Australia changed the way it managed skilled migration a few years ago, making it easier in some ways to attract skilled workers in a number of occupations where there was an existing skill shortage. Some of the overseas migrants come for a year or two then return to their own countries, others love the life here and go on to apply for permanent residence.
One such skilled worker is Chinese citizen, Qian Xu. Qian who was already a highly respected and experienced agricultural research scientist when she applied for a job as a cereal scientist at the CSIRO. She got accepted for the job and had to apply for a temporary work visa, known as a 457 visa, before she could take up employment. All visa applications in Australia require considerable paperwork before the visas are approved. One of the requirements is to get all one’s personal documents translated if they are not already in English. This is one aspect of the move to Australia that Qian knew about well in advance and made advanced preparations. Migrants, even those who are coming to work for a relatively short time on contract, need to use a NAATI accredited translator to get their documents translated. The sorts of things that must be translated into English include qualifications, identification documents, job references, police checks and the list goes on if family members are going to accompany the applicant. NAATI translation is a must in Australia as the association is trusted by employers and government agencies here because of the standard of translation.
Qian’s research at the CSIRO could have long term implications for cereal growing in Australia and worldwide. She is concentrating on how dormancy in cereal plants (rice, wheat, etc) is controlled at the molecular level. The research is trying to get a picture of why some cereals sprout before they are ready.
Qian was a good candidate for the job at the CSIRO because of her background in China and her qualifications, including a Doctoral Degree in Science, Business and Technology in China at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
She says she has adapted to life in Canberra well and her husband is doing some community work to keep himself busy while her two year old daughter is already learning some English.
