Visa occupation lists here… visa occupation lists there… visa occupation lists everywhere…

Blog by Joan Cuss

Despite the best endeavours of the Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP/the department) to make immigration to Australia simpler, this is just not so – and I doubt that it will ever be the case.

Just take a look at some of the most commonly used occupation lists a prospective primary applicant needs to understand the intricacies of, before beginning to determine whether he/she may qualify for a specific visa subclass. Here is a summary of the most salient features of each list:

• Skilled Occupations List (‘SOL’) – the ‘shorter’ occupation list – allows primary visa applicants to apply for direct entry permanent residence (PR) to any state/territory in Australia, without the support of an Australian employer, but is demographically ‘points tested’, endeavouring to attract applicants with the highest overall score. Without an Australian employer a PR visa applicant requires ‘pre-selection’ via the Department’s algorithm called ‘SkillSelect’. Typically this list is updated on 1 July each year – the changes are typically few and the list has remained largely consistent for many years now.

To read more, click here.

• Consolidated Sponsored Occupations List (‘CSOL’) – a much longer occupation list, allowing applicants to apply for either a temporary residence 457 visa or a permanent residence 186/187 visa in any state/territory across Australia, with the support of an Australian employer, and not demographically ‘points tested’ .

To read more, click here.

This list is currently being reviewed (and likely to have a major overhaul) by the department. The Australian Immigration Minister, Peter Dutton, described the current CSOL as “expansive” on ABC News on 20 November 2016. Occupations under threat of facing the chop, include: marketing specialist, customer service manager, café/restaurant manager, and no doubt many others too.

• State Migration Plans (’SMPs’) – were first introduced around late 2010. Government demographers have added lists of occupations which are in so-called high demand in specific states/territories, primary visa applicants can avail themselves of either temporary or permanent residence subclasses, without the support of an Australian employer, but then these visas are once again ‘points tested’ requiring ‘pre-selection’ via ‘SkillSelect’. The occupation lists per state/territory for the temporary visa (subclass 489) and the permanent visa (subclass190) are all very different.

To read more, click here.

These lists are highly dynamic and subject to change as and when the state/territory has filled its quota for a specific occupation in a specific subclass. At the moment the most ‘generous’ and reasonably achievable lists are for South Australia and Western Australia. Each state/territory may add further terms and conditions as they deem are required.

Making sure that the primary visa applicant selects the right occupations list requires care, expertise and years of experience.

Lattice Migration has the skill, the staff, the expertise and experience to guide and steer visa applicants and ensure that they do not gamble with their futures by going the DIY route, or pay incorrect fees to the department without any chance of being refunded.