General Skilled Migration – Overview
The subclass 189 visa is a permanent residence visa for points-tested skilled workers who want to work and live in Australia. The 189 visa is intended for individuals who are not sponsored by an employer or family member or nominated by a state or territory government.
To be able to apply for this visa you need to submit an expression of interest and then be invited through SkillSelect to apply. You can be in or outside Australia when you apply and when the visa is granted.
This is a permanent residence visa. It lets you and any family members who have also been granted this visa:
- stay in Australia indefinitely
- work and study in Australia
- enrol in Medicare, Australia’s scheme for health-related care and expenses
- apply for Australian citizenship (if you are eligible)
- sponsor eligible relatives for permanent residence
- travel to and from Australia for five years from the date the visa is granted (after that time, you will need a resident return visa or another visa to return to Australia)
- Skilled Occupations List (SOL) 2017/2018 Review
The Department of Education and Training is responsible for providing advice to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection on the composition of the SOL. The SOL identifies occupations that would benefit from skilled migration for the purpose of meeting the medium to long-term skill needs of the Australian economy.
The suitability of occupations for inclusion on the SOL is assessed through a two-step process. The first step involves identifying occupations that are most susceptible to supply constraints (e.g. due to the time taken to develop necessary skills) and/or most likely to warrant government intervention to address these constraints (e.g. due to the cost of a shortage or the likely impact of supply side policies). The second step involves assessing the medium to long-term skill needs of the economy for each occupation identified in step one, to determine if the occupation would benefit from skilled migration. In general an occupation will satisfy step two if a surplus of skilled workers is unlikely in the medium to long-term. The assessment in the second step is based on a wide range of indicators in addition to stakeholder input.
Each year a number of occupations a removed and added to SOL which takes effect on 1 July. The number of occupations removed is almost certain to exceed to the number of occupations added. Submissions for SOL 2017 – 2018 are now closed and an extensive review is now underway.
The 2017-18 SOL will come into effect on 1 July 2017.
Last year a number of occupations were added and removed to SOL:
Occupations added to the SOL from 1 July 2016 were:
- Orthotist or Prosthetist (ANZSCO 251912)
- Audiologist (ANZSCO 252711).
Occupations removed from the SOL on 1 July 2016 were:
- Mining Engineer (Excluding Petroleum) (ANZSCO 233611)
- Petroleum Engineer (ANZSCO 233612)
- Metallurgist (ANZSCO 234912)
- Environmental Health Officer (ANZSCO 251311)
- Occupational Health and Safety Adviser (ANZSCO 251312)
- Dental Hygienist (ANZSCO 411211)
- Dental Prosthetist (ANZSCO 411212)
- Dental Technician (ANZSCO 411213)
- Dental Therapist (ANZSCO 411214).
The following occupations were flagged for removal during the last review:
133513 Production Manager (Mining)
221111 Accountant (General)
221112 Management Accountant
221113 Taxation Accountant
224111 Actuary
224511 Land Economist
224512 Valuer
231212 Ship’s Engineer
231213 Ship’s Master
231214 Ship’s Officer
232212 Surveyor
232213 Cartographer
232214 Other Spatial Scientist
233111 Chemical Engineer
233211 Civil Engineer
233212 Geotechnical Engineer
233213 Quantity Surveyor
233214 Structural Engineer
233215 Transport Engineer
233411 Electronics Engineer
233511 Industrial Engineer
233512 Mechanical Engineer
233513 Production or Plant Engineer
233911 Aeronautical Engineer
233912 Agricultural Engineer
233913 Biomedical Engineer
233914 Engineering Technologist
233915 Environmental Engineer
233916 Naval Architect
234611 Medical Laboratory Scientist
234711 Veterinarian
251211 Medical Diagnostic Radiographer
251212 Medical Radiation Therapist
252411 Occupational Therapist
262611 Podiatrist
252712 Speech Pathologist
253111 General Practitioner
253211 Anaesthetist
253312 Cardiologist
253315 Endocrinologist
253316 Gastroenterologist
253317 Intensive Care Specialist
253321 Paediatrician
253913 Obstetrician and Gynaecologist
253999 Medical Practitioners nec
271111 Barrister
271311 Solicitor
272314 Psychotherapist
272399 Psychologists nec
351311 Chef*
399111 Boat Builder and Repairer
399112 Shipwright
Source: https://www.education.gov.au/flagged-occupations-sol-2016-17
Skilled Occupations List (SOL) – What you should be doing
If you are intending to apply for subclass 189 visa and especially if your occupation is listed as flagged, it is important to ensure that you lodge your expression of interest via SkillsSelect and receive an invitation to apply for the 189 visa prior to 1 July 2017 as it is likely (though not a guarantee) that the above occupations will be impacted as part of the current review. It is also not uncommon for occupations that are not flagged to be removed as part of the review process.
As with any visa subclass, there are criteria applicable at the time of application which you will need to meet in order to secure a favourable application outcome.
For further information on SOL or the Subclass 189 Visa application process, please contact No Borders Migration at [email protected] or call +61 7 3876 4000.