Australia will abolish a popular work visa used by over 95,000 foreign workers, a majority of them Indians.

What is the 457 visa ?

• The 457-visa is a temporary work visa given to skilled foreign workers to allow them to work in the country.
• The professionals who qualified for work under the 457 visa scheme includes architects, engineers, media professionals, and whole host of medical professionals including doctors, dentists, surgeons and homeopaths.

Why the move ?

• To tackle the growing unemployment in the country and replace it with a new programme requiring higher English-language proficiency and job skills.
• 457 visa allows businesses to employ foreign workers for a period of up to four years in skilled jobs where there is a shortage of Australian workers.
• The majority of the visa holders under this category were from India, accounting for almost a quarter of the intake, followed by the UK and China.
• The programme will be replaced by another visa programme, with new restrictions.
• The new visa will include mandatory criminal checks and tighter English language requirements

Source : Livemint

GS II : Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora