A notoriously good lifestyle and a resources boom that's producing more jobs than people to fill them has made Australia the world's second most desired country to live in, according to a report. The United States is first.

News.com.au recently published the below details of the report findings, titled The Global Professionals on the Move.

AUSTRALIA has emerged as the second most desired location, behind only the United States, for people to live and work, a report says.

Hydrogen managing director for Australia Ivan Jackson said there were 404 natural resources projects taking place in Australia worth about $450 billion.

"A lack of relevant skilled professionals is one of the main barriers to bringing these projects to fruition," Mr Jackson said in the report, which was released today.

"In the next two to three years recruitment to Australia will be at its highest ever."

Overseas experience was also highly valued by employers, particularly in the energy sector, the report said.

The report said the most common reason working professionals were seeking jobs overseas was to develop their careers.

Australia tied second with the UK as the most popular place to work, followed by Singapore, Canada, Switzerland, Hong Kong and France.

Some 90 per cent of respondents believed relocating for work accelerated their personal development, while 86 per cent said it improved their career prospects.

Moreover, 83 per cent said their salaries rose on the back of their overseas experience.

The report found 15 per cent of women working overseas were women aged 40 years and above, compared with nearly 50 per cent of men in the same age demographic.

The survey, which was conducted by ESCP Europe, comprised responses from 2353 professionals from 85 different countries obtained during November 2011.

To read the full article at News.com.au click here.

Do you and your family want to migrate to Australia to live and work? Contact Australian Migration & Visa Lawyers to speak to one of our friendly and professional Registered Migration Agents about the visa options available to you. Our team is committed to the MARA Code of Conduct.

If you are qualified in the trades or engineering industries, considering registering (free) with AMVL International Recruitment. We connect overseas skilled workers seeking sponsored visas and Australian employers seeking these workers. To complete your free registration, click here.

In recognising the value of immigrants on subclass 457 visas in Australia, opposition leader Tony Abbot has today stated that the Coalition government, if in power, will lift the limit of 457 visas granted to skilled overseas workers.

Subclass 457 visas are sponsored temporary work visas which allow skilled migrants to work in Australia for up to four years and holders of the visa can be eligible to apply for permanent residency.

As reported by The Australian;

Tony Abbott says workers on 457 visas are "the best immigrants", who contribute immediately to the economy and provide the best long-term workers when they convert their visas to permanent residency. The current skilled migrant intake is 125,850 people.

"Provided they are paid the same wages and provided there aren't Australians who could readily fill these jobs, businesses should be able to bring in the workers they need to keep growing, and create more local jobs," Mr Abbott will say in a speech to be delivered today.

"A stronger economy is in everyone's interests; immigrants who contribute to a stronger economy improve the life of every Australian.

"Under a Coalition government, section 457 visas won't be just a component, but a mainstay of our immigration program.

Yesterday, amid reports that Wayne Swan was poised to boost the number of skilled migrants by at least 5000 in the budget, the national secretary of the construction division of the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union, Dave Noonan, told The Australian the rise should be aimed at "genuine shortages".

Mr Noonan demanded better labour-market testing to ensure employers tried to hire Australian workers first, though he stressed the union favoured permanent migration over an increase in workers coming in on 457 visas.

Mr Abbott argues that turning skilled temporary visa workers into full-time residents is best because it "helps Australia to be more prosperous and productive and the best way for an immigrant to settle in is to work".

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

Is your business experiencing skilled staff shortages? Consider sponsoring a skilled overseas worker. Focusing on the trades and engineering industries, AMVL International Recruitment connects overseas skilled workers seeking sponsored visas and Australian employers seeking these workers. To learn more, click here email jobs@australianmigrations.com.

Australian Migration & Visa Lawyers also has a dedicated team of Registered Migration Agents who can assist and advise migrants who wish to apply for the subclass 457 visa. For more information, contact us or email migrate@australianmigrations.com.

Ahead of next month's federal budget, both the Coalition and the Miner's Union have speculated on whether the government's rumoured plan to boost skilled by 5000 or more will properly address the significant skills shortages currently being experienced in Western Australia and Queensland.

As reported by The Australian;

Amid reports Treasurer Wayne Swan is poised to boost the number of skilled migrants by at least 5000 in next month's federal budget, the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union says the rise should be targeted to tackle “genuine shortages”.

CFMEU construction national secretary David Noonan demanded better labour market testing to ensure employers tried to try to hire Australian workers first, although he stressed the union favoured permanent migration over an increase in temporary workers coming in on 457 visas.

“We need to be careful the skilled migration scheme is not a scheme that can be abused by unscrupulous employers, who bring people in rather than give jobs to unemployed Australians.”

Coalition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison demanded more details, saying a 5000 person boost to permanent migration was “a blunt instrument to deal with skills shortages”.

“Boosting permanent migration is not the best way to deal with the skills crisis in states like Western Australia and Queensland. Well over half of skilled migrants end up in Melbourne or Sydney,” he said.

“We think it's necessary to use more targeted immigration measures, which are particularly available in the temporary skilled migration area, and we also believe we need to train more Australians.

But the Minerals Council of Australia said a permanent migration boost would help ameliorate workforce shortages and counter the reliance on temporary skilled migrants.

“It is in line with historical skilled migrant intakes and could help alleviate some of the skilled labour shortages the industry faces,” a spokesman said.

The current skilled migrant intake stands at 125,850 people.

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

Do you want to learn more about migration to Australia? Contact Australian Migration & Visa Lawyers, our team of friendly and professional Registered Migration Agents (RMA) specialise in all visa categories and can offer migration assistance and advice to those wishing to migrate to Australia.

All RMAs at Australian Migration & Visa Lawyers are committed to the MARA Code of Conduct.