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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Christopher Knaus and Daniel Hurst

Australian visa backlog keeping engineers out of country amid skills shortage

Home affairs department
A recent freedom of information request showed the home affairs department had more than 6,000 applications for the 476 visa which it was yet to process. Photograph: James Ross/AAP

Australia’s vast visa backlog is trapping engineering graduates out of the country for up to four years, compounding the skills shortages and causing heartache, frustration and depression among applicants.

The engineering job vacancy rate has increased 97% in 12 months, something the main industry body, Engineers Australia, fears could have a “catastrophic” impact, including by delaying major infrastructure projects relied upon for the nation’s economic recovery.

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