Skilled foreign worker backflip: World’s best chefs shut out

The new list of skilled foreign workers has been branded a debacle, after a second backflip in less than a week when it was revealed it risked shutting out the world’s best chefs from Italy and France.

The new list of skilled foreign workers has been branded a debacle as it risked shutting out the world’s best chefs from Italy and France.

The new list of skilled foreign workers deemed desperately needed in Australia has been branded a debacle, after a second backflip in less than a week had to be rectified by the Home Affairs department after it risked shutting out the world’s best chefs from Italy and France.

The major change to what chefs can enter the country is the second major correction in a week to the new Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL), after foreign brothel keepers were originally included – only to be hastily axed by Mr Burke last week following inquiries from this masthead.

Coalition immigration and citizenship spokesman Dan Tehan said the list was an example of Labor making “a mess out of immigration”.

“Labor’s skills list has been a debacle and it’s barely a week old,” he said.

“First they defended giving work visas to brothel managers, then they realised how embarrassing this looked and took brothel managers off the skills list.

“Then Italian and French chefs couldn’t get a work visa but the government blamed people for reading the list wrong and they had to issue an update.

Minister for Home Affairs and Minister Tony Burke has been accused of making “a mess out of immigration”. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman.

“The reasons why Labor can’t manage a simple list are the same reasons why Labor overshot their migration target by 500,000 people and why they let murderers and rapists out of detention and into the community: Labor always makes a mess out of immigration.”

There were fears from the hospitality industry that Italian and French chefs would be shut out under the list, due to “Caveat 14” – a piece of fine print detailing that some jobs can only be filled with workers from countries Australia has free trade agreements with.

Australia doesn’t have this agreement with France and Italy – leading to a scramble from the Home Affairs department to clarify whether top chefs could still access the core skills pathway.

A Home Affairs Department spokesman said only 13 jobs out of the 456 jobs on the CSOL were subject to Caveat 14, although the impact of Caveat 14 had now been rolled back to only impact a handful of jobs.

Jobs still impacted by Caveat 14 include Wushu martial arts coaches – meaning those coaches can only come from China – and yoga instructors – who can only come from India.

“Other occupations identified by Caveat 14 are not restricted by nationality,” he said.

“The department has clarified these requirements with stakeholders following the release of the CSOL. Further amendments may be made.”

The CSOL was released earlier this month and is aimed at attracting skilled migrants to positions with a shortage of Australian workers.

Other visas can include specific requirements, such as they must work in the regions.

Mr Burke was contacted for comment.