Australian State Governments demand for overseas skilled workers remains strong, with several programs recently being launched aimed at tempting international people who possess skills critically needed to immigrate to Australia.

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Government has recently initiated a “Live In Canberra” program, aimed at attracting overseas skilled migrants to the Australian capital. Delegates representing the program will be sent to the international cities of London, Amsterdam, Durban, Dublin and Johannesburg, between the 9th and 28th February 2011, to promote the opportunities and lifestyle Canberra can offer to skilled people who migrate to Canberra on an Australian working visa.

The Live in Canberra program is to work in conjunction with the ACT Government’s Skilled and Business Migration Program, with one on one meetings scheduled in each city with skilled migrants considering moving to Canberra.

Chief Minister for the ACT, Jon Stanhope, stated that the delegation would “… speak to people with skills that are in demand in Canberra's local industries including health, building and construction, finance, administration, management, engineering and Information and Communications Technology” considering migrating to Australia.

Stanhope added that Canberra’s strong economy and low unemployment rate meant that it was necessary for Canberra to “… continue to attract a steady flow of skilled workers to ensure our economy maintains its momentum."

Meanwhile, the  Opportunities Australia expo,  due to be held in Manchester and London in late March this year, is another initiative by Australian governments to attract workers from the UK who hold the skills Australian states and territories desperately need.

This series of expos will provide potential UK immigrants with an opportunity to meet with a large number of Australian employers and recruiters regarding employment opportunities in Australia upon their arrival under the skilled migration program or to secure an Australian working visa sponsored by Australian employees.

Organisers of the event have stated that the Australian employers and recruiters attending the expos will be actively looking to connect with skilled people from the UK during the course of the expo. Interested persons from the UK attending these expos are advised to take their CV along, as interviews for the roles that Australian recruiters seek to fill within their Australian businesses will be scheduled or undertaken on the day.

This spate of new programs aimed at attracting overseas people particularly from the UK to Australia are not just skills focused however, an extensive tourism blitz aimed at attracting more British tourists to Australia is also underway. Singapore Airlines have partnered with Tourism Australia to promote an advertising campaign encouraging British holiday makers to visit Australia for their next overseas trip. 

The Australian Government efforts to attract UK residents to Australia is set to continue throughout 2011 with many State and Territory Governments planning visits to Europe to attract skilled workers migrating from the UK to Australia under their State Migration Plans.  The new points test for skilled migration to Australia to come into effect from 1 July 2011 also demonstrates the importance placed by the Australian Government on attracting Australian immigration from English speaking nations such as the UK and Ireland with substantial points being awarded for high level English language skills.