If you want to live and work in Australia, you need to explore its labor market. Australia offers numerous career opportunities for specialists in different branches. Each year, the Australian government announces a skilled occupation list containing occupations that are relevant and in demand in Australia right now.
The list of skilled occupations helps to see shortages in the labor market and prioritize the processing of applications of relevant immigration candidates. If the eligible skilled occupation list includes your occupation, you may get a visa to work and stay short- or long-term in Australia.
The skilled migration occupation lists come in three types: the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL), the Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL), and the Regional Occupation List (ROL). Each type has different conditions and requirements and allows one to remain in Australia for a different period of time.
Applicants should also meet certain general conditions for a permanent residence in Australia: be younger than 45 years old, pass a health test, meet good character requirements, and provide evidence of relevant qualifications, work experience, and skills.
Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL)
The MLTSSL consists of occupations that will have strong future growth and require skilled workers now. It contains 212 occupations, for example:
- Accountant
- Social Worker
- Chef
- Medical Practioner
- Cartographer
- Pharmacist
- Engineer
- Architect
- Surveyor
- Veterinarian
- Nurse
Individuals under the MLTSSL may apply for such visa options:
- The Skilled Independent Visa (subclass 189) – a permanent visa for skilled workers who are nominated by a state or territory government to reside and work in Australia without the need for sponsorship; applicants must have a minimum score of 65 points on an Australian test
- The Skilled Nominated Visa (subclass 190) – a permanent visa for skilled employees nominated by a state or territory government to work and live in Australia; applicants must pass the points test and get a skills assessment for the field of expertise through which they have been nominated through
- Temporary Graduate Visa (subclass 485) – a temporary visa for international students who graduated from an Australian university to live in Australia for a period of a year and a half (18 months)
- Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) – a temporary visa for skilled workers to work and reside in a particular region of Australia for up to 5 years; an applicant must have a state or territory nomination and receive a score of at least 65 points on the skilled migration points test
Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL)
The STSOL lists occupations that are currently in great demand but needed only for a short time period.
There are 215 occupations on the STSOL, including:
- 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
Those belonging to the STSOL can obtain some of the visas below:
- Training visa (Subclass 407) – a visa permitting participation in workplace-based training and training skills in a relevant occupation, area of tertiary study, or field of expertise; an applicant must be nominated by a confirmed sponsor and provide proof of complying with the visa conditions
- Temporary Skill Shortage visa (Subclass 482) – a visa enabling its holders to be employed in Australia for up to four years; applicants must be sponsored by an approved business and demonstrate a level of English proficiency
- Employer Nomination Scheme visa (Subclass 186) – a visa available in three streams: the direct entry stream, the temporary residence transition stream, and the Labour agreement stream; an employee must be nominated by an approved Australian employer and meet the health and character requirement.
Regional Occupation List (ROL)
The ROL is a list of occupations that are strongly demanded all over Australia. The regional occupation list includes 77 occupations; here you can review some examples:
- Dairy Cattle Farmer
- Agricultural Technician
- Building and Engineering Technicians
- Multimedia Designer
- Market Research Analyst
- Mixed Crop Farmer
- Hotel Service Manager
- Funeral Director
Persons whose occupation is on the ROL may be eligible for such visa options:
- Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme visa (Subclass 187) – a permanent visa for skilled workers who are nominated by an employer in regional Australia; an applicant must work in the nominated occupation for the last three years, have a good command of English and be under 45
- Skilled Regional visa (Subclass 887) – a permanent visa for skilled workers who have resided and worked in regional Australia for a minimum two years, an applicant must hold an eligible visa that expired outside Australia
General skilled visa requirements
Besides the requirements for a specific visa type, there are also general conditions that all applicants for an Australia skilled visa must meet:
- Age: Applicants need to be under 45 years
- Health: Everyone applying for a skilled visa must pass a health examination confirming good health as proof of not being a threat to public health and safety in Australia
- Character: A clean criminal record from every country an applicant has lived in for over a year is a must
- English language proficiency: It is required to pass an approved English language test
- Work experience: An applicant must have a minimum of 3 years of full-time work experience in their field in the last 10 years
- Qualification: It is necessary to provide proof of registration or licensing if the applicant requires it
- Skills assessment: Applicant’s skills must be assessed by the relevant assessing authority
