New Skilled Occupation List
Monday, 17 May 2010
Australia’s Ambassador to China, His Excellency Dr Geoff Raby, today welcomed the announcement by the Australian Government of the new list of occupations intended to form a new Skilled Occupation List (SOL).
“The list, developed by the independent body Skills Australia and containing 181 highly valued occupations, including medical professionals, engineers, and accountants, is designed to attract skilled migrants of the highest calibre and deliver people with real skills to meet real need in Australia’s economy" Dr Raby said.
The new list is a critical reform in the Australian Government’s overhaul of the skilled migration program to ensure it remains responsive to Australia’s economic needs. It is proposed to come into effect on 1 July 2010 to replace the current SOL which contained more than 400 occupations. It is intended that it will be updated annually.
While it is intended that in the future only people with relevant qualifications in occupations listed on the SOL will be eligible for independent general skilled migration, the Australian Government recognises that the introduction of the new SOL will affect some people studying in Australia who intend to apply for permanent residence at the completion of their studies.
For this reason, it is intended that a number of transitional arrangements will be put in place to enable overseas students already in Australia to nominate occupations on the current SOL, provided they apply for a skilled graduate visa before the end of 2012.
Dr Raby also noted that the Australian Government continues to value the very important contribution made by the international education sector and education providers that deliver high-quality courses to both Australian and overseas students will continue to prosper.
International students who have the skills our economy needs will still be able to apply for independent skilled migration if their occupations are included in the new list. If their occupations are not included in the new list, they may still be eligible to apply for a temporary or permanent visa under one of the employer sponsored categories. They would, however, be required to have an employer willing to sponsor them.
“Australia has a well deserved reputation for high-quality education and training and continues to welcome overseas students and values the contributions they make to both academic life and the communities in which they live. However, all students should focus on studying what interests them as there is no formula which guarantees that a student visa will lead to permanent residency,” Dr Raby said.