AUSTRALIA – New Skills in Demand Visa Category

April 4, 2024


The Australian Government’s new Migration Strategy announced in December 2023 sees the introduction of a new Skills in Demand visa category, with three separate pathways:

  • Specialist Skills pathway (salary over AU$135,000)
  • Core Skills pathway (salary between AU$70,000 and AU$135,000)
  • Skills in Demand pathway (salary under AU$70,000).

As part of this new visa category, the Government has appointed Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) to carry out labour market analysis and stakeholder engagement to help inform the Government on the occupations required to meet Australia’s workforce needs.

JSA has recently published a draft Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) following analysis of ANZSCO Skill Level 1-3 occupations intended to fall under the Core Skills pathway.

Consultation on the draft CSOL is now open. This has been split out into three sub-lists:

  • Occupations JSA is confident will be on the new Core Skills list
  • Occupations JSA is confident will not be on the Core Skills list.
  • Occupations for further targeted consultation

While all lists are open for comment, JSA is particularly looking for stakeholder feedback on the targeted list, including labour market surveys and independent research, business recruitment experiences, and the views of Australian and migrant workers and jobseekers.

The closing date for submissions is 10 May 2024.

Occupations for target consultation include those in Accounting and Auditing, Hospitality Management, Engineering, Life Science and Biotechnology, Specialist Medical, Cyber Security and ICT Support, and almost all Trades.

Newland Chase Insights

It is imperative that businesses in these industries have their say on the CSOL to shape the Immigration program of the future. The submission guidelines and details on how to lodge are available on the JSA website here.

Please contact your Consultant if you have any queries. Our Advisory team is also available to assist businesses with their own submissions.

This immigration update is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal or scenario-specific advice. Furthermore, it is important to note that immigration announcements are subject to sudden and unexpected changes. Readers are encouraged to reach out to Newland Chase for any case- or company-specific assessments.