualified, registered migration agents who provide honest, expert advice to deliver the best migration pathway for our clients to follow. At all times we operate responsiblity and ethically within the MARA Code of Conduct. 

To speak to one of our friendly registered migration agents about your migration needs, contact us today.

A huge congratulations to Tara Talbot, the Queensland Rose of Tralee who has just won the Rose of Tralee in Ireland.

As Queensland's Rose, Tara traveled to the Festival of Kerry in Ireland to proudly represent her home state with over 30 other Roses from around the world.  The Queensland Rose of Tralee competition is a wonderful opportunity for young women between 18-28 to represent their home country in Ireland and Ireland in their home country.  The quest is a celebration of the spread of the Irish Culture throughout the world and one lucky girl is chosen each year to fly the flag for the Queensland Irish Community in Tralee.

To learn more about the Queensland Rose of Tralee, click here.