More and more US citizens faced with job crunch at home are heading to Australia where nearly 7,000 Americans are currently working on long-term visas, an 80 percent jump over the past five years.
The Wall Street Journal, quoting Australian government data, said US citizens are now the third-largest group applying for work visas, after British and Indian nationals.
From in.news.yahoo.com:
Near-10 percent unemployment at home drives more Americans to look for jobs Down Under, where China’s thirst for iron ore and energy is transforming the Pacific nation into an economic powerhouse, the report said.
Daniel Davila, a 23-year-old timber floorer from California who has been working at a grocery store, said that on a good day, he makes as much as 50 Australian dollars (US$50.21) an hour – about twice the usual rate for the job in the US.
‘I can make what I did in a week in the US in less than a day here,’ Davila, who lives near the mining boom town of Perth, was quoted as saying.
Americans with degrees in areas such as accounting or mine engineering as well as other skilled workers can obtain a non-renewable permit for as much as a three-year stay. After that, they can apply for the renewable 457 work visa, which grants up to a four-year stay.
The number of US students in Australian universities has also jumped nearly 10 percent in the past two years, after declining steadily for the previous decade, according to the Australian Department of Immigration.
According to the latest data released by the US Census Bureau, more than 1.1 million foreigners migrated to the US in 2010, while about 377,000 foreigners moved to Australia this year and 471,000 last year.YW9ADCGT9DKT
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