Occupation list shuffle: 36 more GSM occupations; GPs sent to the country, new caveats

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Occupation list shuffle: 36 more GSM occupations; GPs sent to the country, new caveats

Major changes to the occupations lists for GSM visas and temporary and permanent employer sponsored visas come into effect today. This includes 36 occupations now eligible to compete for an invitation for a Subclass 189 – Skilled—Independent visa or a Subclass 489 – Skilled—Regional (Provisional) visa sponsored by an eligible relative. New caveats have been added to the Subclass 482 – Temporary Skill Shortage visas, Subclass 186 – Employer Nomination Scheme visa, and Subclass 187 – Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme visa occupation lists, including that General Practitioners will require a certificate to be nominated, which will see many required to work in regional or rural areas.

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482/TSS update: major investor accreditation for standard business sponsors; aged care labour agreements; religions get assistants

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482/TSS update: major investor accreditation for standard business sponsors; aged care labour agreements; religions get assistants

A flurry of announcements at the end of last week regarding the Subclass 482 – Temporary Skill Shortage visa program included adding another category for business to become accredited standard business sponsors, accepting applications for labour agreements for aged carers, and adding religious assistants to Minister of Religion labour agreements.

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Data matching for 457 and TSS visa on its way

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Data matching for 457 and TSS visa on its way

The Department of Home Affairs and the Australian Tax Office will begin sharing data on some 280,000 primary Subclass 457 – Temporary Work (Skilled) visa and the Subclass 482 – Temporary Skill Shortage visa holders between 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2018. This will be to ensure both business sponsors and visa holders are or were complying with their sponsor obligations and visa conditions. Inconsistencies may well be investigated.

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PR carrot for semi-skilled workers under DAMAs, extended to south-west Victoria

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PR carrot for semi-skilled workers under DAMAs, extended to south-west Victoria

Announcements made this week will see the renewal of the Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) in the Northern Territory and a DAMA in south west Victoria, with more being considered. However, the bigger reveal is that these two DAMAs will come with it a pathway to a permanent visa, which is a significant development as semi-skilled workers have not been a feature of Australia’s skilled migration program for many years.

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