Over the past few years, the Interstaff team have seen the Government become increasingly selective of the occupations that get accepted onto Australia’s skilled occupation lists and become eligible for skilled migration to Australia. In April 2017, fundamental changes were announced which split eligible occupations into two skilled occupation lists. Occupations on the Short Term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL) became eligible for a temporary visa of up to 2 years, and only occupations on the Medium and Long Term Skilled Strategic List (MTSSL) remained eligible for a permanent residence visa. A total of 200 occupations were removed, which had a significant impact on the occupations skilled migrants could use to apply for skilled migration.
From April 2017 to July 2018, the Government has reviewed the lists 4 times with several amendments being made, which indicates the workable approach the Government are taking to ensure the list is responsive to the current labour market. In fact, many of the occupations removed in April were added back to the list in July 2017. Some occupations were added to the list with caveats, which limit their use for a skilled visa under certain circumstances. A Regional Occupation List (ROL) was also introduced to better direct skills where they were required. The outcome of these changes has meant Australia now has 3 restrictive and dynamic skilled occupation lists, which indicate the areas you can migrate to and the duration of your skilled visa.
The next update to the STSOL, MLTSL and the ROL will occur in July. The Department of Jobs and Small Business have flagged certain occupations on the Skilled Occupations Lists that may be subject to change. During the review process, 17 occupations were flagged for removal from the STSOL, meaning they may no longer be eligible for skilled migration to Australia. A further 2 occupations on the STSOL were being considered for movement to the ROL, meaning they may only be eligible for skilled migration to regional areas. 3 occupations on the MLTSSL were being considered for addition to the STSOL for a short-term visa rather than permanent residence and only 1 occupation was being considered for movement to the MLTSSL for a long term or permanent residence visa. See which occupations were flagged via our fact sheet here.
Interstaff will keep you updated on the Government’s changes to the skilled occupation lists, which will be announced shortly. Be sure to follow Interstaff on LinkedIn here to be notified. For a free assessment of your visa or sponsorship options, contact our Registered Migration Agents on 8 9221 3388 or visas@interstaff.com
Source: Migration Institute of Australia and Department of Jobs and Small Business
