Australian Immigration Daily News

Home Affairs was kept busy with several skilled visa updates over the weekend.  Migration Alliance brings you the latest updates:

Skill Select Invitations:

Home Affairs released invitation rounds on Sunday 10 March, a day earlier than anticipated.  Applicants and agents should check their emails or Skill Select portal for any messages relating to their EOI status.  The statistics in relation to which occupations have been selected as part of March 2019 intake are expected to be published later this month.

New Occupation Lists

Subclass 186 – Employer Occupation List has been updated.  The following occupations are added at to the MLTSSL:

1. arts administrator or manager (ANZSCO code 139911);
2. dancer or choreographer (ANZSCO code 211112);
3. music director (ANZSCO code 211212);
4. artistic director (ANZSCO code 212111);
5. telecommunications network planner (ANZSCO code 313213);
6. pressure welder (ANZSCO code 322312);
7. tennis coach (ANZSCO code 452316); and
8. footballer (ANZSCO code 452411).
9. The instrument also specifies two new inapplicability conditions. They are as follows:

Additional Caveats:

The instrument imposes a new inapplicability condition (24) for the occupations of General Practitioner (ANZSCO code 253111), Medical Practitioners (nec) (ANZSCO code 253999) and Resident medical officer (ANZSCO code 253112) (medical practitioner occupations).

The inapplicability condition stipulates if a current health workforce certificate for the position and the occupation is not presented to the Department of Home Affairs, the nomination will not be accepted. A health workforce certificate sets out the name and date of birth of a nominee, the position that the certificate relates to, and the location of the position.

The certificate will be issued by an entity specified in paragraph 4(c) of the definition of health workforce certificate in the instrument. Those entities will consider the qualifications of the applicant, and the nominating agency including whether the nominated position is located in an area of workforce need before a health workforce certificate is issued to a nominee.

This change aims to better regulate the number of overseas trained doctors entering Australia under the skilled migration program and to direct them to areas of workforce shortage. This is an initiative of the Department of Health. 

Caveat Number 25 applies to a position which has a nominated annual earnings of less than AUD120,000.  This is now a condition of the occupation of footballer (ANZSCO code 452411) listed in the MLTSSL.

Subclass 189/489 and 190 Lists

Occupation movements are seen across subclass 189/189 and 190 lists.  Specially 36 occupations are added to MLTSSL for the purposes of 189/489 applications.

Occupation titles include:

1. Arts Administrator or Manager (ANZSCO code 139911)
2. Dancer or Choreographer (ANZSCO code 211112)
3. Music Director (ANZSCO code 211212)
4. Artistic Director (ANZSCO code 212111)
5. Tennis Coach (ANZSCO code 452316)

The legislative instrument removed 27 occupations from the STSOL including:

1. Visual Arts and Crafts Professionals (ANZSCO code 211499)
2. Textile, Clothing and Footwear Mechanic (ANZSCO code 323215)
3. Watch and Clock Maker and Repairer (ANZSCO code 323316)
4. Chemical Plant Operator (ANZSCO code 399211)
5. Library Technician (ANZSCO code 399312)

The relevant legislative instrument can be found here:

https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2019L00278

Subclass 407 Skilled Occupation List

The relevant legislative instrument removed 27 occupations from STSOL including:

1. aquaculture farmer (ANZSCO code 121111);
2. cotton grower (ANZSCO code 121211);
3. fruit or nut grower (ANZSCO 121213);
4. grain, oilseed or pasture grower (Aus)/field crop grower (NZ) (ANZSCO code 121214);
5. mixed crop farmer (ANZSCO code 121216);

In addition, six occupations previously listed under STSOL are moved to MLTSSL:

1.  arts administrator or manager (ANZSCO code 139911);
2. dancer or choreographer (ANZSCO code 211112);
3. music director (ANZSCO code 211211);
4. artistic director (ANZSCO code 212111);
5. tennis coach (ANZSCO code 452411); and
6. footballer (ANZSCO code 452411).

The regional occupation saw two new occupations added to the list as well as 16 occupations moved from the STSOL.

Full copy of the legislative instrument can be found here:

https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2019L00277

UPDATE: TSS occupation list has now also been updated