Minister flags 457 visas changes

Just before parliament rose for the election last year the then immigration minister Kevin Andrews toughened the training provisions in labour agreements for 457 visa applications.

Recruitment firms say the new provisions have stifled the importation of skilled workers.

Almost six months since the changes, Senator Evans will convene a meeting between the Recruitment and Consulting Services Association, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship and the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.

A date hasn`t been set for the meeting, but it will be the first time all three parties will be at the table.

"I support the use of labour agreements as a way of facilitating recruitment of overseas skilled workers to meet labour demands," Senator Evans said.

The development emerged out of a meeting between the association and Senator Evans in Perth last Friday, when RCSA policy adviser Charles Cameron asked Senator Evans to "put his money where his mouth is".

"I said he had been prepared to raise labour agreements as one of the main issues for overcoming this issue," Mr Cameron said.

"I said we`ve stood by you and come up with workable solutions to that, so let`s have a joint meeting.

"It looks like he may make that occur."

Senator Evans said he had recently signed off the first labour agreement for an IT on-hire recruitment firm since the changes were made.

The firm intended to bring in about 50 overseas skilled workers this year.

Mr Charles said the meeting had been a long time coming.

"It was a major issue with the previous government," Mr Charles said.

Mr Charles said "the first thing we put on the table" was that there had to be an end the the buck passing between the departments.

"Certainly the Government is aware of the need to have a joint inter-departmental discussion. It`s just that it has taken until now for it to occur," he said.