Last December a plan was unveiled to streamline Australia’s skilled visa program, a process that would make visas simpler for both the applicant and for the department while still ensuring that skilled migration would meet the needs of Australian businesses.
It was decided that three visa streams would be the way forward with a top stream for migrants who would be paid more than $130,000 and this was open to any occupation. Those paid less than $70,000 may be able to obtain a visa under certain circumstances – largely relating to the area of work and whether there was shortage of workers such as aged care.
In the middle were workers who would be offered remuneration between $70,000 and $130,000, these people would need to be on the Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) list. A first draft of what is currently three lists has been made available, but it is a work in progress.
Of the three lists, one has occupations listed as necessary, a second list is one with occupations JSA is unsure about, and the third list has occupations that it says will be off the list.
It has been reported that some consternation exists as there are jobs likely to fall off any list that seem to be very much in demand such as chefs, software engineers, motor mechanics, accountants and marketing specialists. While some jobs, such as those in marketing, accounting and software engineering may fall into the top stream earning $130,000 and above and still be eligible for a skilled visa, others may not.
A document is due to be released by JSA that explains their methodology, but it is not yet available nor is there a date for its publication.
The government has made a commitment to implement the new system by the end of the calendar year which creates great volatility with organisations and overseas employees rushing to apply prior to the implementation of the changes.