The Australian immigration program has opportunities for people with a variety of backgrounds

From the small town of Toowoomba near Australia's Gold Coast, Dennis Davey is searching the world for people to work in his 200-person engineering company. The Los Angeles Times reports.

He has snared 15 workers from South Africa and 15 more from China. Some of the South Africans have already been poached away by the town's mining companies, so if the latest batch of Chinese works out, Davey says, he will bring over at least 50 more.

"We have no choice," he said in a telephone interview. "We can't find any more people."

With an economy heading into its 15th year of growth and an aging population, Australia has more jobs than qualified applicants. This year, the government expanded its annual quota of skilled migrants by 20,000 over 2005.

For Australia, the shortage of workers is no laughing matter. The island-continent is almost the size of the United States, but its population of 20 million is only slightly bigger than that of the state of New York.

The Australian immigration program has opportunities for people with a variety of backgrounds, ages, qualifications and needs. Choose the route to Australia that best reflects your circumstances and goals:

• There is a strong emphasis in the Australian immigration program on attracting people who can contribute to the economy. If you are under 45, speak at least vocational level English, and have qualifications in one of the numerous priority professions and trades, you may be eligible under the Skilled Migration Program.
  
• Australian skilled immigration is much easier if you are willing to live in a particular region of Australia.
  
• Provisions are made for people ready to invest in Australia or who have certain business skills
  
• Improve your proficiency in English and obtain qualifications from Australia's world class tertiary institutions through the Student Visa Program.
  
• Working Holiday Visas allow young people from a number of participating countries to support themselves while having the time of their lives Down Under.