AUSTRALIAN MARKET AND SOCIAL RESEARCH INDUSTRY TO CHALLENGE 457 VISA DECISION

The government’s recent announcement to abolish 457 visas will be challenged by the Research Industry Council of Australia (RICA). The removal of two positions from the eligible skilled occupation list  - Market Research Analyst and Research and Development Manager – are critical skills sets relied upon by the Australian market and social research Industry.

The RICA strongly urges the government to reverse its decision to cut these positions from the skilled occupation list.   Market and social research is an important service that benefits all Australians. From political polls and television ratings, to surveys of customer satisfaction and the development of products and services, to studies on public health or the income and labour dynamics in Australia, market and social research provides valuable information about the society in which we live.  This information helps government, commercial and not-for-profit organisations make informed decisions based upon the interests and needs of their constituents, clients and the general public.

“RICA represents approximately 80% of market and social research organisations in Australia and over 4,000 full time employees.  With the industry undergoing technological change and the opportunity for unparalleled growth, we simply can’t afford to lose the highly skilled talent we currently recruit from overseas.  These people are not taking jobs from Australians but rather complementing the talent we already employ here. As an industry, we have invested in local talent and training, but we need overseas talent to ensure our local companies can compete on the global stage,” said Lee Naylor, Managing Director, The Leading Edge.

Sarah Campbell, Executive Director, Association of Market and Social Research Organisations said: “There is a talent shortage for particular research positions in our country, with member company CEOs reporting that some jobs, requiring a very particular skill set, can be advertised in Australia for over 12 months before being filled by a 457 visa employee.  The removal of these two research positions from the eligible skilled occupation list is likely to hit our industry hard and RICA will be heading to Canberra to request that they be reinstated.”

For further information:

Sarah Campbell                                                                       Elissa Molloy                         

Executive Director                                                                 Chief Executive Officer

AMSRO                                                                                            AMSRS

T: (02) 8017 6717                                                                    T: 02 9566 3100

M: 0417 665 144                                                                     M: 0417 155 325