Warning over British emigration to Australia

People in the UK who are looking to emigrate to Australia have been warned that the country's rules on the types of employee allowed into the country have changed.

Many people in the UK have been seduced into making an international money transfer to purchase a property in Australia so that they can emigrate to the country and settle down with their trade.

However, the country's critical skills list (CSL), which sets out what skills are needed and most sought after in Australia, has recently been amended, meaning some Britons will no longer qualify.

"The government removed building and manufacturing trades from the CSL, such as bricklayers, plumbers, welders, carpenters and metal fitters, but has left health and medical, engineering and IT professions," reports the Australian Visa Bureau.

It adds that many Britons, some of whom may have already made an international money transfer, are becoming "agitated" by the changes.

Andy Harwood, a registered migration agent from the Australian Visa Bureau, explained that one of the reasons for the change has been the economic downturn, which has reduced the need for some jobs.

Meanwhile, Peter Joyner, a spokesperson for self-catering holiday specialist Hoseasons, recently suggested that more Britons could be tempted to travel beyond the traditional haunts of Europe in future as the pound falls against the euro.

He suggested many Britons would be looking for somewhere that will give them more bang for their buck by offering a better exchange rate than currently exists between pounds and euros.