IMPACT – MEDIUM

The Department of Home Affairs has introduced new skilled occupation lists that went into effect March 11.

Updated Occupation Lists

  • Occupation lists for the following visa subclasses have been updated:
    • Subclass 482 Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa
    • Subclass 186 Employer Nomination (ENS) visa
    • Subclass 187 Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) visa
    • Subclass 407 Training visa
    • Subclass 189 Skilled Independent visa
    • Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated visa
    • Subclass 189 Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa
    • Subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visa
  • Occupation list changes for TSS visas include:
    • Six occupations have been moved from the Short-term skilled occupation list (STSOL) into the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL). These include footballer, tennis coach, arts administrator or manager, dancer or choreographer, music director and artistic director.
    • Sixteen occupations have been moved from the STSOL into the Regional Occupation List (ROL). These include dentist, anesthetist and a number of farming occupations.
    • Five occupations have been included in the STSOL. These include chemical plant operator, visual arts and crafts professionals (not elsewhere classified), textile, clothing and footwear mechanic, watch and clock maker and repairer and library technician.
    • Two occupations, telecommunications network planner and pressure welder, have been included in the MLTSSL.
    • Two occupations, deer farmer and goat farmer, have been included in the ROL.
  • The new occupation lists will not be applied retrospectively. Therefore, applications already lodged with the Department of Home Affairs and awaiting decision will not be affected.
  • The changes to the occupation lists are not applicable to those who are eligible for transitional arrangements under the subclass 186 ENS visa under the Temporary Residence Transition Stream. The transitional arrangements are available to those who applied for or held a subclass 457 visa on April 18, 2017 and continue to hold either a subclass 457 or TSS visa.
  • New occupation list instruments are expected to be released in mid-2019.

Applicable Circumstances and Inapplicability Conditions

“Occupational caveats” that provided additional requirements for certain occupations have been renamed “applicable circumstances” and “inapplicability conditions.”

Changes to these conditions include:

  • Medical practitioner occupations (general practitioner, medical practitioner and resident medical officer) require a “Health Workforce Certificate” to be submitted with the nomination application.
  • The occupation of footballer will require a minimum salary of 120,000 Australian dollars (about US$85,000) per year.
  • The occupation of recruitment consultant has a reduced salary of 80,000 Australian dollars per year.

Source: Deloitte LLP. Deloitte LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales with registered number OC303675 and its registered office at 1 New Street Square, London EC4A 3HQ, United Kingdom.