Draft Core Skills Occupations List now available for Consultation

Date: 03 May 2024

Jobs and Skills Australia has released the draft Core Skills Occupations List (CSOL) for consultation, indicating that changes to the visa application process are near.

BACKGROUND

The Australian Government released its Migration Strategy on December 11, 2023. The Strategy aims to strengthen the visa system, address skills needs, and promote worker mobility.

To this end, the government is set to replace the current subclass 482—Temporary Skill Shortage visa—with the new Skills in Demand (SID) visa by the end of the year. The SID visa will have three different “pathways”: Specialist Skills Pathway, Core Skills Pathway, and Essential Skills Pathway.

Core Skills Pathway

The Core Skills Pathway is the closest equivalent to the current requirements for 482 visas. It will be available for applicants whose occupation is included in the new Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL), once it is in effect.

Jobs and Skills Australia

The Migration Strategy has established a formal role for Jobs and Skills Australia in defining Australia’s skill needs and identifying occupations that are experiencing a shortage or are in high demand, making them eligible for the Skills in Demand visa.

Draft Consultation

To this effect, Jobs and Skills Australia recently released the draft Core Skills Occupations List (CSOL) for consultation, which is structured into three groups.

Draft CSOL Confidently On List: Consists of occupations that that the JSA Migration Model confidently recommends for inclusion in the CSOL. These are occupations that are in high demand and expected to remain so, and stakeholders can provide feedback on them.
Draft CSOL Confidently Off List: Consists of occupations that the JSA Migration Model suggests should not be on the CSOL—stakeholders are able to provide feedback on these occupations.
Draft CSOL Targeted for Consultation List: Consists of occupations that are targeted for consultation. These are occupations where insights from labour market surveys, recruitment experiences, and feedback from workers and jobseekers hold significant weight. This group is important as it allows for a more comprehensive review of the CSOL, ensuring that it remains relevant and up-to-date.

NOT THE FINAL DECISION

It’s important to note that the draft CSOL is not final advice to the Government and does not represent a Government decision.

The current draft Consolidated Sponsored Occupation List (CSOL) is created based on an analysis of the labour market for occupations that fall under ANZSCO Skill Levels 1 to 3. However, this list does not represent all the temporary skill migration measures (Specialist Skills Stream & Essentials Skills Pathway) in the Migration Strategy.

If you are interested in reviewing the draft CSOL, you can find it here

Submissions regarding the Draft CSOL can be lodged until 5:00 pm AEST on Friday 31 May 2024, so make sure to submit your feedback before then.