With impending pilot shortages and training
You can't be serious??
Well, Arnold, the Government thinks so, hence pilots being on the 457 visa lists, and the number of sponsored pilots coming into Australia on said 457 visa.
Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Philippines, Japan, Zimbabwe and South Africa nationals have relatively recently come into Australia. Obviously, this is federal Government's answer to training and experience problems in flying training in Australia.
Actually, it is not much different to what is going on with skilled labor in WA and Queensland generally, where foreign nationals on a 457 are preferred, for the several obvious reasons.
We might have quite a few unemployed CPLs around, whether they are employable or not is another issue altogether.
Tootle pip!!