AUSTRALIA: Skilled Occupation List Review

September 9, 2019


The Department of Employment has announced the start of their annual review into Australia’s skilled migration occupation lists, with new lists due to be released in March 2020.

To ensure the occupation lists accurately reflect the genuine skill needs around Australia, the Department will first meet with interested stakeholders, industries, and groups around the country to learn about local labor markets and skill shortages.

Following the initial consultation process, the Department of Employment will send out a ‘Traffic Light Bulletin’ flagging occupations that could be added, removed, or changed between the short-term and medium-long term lists. This bulletin should be available in December 2019.

A formal submission period will then open, allowing any interested businesses, associations, and individuals to put forth their ideas and arguments around the proposed changes.

The Department is also keen to identify new or emerging occupations that are not yet reflected in the Australian and New Zealand Statistical Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO), as well as any information in relation to the suitability of ANZSCO in reflecting the Australian labor market, particularly with regard to migration.

This is an opportunity for businesses and employers in Australia to have their say on what skills are actually needed, where the ANZSCO does not have a suitable or out-of-date job description, and whether certain occupations should be made available on the long-term list to help them attract talent from overseas with a pathway to permanent residency.

If your business or industry group would like to be a part of the initial consultation process, please contact the Department of Employment through their website.

Newland Chase has identified numerous issues with the ANZSCO and the difficulties businesses have with recruiting highly-skilled talent when there is only a short-term visa on offer. We are very interested in hearing from the thoughts of industry groups, businesses, and education providers on the current lists and what changes they would like to see made to the lists and ANZSCO.

If your group or business would like support while consulting with the Department of Employment, or would like assistance with preparing a formal submission in future, please do not hesitate to contact us.

For general advice and information on immigration and business travel to Australia, please email us at [email protected]