The skilled occupation list (SOL) summarises the occupations Australia needs to fill skill shortages. An applicant must nominate a skilled occupation in their application. Skilled occupation has the meaning given by regulation 1.15I. The current list of eligible skilled occupations can be found in a legislative instrument [below] for the relevant visa program in the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments signed by the Minister for Immigration. If a person has skills in more than one occupation on the SOL, they must decide one occupation as are no provisions in migration legislation that enable an applicant or the Minister to change their nominated skilled occupation after their visa application has been lodged. The Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List (PMSOL) [the list is below] identifies 44 occupations which fill critical skills needs to support Australia’s economic recovery from COVID-19.
On this page;
- How to start: our process
- Book Appointment Now!
- Visas applicable to the Skilled Occupation Lists
- Occupations available for the skilled visa and Legislative instruments
- Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List
- Employer sponsored visa subclasses for PMSOL occupations
- Top 20 occupations in demand nationally - Australia
Australian Migration PROCESS - Three Steps
STEP 1
CONSULTATION, INITIAL/ PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENTSTEP 2
LETTER OF ENGAGEMENT & CHECK LIST
STEP 3
FULL AND FINAL ASSESSMENT & LODGING APPLICATIONS
How to start: our process always starts with a consultation.
Go to this link and provide relevant information: Free Australian Visa Assessment
Book under: ‘03. Migration Law - basic PR assessment and general advice - 1 hr’
Visas applicable to the Skilled Occupation Lists
The following visas are available to individuals who are qualified to work or train in an eligible skilled occupation in Australia and can meet all other requirements:
- Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) visa (subclass 186)
- Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) visa (subclass 187)*
- Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) – Points-tested stream
- Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190)
- Training visa (subclass 407)
- Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa (subclass 482)
- Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) – Graduate Work
- Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 489)
- Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491)
- Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (provisional) visa (subclass 494).
Skilled occupation has the meaning given by regulation 1.15I.
Reg 1.15I Skilled occupation
- A skilled occupation, in relation to a person, means an occupation of a kind:
- that is specified by the Minister in an instrument in writing to be a skilled occupation; and
- if a number of points are specified in the instrument as being available — for which the number of points are available; and
- that is applicable to the person in accordance with the specification of the occupation.
- Without limiting subregulation (1), the Minister may specify in the instrument any matter in relation to an occupation, or to a class of persons to which the instrument relates, including:
- that an occupation is a skilled occupation for a class of persons;
- that an occupation is a skilled occupation for a person who is nominated by a State or Territory government agency.
Occupations available for the skilled visa and Legislative instruments
The table below provides information on the formal legislative instrument(s) which specify the occupations available for the skilled visa types listed.
Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List
The Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List (PMSOL) identifies 44 occupations which fill critical skills needs to support Australia’s economic recovery from COVID-19. The list is based on expert advice from the National Skills Commission and consultation with Commonwealth departments.
Employer sponsored nomination and visa applications with an occupation on the PMSOL will be given priority processing. All other skilled occupation lists will remain active, but the PMSOL occupations will take priority.
The list is temporary and priority occupations may change as Australia recovers from the pandemic.
The Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List [PMSOL]
The 41 occupations (ANZSCO code) are:
- Chief Executive or Managing Director (111111)
- Construction Project Manager (133111)
- Accountant (General) (221111)*
- Management Accountant (221112)*
- Taxation Accountant (221113)*
- External Auditor (221213)*
- Internal Auditor (221214)*
- Surveyor (232212)*
- Cartographer (232213)*
- Other Spatial Scientist (232214)*
- Civil Engineer (233211)*
- Geotechnical Engineer (233212)*
- Structural Engineer (233214)*
- Transport Engineer (233215)*
- Electrical Engineer (233311)*
- Mechanical Engineer (233512)
- Mining Engineer (excluding Petroleum) (233611)*
- Petroleum Engineer (233612)*
- Medical Laboratory Scientist (234611)*
- Veterinarian (234711)
- Hospital Pharmacist (251511)*
- Industrial Pharmacist (251512)*
- Retail Pharmacist (251513)*
- Orthotist or Prosthetist (251912)*
- General Practitioner (253111)
- Resident Medical Officer (253112)
- Psychiatrist (253411)
- Medical Practitioners nec (253999)
- Midwife (254111)
- Registered Nurse (Aged Care) (254412)
- Registered Nurse (Critical Care and Emergency) (254415)
- Registered Nurse (Medical) (254418)
- Registered Nurse (Mental Health) (254422)
- Registered Nurse (Perioperative) (254423)
- Registered Nurses nec (254499)
- Multimedia Specialist (261211)*
- Analyst Programmer (261311)*
- Developer Programmer (261312)
- Software Engineer (261313)
- Software and Applications Programmers nec (261399)*
- ICT Security Specialist (262112)*
- Social Worker (272511)
- Maintenance Planner (312911)
- Chef (351311)*
* Indicates occupation added in July 2021
Employer sponsored visa subclasses for PMSOL occupations
Priority processing of nomination and visa applications for PMSOL occupations applies to these employer sponsored visa subclasses:
- Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa (subclass 482)
- Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494)
- Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) visa (subclass 186)
- Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) visa (subclass 187)
Top 20 occupations in demand nationally - Australia
| No. | Occupation | IVI job ads* |
| 1 | Registered Nurses | 8,377 |
| 2 | Software and Applications Programmers | 6,269 |
| 3 | Aged and Disabled Carers | 4,642 |
| 4 | Child Carers | 4,277 |
| 5 | Construction Managers | 4,230 |
| 6 | Motor Mechanics | 3,924 |
| 7 | Retail Managers | 3,777 |
| 8 | Chefs | 3,725 |
| 9 | Generalist Medical Practitioners | 3,352 |
| 10 | Metal Fitters and Machinists | 3,137 |
| 11 | ICT Business and Systems Analysts | 3,053 |
| 12 | Civil Engineering Professionals | 2,871 |
| 13 | Electricians | 2,839 |
| 14 | Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teachers | 2,493 |
| 15 | Contract, Program and Project Administrators | 2,392 |
| 16 | Advertising and Marketing Professionals | 2,265 |
| 17 | Physiotherapists | 1,262 |
| 18 | Gardeners | 1,015 |
| 19 | Mining Engineers | 957 |
| 20 | Database and Systems Administrators, and ICT Security Specialists | 942 |