The occupational ceilings for the skilled migration programme for the 2015-16 financial year were announced earlier this month with the quota for several occupations notably accountants, air-conditioning/refrigeration mechanics, engineering managers, electronic Trades Workers, Auditors and nurses falling sharply.

Rising sharply in numbers is the demand for Early Childhood Teachers, Medical Laboratory Scientists and several trades occupations including Metal Fitters, Wall/Floor Tilers, Plumbers and Painting Trade workers.

Registered nurses remain the most wanted occupation in the Australian workforce if you go by the occupational ceiling numbers. The occupational ceiling for registered nurses however dropped by almost 8% or 1170 places in the latest skilled migration programme.

Panelbeaters and Cabinetmakers made a debut with 1134 and 1530 places respectively.

Occupational ceilings limit how many invitations to apply are issued by the Department of Immigration each year for general skilled migration for a particular occupation. This is to ensure that the migration program is not dominated by a small number of occupations. Generally, applicants with an Expression of Interest in occupational groups which have reached their ceiling will not be invited to apply for a visa but however will remain in the EOI pool for two years from the date of submission, or until they are selected to apply when a fresh quota is issued.

The DIBP generally distributes grants over the programmeto to "ensure availability of invitations across the programme year" particularly for occupations for where applications are high in demand. It has listed the following occupations as being in high demand:

• ICT Business and System Analysts
• Software and Applications Programmers
• Accountants.

Occupational ceilings do not apply to Employer Sponsored or Business Innovation and Investment visa subclasses and have now also been removed for State or Territory Nominated, visa subclasses. Effectively this means that states can nominate occupations for Skilled Nominated Subclass 190 and Skilled Regional Subclass 489 visas even if the ceiling has been reached.

Businesses in the Northern Territory have slammed the Federal Government for unnecessary delays and red tape which they say is affecting the ability of businesses to get the skilled foreign workers they urgently need.

In February 2014, the Federal Government announced an independent review of the 457 visa worker program and then in May relaxed the English language competency requirement for foreign workers.

In August the Commonwealth announced a brand new initiative - the Designated Area Migration Agreements (DAMAs) sub class of 457 visas which would apply only in the NT and for certain occupations such as truck drivers, childcare workers, and hospitality staff.

It was hoped foreign workers would be more willing to move to Darwin.

According to an ABC report, months later 17 NT businesses have been endorsed by the NT Department of Business to apply for DAMAs. But only three DAMAs have been granted.

The following email has been received by Migration Alliance:

The online lodgement system of the Migration and Refugee Division of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal is available 24 hours a day from any computer that has an internet connection.

The Full Court of the Federal Court has upheld a decision by the Minister not to revoke the cancellation of a “Return (Residence)" visa that was held by the national president of the Rebels Motorcycle Club. 

The Full Court made this ruling in Vella v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, (2015) FCAFC 53 (21 April 2015).

The significance of this decision is that it clarifies whether principles of “natural justice” require the Minister to disclose information that has been provided under section 503A of the Act by a “gazetted agency” (in other words, a law enforcement or intelligence agency) on condition that the information be treated as “confidential” and that has been relied upon as the basis of a Ministerial decision not to revoke a visa cancellation.

After apparently 25 years of lobbying the government for a national registration scheme, Engineers Australia (EA) has decided that it will move to ‘self-regulation’ with its own scheme.

Although the federal government sees no need for such national regulation, the Australian Financial Review reports that the move by the EA is “to safeguard the industry against a wave of temporary work visas being issued to fill employment gaps.”

According to EA, currently 14 different Acts and subordinate legislation regulate some engineering services in most states and territories.  Where regulation exists, it is rarely specific to engineering services. Queensland is the only state that requires all engineers to be registered if offering or providing engineering services, and Western Australia is considering introducing similar requirements.  In other states and territories engineers generally operate under a self-regulatory system.

The peak body, which represents about 100,000 engineers, has been urging state and federal governments for the past 25 years to adopt a national registration scheme, which would ensure high professional standards are maintained in the sector.

Engineers Australia (EA) chief executive Stephen Durkin told the AFR that while most government representatives have seen value of a national registration scheme for engineers, the general response has been "but buildings aren't falling down'.