According to the announcement by Immigration Minister Chris Bowen on 16 July, Perth will have access to a potential national pool of 16,000 sponsored visa holders for foreign workers. This is the result of being reclassified as a country town, alongside employment ‘hardship’ areas such as Port Headland and Karratha.
The program means that workers coming to Perth will be able to become permanent residents and businesses applying for the visa places will be given priority in the processing of their applications.
