What a China FTA means for Australia and its workers

3. Sixty-one percent of Australian exporters think that the China FTA will have a positive impact on their business.[5] This compares with:

• 37 percent for a Trans-Pacific Partnership
• 36 percent for the FTA with Korea
• 35 percent for the FTA with Japan
• 35 percent for an FTA with India

4. Forty-four percent of the Australian public think that the China FTA will bring the biggest economic benefits.[6] This compares with:

• 31 percent for the FTA with the U.S
• 20 percent for the FTA with Japan
• 6 percent for the FTA with Korea

5. In the China FTA an MOU on Investment Facilitation Arrangements (clause 8 and footnote 6) states that the Australian Government can require that companies prove they have tried to find workers locally before seeking to bring any from China.[7] 

6. If the China FTA is ratified any temporary workers will come to Australia under the existing 457 visa scheme. [8] This scheme allows employers to access overseas workers where a genuine skills shortage exists.[9] The Worker Protection Act 2008 also means that 457 visa holders “…are entitled to receive pay and conditions at least as good as Australian workers who are doing the same work at the same workplace.”[10]

7. Under the China FTA the skill level of 457 visa applicants from China will be assessed in exactly the same way as those from 150 other countries around the world.[11] If a 457 visa is granted, a worker from China will still need to meet any licensing and registration requirements at the federal or state level, including passing any tests or skills assessments.[12]