The Department of Employment's recommendations for changes to Immigration occupation lists were released last month. Whilst these are recommendations only, they do play an important role in Immigration's decision. If your occupation is flagged as RED or ORANGE (in some cases), we'd recommend that you have a think about the different state nomination programs.
What is the 'Traffic Light Bulletin'?
The Department of Employment regularly reviews the immigration occupation lists to see if the occupations align with their assessment of the skill needs for the Australian economy. Then, generally twice a year, the Department will release their recommendations as a traffic light bulletin.
RED = Recommended for removal from all occupation lists
ORANGE = Recommended for movement between lists (medium-long term, short term and regional)
GREEN = Recommended for addition to occupation lists
A quick reminder about the occupation lists for general skilled migration:
Occupations on the Short-Term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL) Regional Occupation List (ROL) require state nomination to have a pathway to PR
Occupations on the Regional Occupation List are only available for the 491 visa.
Click here to see the bulletin
What Does It Mean for Your PR and What Do We Recommend?
Firstly, don't panic as these are recommendations only. The Department of Immigration will review these recommendations and make their final decision.
If your occupation is one of the following, our recommendation is that you start considering state nomination. Yes you'll likely need to move to a different state, but you could get PR with as little as 65 points. Read more about the pros and cons of each state's nomination program.
ORANGE (from MLTSSL to STSOL) = These occupations will likely require state nomination to have a pathway to PR
ORANGE (STSOL to ROL) = These occupations may only be nominated for the 491 visa. Ensure that the intended strategy to obtain nomination is suitable for 491 nomination.
If your occupation is flagged as RED, you should consider further study in a different field to have a good chance of still maintaining a pathway to PR.
If your occupation is any of the following, your occupation has been deemed to be in high demand in Australia and you'll likely have more and direct options for PR.
ORANGE (STSOL/ROL to MLTSSL) = These occupations will likely have an additional pathway to PR via the 189 visa
The only 4 GREEN occupations are currently flagged for addition to the STSOL, so nominating these occupations will mean that state nomination is still required.
Will Finding An Employer Help Me?
If you are not going to become eligible for state nomination through study, then you'll likely need to work in the relevant state to become eligible. Therefore, finding an employer in the correct state will be greatly beneficial, particularly if your occupation will be on the STSOL/ROL.
Having an employer may also offer you additional options to remain in Australia longer via sponsorship, though not all pathways through sponsorship will lead to PR.
If you have any questions or concerns about your situation, please feel free to book in a free consultation with one of our migration experts.