Australia’s skilled migrant visa program for workers in tech, construction and medicine.

17 Jan 2025

So, what kind of opportunities and work visa does Australia office to workers, white or blue collar? Well, plenty if you are in the right field, with some qualifications, experience and solid English.

Starting from 7 December last year (2024), Australian Home Affairs released the updated skilled occupation list and a new Skills in Demand (SID) visa are key highlights of these changes

The Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) replaces the multiple skilled occupation lists previously used for the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa. The CSOL includes over 450 occupations in sectors such as construction, cyber security, agriculture, and health.

This list is based on labour market analysis and stakeholder consultations by Jobs and Skills Australia and will apply to the SID Core Skills stream and the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) visa (Direct Entry stream).

The Skills in Demand (SID) visa, which replaces the TSS visa, allows most visa holders to stay in Australia for up to four years. It offers a streamlined process for both migrants and employers needing more skilled workers to grow their businesses. SID visa holders have a clear pathway to permanent residence, providing certainty to both migrants and employers.

Click here for more details.

The SID visa has three streams:

1. Core Skills stream: Meets targeted workforce needs and is the most commonly used stream.
2. Specialist Skills stream: Helps drive innovation and job creation.
3. Labour Agreement stream: Will be replaced by an Essential Skills stream (under development).

SID visa holders benefit from a pathway to permanent residence, a reduced work experience requirement compared to the TSS visa, and the same English language requirement as the TSS medium-term stream.

The Specialist Skills stream is for highly skilled migrants who meet general eligibility requirements and are in any occupation on the ANZSCO 2022 list, except for trades workers, machinery operators, drivers, and labourers. Applicants must earn at least the Specialist Skills Income Threshold of AUD135,000 and no less than Australian workers in the same occupation.

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The Core Skills stream is for applicants with an occupation on the CSOL identified as being in shortage and who will be paid a salary at or above the new Core Skills Income Threshold of AUD73,150.

Source: Australian Home Affairs