Australia’s Immigration System

The immigration system of Australia is designed in such a way that it attracts workers and temporary (skilled) migrants who can successfully meet the labor shortage needs of the economy. Australia is praised for its streamlined and highly-organized immigration system with skilled and sponsored/nominated visas as the most common pathways to boost migration. Australia follows a point-based system that controls the number of people migrating to the country, and is carefully designed to target migrants who have the outstanding skills to contribute to the nation’s economy.

In order to qualify for a range of Australian skilled visas, candidates are required to a points-based assessment. Points are awarded by considering various factors, such as age, language proficiency, qualifications and experience, arranged employment, etc. For some visa subclasses, having a sponsorship by a local employer is a must. However, for candidates who do not have an employment arranged by any employer, it’s important that their occupation should fall under an approved Skilled Occupation List.

Below are some of the key features of the Skilled Occupation List for Australia:

The list features Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) code for each occupation. The ANZSCO provides complete information on various job employment, skill levels, qualifications and/or experience needed to work in various occupations.

It also identifies occupations that are included on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL), the Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL), the Regional Occupation List (ROL) or the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) ROL List.

The assessing authority for skills assessments.

The Skilled Occupation List for Australia is used as part of General Skilled Migration, which required the applicant to choose or nominate an occupation that match with their skills and experience. The purpose of this list is to highlight occupations that are currently in demand in Australia’s labor market, and it reflects both short-term and long-term skilled jobs.

At present, a total of 216 occupations are in-demand for Employer Nominated Scheme Subclass 186.

212 skilled occupations are eligible for skilled independent visa (subclass 189 visa).

508 skilled occupations are eligible for Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa (subclass 482 visa).

504 skilled occupations are eligible under Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 489 visa)

The above figures are quite interesting in terms of giving a broader picture of Australia migration among visa aspirants seeking to work and live in Australia.