If you’re thinking of starting a career in Australia, it’s important to have a grasp of the labor market. With so much of the global economy in flux over the last few years, it may not be what you expect!
Nevertheless, Australia is rich with opportunities, and we’re here to help you figure out how you can kick start your professional goals in Australia.
Let’s get started!
The Skilled Occupation List of Australia
Australia’s skilled occupation list is a list of occupations that are in demand in Australia. The list is compiled by the Ministry of Home Affairs and is updated every year.
The list is used by the Australian government to prioritize processing immigration candidates that can fill shortages in the labor market. If your occupation is on the list, it means that the Australian government is interested in you!
There are three types of skilled occupation lists: the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL), the Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL), and the Regional Occupation List (ROL).
- The MLTSSL is a list of occupations that are expected to have strong future growth and need workers now.
- The STSOL is a list of occupations that are in high demand but only for a short period.
- The ROL is a list of occupations that are in high demand in different regions of Australia.
To be eligible to apply for a skilled visa, you must have an occupation on one of these lists. Let’s take a look at the visa options for each list.
Visa options for the MLTSSL
If your occupation is on the MLTSSL, you may be eligible for the following visas:
The Skilled Independent Visa (subclass 189): This is a permanent visa for skilled workers who are invited by a state or territory government to live and work in Australia. You’ll need to score at least 65 on a points test to be eligible.
However, sponsorship from an employer or family member is not required.
The Skilled Nominated Visa (subclass 190): This is also a permanent visa for skilled workers who are nominated by a state or territory government to live and work in Australia. You’ll need to satisfy the points test and obtain a suitable skills assessment for the occupation you’ve been nominated through.
Temporary Graduate Visa (subclass 485): This is a temporary visa for international students who have graduated from an Australian university. It allows you to live and work in Australia for up to 18 months.
However, starting December 1st, 2021, the stay period has been temporarily increased to 24 months.
Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491): This is a temporary visa for skilled workers who want to live and work in a particular region of Australia.
This visa requires state or territory nomination along with a total point value of at least 65. It allows you to stay for up to five years or until the visa of your spouse or de facto partner expires.
MLTSSL occupations
There are 212 occupations on the MLTSSL. Here are some examples:
- Accountant
- Social Worker
- Chef
- Medical Practioner
- Cartographer
- Pharmacist
- Engineer
- Architect
- Surveyor
- Veterinarian
- Nurse
Visa Options for the STSOL
If your occupation is on the STSOL, you may be eligible for the following visas:
Training visa (Subclass 407): This visa lets you come to Australia to participate in workplace-based training to improve your skills in your current occupation, area of tertiary study, or field of expertise.
To be eligible for a subclass 407 visa, you must be nominated by an approved sponsor. You must also be willing to provide evidence that you will comply with the conditions of your visa.
Temporary Skill Shortage visa (Subclass 482): This visa allows you to work in Australia for up to four years if you are sponsored by an approved business and your occupation is on the Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL). You also need to meet relevant English language requirements.
Employer Nomination Scheme visa (Subclass 186): There are three streams under which you can be nominated for this visa: the direct entry stream, the temporary residence transition stream, and the Labour agreement stream.
To be eligible for this visa, you must be nominated by an approved Australian employer. You must also meet the Australian health and character requirements.
STSOL Occupations
There are currently 215 occupations on the STSOL. Here are a few examples:
- Architectural Draftsperson
- Architectural, Building, and Surveying Technicians
- Aircraft Maintenance Engineer
- Chemistry Technician
- Mechanical Engineering Technician
- Geologist
- Software Tester
- Web Developer
- ICT Support Engineer
- Nutritionist
- Anesthetist
- Middle School Teacher
Visa Options for the ROL
If your occupation is on the Regional Occupation List, you may be eligible for the following visas:
- Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme visa (Subclass 187): This is a permanent visa for skilled workers who are nominated by an employer in regional Australia. To be eligible, you must have been working in your nominated occupation for the last three years.
You also need to meet the skill and qualification requirements, be proficient in English, and be younger than 45.
- Skilled Regional visa (Subclass 887): This is a permanent visa for skilled workers who have lived and worked in regional Australia for at least two years.
To be eligible, you must hold an eligible visa that expired outside Australia and have an occupation that appears on the relevant skilled regional occupation list.
If you are granted this visa, you and your family can live, work and study in any region of Australia permanently.
You can also apply for the above-mentioned Subclass 482 and subclass 491 visas to work temporarily in regional Australia.
ROL occupations
ROL has only 77 occupations. Here are a few of them:
- Dairy Cattle Farmer
- Agricultural Technician
- Building and Engineering Technicians
- Multimedia Designer
- Market Research Analyst
- Mixed Crop Farmer
- Hotel Service Manager
- Funeral Director
Meet additional basic requirements
Apart from having an occupation on the relevant list, you also need to meet other criteria to be eligible for a skilled visa.
This includes:
- Age: You must be under 45 years of age to be eligible for an Australian skilled visa.
- English language proficiency: You’ll need to demonstrate your level of English proficiency to live and work in Australia. This can be done by taking an approved English language test and achieving the required score.
- Health requirements: You’ll need to undergo a health examination to ensure that you are in good health and do not have any medical conditions that could pose a threat to public health or safety in Australia.
- Character requirements: Your criminal record should be clean. The Australian government may ask you to provide police clearance from any country you have lived in for more than a year.
- Work experience: You should have at least 3 years of full-time work experience (or equivalent) in your skilled occupation. This must have been completed within the last 10 years.
- Qualifications: You’ll need to provide proof of registration or licensing before you can start working in Australia if your occupation requires it.
- Skills assessment: To determine eligibility, you will need to have your skills assessed by the relevant assessing authority.
If you can meet all of the above requirements, you may be eligible for an Australian skilled visa. You can find more information about the skilled visa program on the Department of Home Affairs website.
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