Software jobs’ hard times
AN ALARM has been sounded over the threat to Australian jobs by an influx of Indian computer experts.
More Indian IT specialists are coming here annually on permanent and temporary visas than the number of students completing computer courses in Australian universities, a new report has found.
The Australian Population Research Institute study said last year more than 4500 In- dian software programmers and systems analysts were granted controversial 457 visas. Indians comprised 79 per cent of programmers and 69 per cent of systems analysts given the visas in 2013-14.
Report author Dr Bob Birrell said the visa holders were mainly sponsored by Indian companies that had set up branches in Australia to bid for lucrative computer contracts from local companies.