In the past 1 week, several first world countries have announced new policies to crackdown on giving working visas for foreigners to get jobs in their countries.
US
In US, BBC reported that President Trump has signed an executive order to review its H-1B visa programme which places foreign workers in high-skilled US jobs. He aims to put the interests of Americans first.
“With this action we are sending a powerful signal to the world that were going to defend our workers, protect our jobs and finally put America first,” Mr Trump said.
The Trump administration wants to ensure that such visas are given to the most qualified or highest-paid applicant.
Last year, Disney was accused of taking advantage of the H-1B visa scheme to lay off American technology workers, who were forced to train their foreign replacements from India.
A senior Trump administration official said that the H-1B visas are supposed to be awarded to highly qualified workers, but often bring in less skilled employees who earn lower wages than those they are meant to replace.
Under the new order, the H-1B visa would no longer serve as a cheap way for companies to replace US workers, the official added.
Indian nationals are found to be the largest group of recipients of the H-1B visas issued each year.
Australia
Australia also announced plans to replace their working visa (457 visa) which allows foreign workers to work in Australia.
It wants to, likewise, make it harder for skilled foreign migrants to work in the country at the expense of its citizens.
“We will no longer allow 457 visas to be passports to jobs that could and should go to Australians,” PM Turnbull said. “We’re putting jobs first, and we’re putting Australians first.”
The prime minister said the changes would attract better-skilled workers and encourage the hiring of Australians instead of cheaper foreign labor.
“The (457) scheme has blown out significantly from its original numbers,” a law professor at the University of Adelaide said. “It’s being used in occupations where Australian graduates are struggling to find work — occupations like accounting and teaching and nursing. There have been concerns around exploitation of the 457 visa holders but also around whether Australian workers are getting first access to jobs.”
Presently, foreign workers in about 650 occupations can qualify under the 457 program in Australia. That will be reduced by a third to no more than 435 under the new system.
The new visas will be available in two-year and four-year versions, with the longer one being targeted to higher-skilled positions and requiring greater English proficiency.
“Australia is the most successful multicultural nation in the world — we are an immigrant nation,” PM Turnbull said. “But the fact remains, Australian workers must have priority for Australian jobs.”
New Zealand
Following Australia’s and US’ announcements, New Zealand also said it will tighten access to its skilled work visas.
New Zealand’s immigration minister Michael Woodhouse said he was taking a “Kiwis-first approach to immigration”.
“These changes are designed to strike the right balance… and encourage employers to take on more Kiwis and invest in the training to upskill them,” Mr Woodhouse added.
The influx of foreign workers into New Zealand has stagnated wage growth and caused housing prices to soar.
The changes to be introduced include introducing a minimum income requirement, making it more difficult for family members to join visa holders and limiting the amount of time seasonal workers are allowed to stay in New Zealand.
Under the changes, employers would need to provide a minimum income of NZ$49,000 for anyone entering on a prioritized “skilled”. Anyone earning more than NZ$73,000 would be classed as highly skilled.
Grace Fu wants to recruit FTs “to supplement” Singaporeans
But at a dialogue session with students and residents in Tampines 2 years ago, Grace Fu told everyone that she supports importing foreigners into Singapore “to supplement” Singaporeans.
Grace Fu: It is Part of Our Strategy for Singapore to be Supplemented by Foreigners
“Actually if you look at the population growth of Singapore, we have been having quite low growth for some time already,” she said. “In fact, since the late 80s and 90s, it has been below our replacement level. So I think it has been part of our strategy to be supplemented by foreigners, both from a population point of view and also to supplement the workforce.”
She is essentially saying that since Singaporeans are not producing enough babies, the govt would “supplement” us with more imported foreigners.
To meet the goal of “supplementing” Singaporeans, the PAP government is bringing in all kinds of foreigners, including people like this PRC woman who turned her HDB flat into a provision shop, selling exotic things like duck blood and spicy rabbit meat.
A reporter sent by the media to investigate found that the PRC not only sold duck blood and spicy rabbit meat (麻辣兔肉) inside the HDB flat, she was also selling other grocery stuff like vegetables, grapes and tomatoes.
The lady boss running the “shop” told the reporter that she also sells duck necks, duck intestines, wine snails etc, stuff that typically PRCs would consume.
Perhaps the Singapore government has considered selling exotic food a “highly skilled” job.
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source: ‘We want Minister Grace Fu to resign’