According to Australia’s new migration strategy, the federal government plans to replace the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS – Subclass 482) visa with the new Skills in Demand (SID) visa. This new visa will consist of three pathways: the Specialist Skills Pathway, the Core Skills Pathway, and the Essential Skills Pathway.
The Core Skills Occupations List (CSOL) is one of the criteria for the SID visa and targets occupations under the Core Skills Pathway, based on Australia’s workforce needs. The CSOL is intended to operate similarly to the skilled occupation list used for the current TSS visa.
The draft version of the CSOL has been released for consultation purposes only. It does not represent the final advice that Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) will provide to the federal government, nor is it a government decision. The draft list is divided into three groups:
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Occupations that JSA believes must be included in the CSOL.
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Occupations that require stakeholder feedback before being included — this will involve labor market research, independent studies, employer hiring experiences, and feedback from Australian and migrant workers and jobseekers.
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Occupations that JSA believes should not be included in the CSOL.
Notably, some of the most common occupations for which thousands of visas are issued annually — such as Chef, Cook, Baker & Pastrycook, and Carpenter (which is essential to the federal government’s housing initiative and is facing severe labor shortages), as well as Accountant and Hairdresser — fall under Group 2. Their inclusion in the final CSOL is therefore still uncertain. Since many young Koreans pursue these occupations, this uncertainty may cause concern about the future of immigration to Australia.
Interestingly, a poultry farmer is included in Group 1, while those who raise cattle, sheep, pigs, or goats are listed under Group 2, leaving their inclusion undecided. The logic behind this distinction is unclear. Similarly, while Music Teacher is in Group 2 and may be included in the final list, Drama, Dance, and Visual Arts Teachers are in Group 3 — making it highly likely that these occupations will no longer be eligible for skilled migration to Australia.
Group 3 occupations are expected to be ineligible for skilled migration. This group includes roles like Café and Restaurant Manager and Church Minister.
Australia’s new migration strategy also focuses on re-evaluating designated regional areas and reforming the points test for skilled migration. As a result, further changes to the occupation list that supports regional migration and the points test may also be considered.
