After more than a year of anticipating the rollout of the Skills in Demand Visa, the Government has today released the new Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL), which will provide access to employer-sponsored skilled migration across 456 occupations.  The new skills list will support the rollout of the Skills in Demand Visa, which is now set to commence this Saturday, 7 December 2024 according to the Department of Home Affairs’ website.

Written by Sheila Woods (MARN: 0533879) of Interstaff  7 December 2024

While the Government has committed to this date, there has been and still is some confusion on how the changes will be implemented given that the supporting legislation was not passed in parliament last week and the next parliament sitting is scheduled for February 2025.

We expect clarification later this week and from 7 December about how the changes will take effect.

View the new Core Skills Occupation List here and read our summary below to understand what it means for employers and skilled visa applicants.

How Will the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) Begin to Apply?

The CSOL will apply to the Core Skills stream of the new Skills in Demand Visa, which is set to replace the Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) Visa this Saturday 7 December 2024. Read about the Core Skills stream of the new Skills in Demand Visa here.

It will also apply to the Direct Entry stream of the Permanent Residence Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) Visa, which provides direct Permanent Residence.

How do the Changes Impact Businesses and Skilled Visa Applicants? 

Occupations that have been removed from the list will not be eligible for employer-sponsored skilled migration through the Core Skills Stream of the Skills in Demand Visa or the Employer Nominated Scheme (ENS) of the Subclass 186 Visa.

Interstaff can provide professional advice on other skilled visa options that may be suitable. For example, in some instances an applicant may be able to apply under the Specialist Skills Stream of the Skills in Demand Visa, which is not expected to require an occupation to be on a list, but will require a minimum guaranteed salary of $135,000 (excluding trades workers, machinery operators, drivers and labourers).

Occupations that have been added to the list present new opportunities to become sponsored by an employer for work in Australia.

Interstaff will be sharing a detailed analysis of the occupation list changes, including removed and added occupations, later in the week.

Why Has the Skilled Occupation List Changed?

The changes are part of the Government’s commitment to overhaul the current skilled lists, which have been identified in recent migration reviews as complex, outdated and inflexible in their capacity to meet Australia’s labour needs.

The CSOL represents a single consolidated list, shaped by labour market analysis and stakeholder consultations by Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA).

What Visa Changes Can We Expect on 7 December 2024? 

Aside from the expected rollout of the new Skills in Demand Visa, which will utilise the new CSOL, the Government also plans to implement the National Innovation Visa this weekend.

You can read about the three-tier structure of the new Skills in Demand Visa here, or read about the National Innovation Visa for very highly skilled and talented migrants here.

Established in 1988, Interstaff has over 35 years of Australian visa and migration experience and provides strategic immigration advice to businesses and individuals Australia-wide and internationally. MARN: 0533879.