Recent Changes to General Skilled Migration Visa Applications to Australia - The New Skilled Occupation List

Online, May 25, 2010 (Newswire.com) - New Skilled Occupation List
On 8 February 2010, the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans announced the revocation of the Migration Occupations in Demand List with immediate effect. Senator Evans also announced that, from the second half of 2010, the Skilled Occupation List would be replaced by a new list which would better address the current and future workforce and workforce development needs in Australia.

On 17 May 2010, Senator Evans announced the new Skilled Occupation List which comprises 181 skilled occupations and replaces the old list which comprised more than 400 occupations. It is intended that the new list will ensure that skilled migrants to Australia will brings skills which are critical to Australia's labour market and economic development.

The new Skilled Occupation List is specific to the General Skilled Migration Scheme and does not affect applications under the Employer Nomination Scheme or other employer sponsored visa applications.

The new Skilled Occupation List can be viewed at the Department of Immigration and Citizenship's ("DIAC") website.

The new Skilled Occupations list is proposed to commence on 1 July 2010 and would ally to new General Skilled Migration applications which were not subject to any proposed transitional arrangements which come into effect.

Proposed Transitional Arrangements
As outlined above, the new Skilled Occupation List is expected to apply to all new General Skilled Migration applications which are not subject to any transitional arrangements which come into effect.

It is intended that the new list would not apply to General Skilled Migration applicants holding a subclass 485 (skilled graduate) visa as at 8 February 2010 or to those with a pending subclass 485 application who apply for a permanent or provisional onshore General Skilled Migration visa before 21 December 2012. It would also not apply to those with pending General Skilled Migration applications.

The transitional arrangements are intended not to apply to international students who were holders of a subclass 572 (vocational education and training sector), subclass 573 (higher education sector) or subclass 574 (postgraduate research sector) student visa as at 8 February 2010. Under the proposed transitional arrangements, these visa holders would be able to apply for a subclass 485 (skilled graduate) visa as long as that application was lodged by 31 December 2012.

The proposed transitional arrangements would enable holders of the subclass 485 (skilled graduate) visa to remain in Australia for 18 months on the temporary skilled graduate visa in order to gain further Australian work experience and in order to obtain employer or State or Territory Government sponsorship for a visa applications.