Guest workers in the age of globalisation : Australia's 457 visa program

Abstract

Introduced in 1996 by the newly elected Howard Government, the Temporary Business Visas (long stay) Subclass 457 visa has become an important yet controversial element of Australia's migration program. Allowing the temporary migration of workers for a period of between three months and four years, the 457 visa program is based on the need for such workers to be sponsored by an eligible employer while they are in Australia. Criticism of the program has focused on the exploitation and mistreatment of workers that has been uncovered, much of it linked to the uneven power dynamics that exist due to this need for sponsorship. In addition to these controversies, there has been discussion of the program's role in the purported shift away from permanent towards temporary migration and the related influence of globalisation on its development and operation. Acknowledging that there has been debate over the concept of globalisation, this thesis takes a sceptical view of the concept and investigates the claims made by scholars and politicians that the 457 visa program is a response to globalisation. To do this, it measures the program against five criteria for a globalised worker migration program: it is unprecedented; it allows participants to engage in a global labour market; it provides evidence of the decline in the importance of the nation; it shows the diminishing power of the state; and it demonstrates the increasing power of the business community. This thesis finds that while there is superficial evidence suggesting that the 457 visa program is a response to globalisation, as measured by these criteria, a more detailed examination raises considerable doubts over such claims. It is shown that in contrast, an anti-capitalist analysis of the program provides useful insights into its operation. Further, it demonstrates how the concept of globalisation can be used to disguise the growing influence of both the state and the business community while also making it difficult for opponents of the 457 visa program to criticise it. Show more