SYDNEY (AP) — Australia will scrap a temporary visa for skilled overseas workers, the prime minister said Tuesday, arguing that Australians must be given priority over foreigners for local jobs.
The popular 457 visa, which allows foreigners to live and work in Australia for up to four years, will be replaced with a stricter scheme that requires a criminal background check and includes tougher English language requirements, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said. The list of occupations that qualify for the new visa will be sharply reduced.
“We are an immigration nation, but the fact remains: Australian workers must have priority for Australian jobs,” Turnbull said in a Facebook video announcing the change.
The decision by Australia comes one day before President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order that will make changes to a visa program that brings high-skilled workers to the U.S. The White House said the current visa program undercuts American workers by bringing in cheaper labor.
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