Australian states are offering British architects skilled migration visas in a bid to encourage them to move to Australia. But those who try to start a new life down under may struggle to find work, a leading professional has said.
British architects who heed the recruitment call may have a bumpy ride finding work, Ross Clark, general manager of operations for the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA), said. Many Australian architecture firms have been “burned before” by hiring overseas staff, having paid top dollar for architects that have sometimes stayed just a few weeks in the job, he said. Firms will favour Australian architects because of their local knowledge, he said.
Architecture is still on the list of professions in demand in many states, including Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland, despite there no longer being a skills shortage across the board, Clark told Architecture & Design. This means that overseas architects looking to relocate can apply for a skilled sponsored visa, effectively fast-tracking the application to around four weeks for a permanent visa, which can otherwise take well over a year.
While there is still a skills shortage for healthcare and education specialists these positions are currently being filled by “competent” Australian architects who did not necessarily have the specific experience but can do the job, Clark said. “This is having the positive effect of widening the skills base of Australian architects.”
Five per cent of all job applications received by the AIA-run recruitment service ArchiStaff are from British architects wanting to relocate, Clark told Architecture & Design, with the “vast majority” of those being from Ireland.
