Australia considers new visas for offshore oil, gas workers

Australia is likely to offer new visas for the overseas employees to work in oil and gas fields in the offshore resource industry.

Michaelia Cash, the Assistant Minister of Immigration and Border Protection, said that in order to cut down redundant and red tape costs for the offshore projects with the potential to create jobs and need skilled foreign workers, the government will focus on rational the visa arrangements.

She elucidated that as the Migration Amendment Act (Offshore Resources Activity) 2013 will entail extra costs and regulatory burdens, the government is looking to repeal the act, which is scheduled to be implemented at the end of June 2014. But in the mean time, a new visa should balance the burdens for the sector within short period.

The new visas use existing visas which are recognized in the industry. Thus, the transition can be easily managed and the developing and implementing costs of the new visas can be avoided.

As per the regulatory impact statement made by the government, the oil and gas fields will grow rapidly when compared to the other fields of resources sector with the count of offshore workers rising from 475,000 to 766,000 by 2018.