Filling the Gaps on the Skills-Shortage List

Wednesday August 4, 2021

Last month, an additional 22 occupations were added to Australia’s Priority Migration Skilled Occupations List (PMSOL). For companies struggling to secure workers within Australia, the PMSOL will provide acutely valuable.

It means more migrant workers will have their visas fast-tracked by the Australian Government, after it expanded the list of skills considered priority occupations.

The PMSOL, first announced in September 2020, is developed in conjunction with the National Skills Commission to ensure a small number of critical occupations are filled to continue to create Australian jobs and aid in Australia’s ongoing recovery from the impact of COVID-19.

The addition of 22 occupations brings the PMSOL to 41 in total.

The 22 new occupations are (including ANZSCO codes): 

Accountant (General) (221111)
Accountant (Taxation) (221113)
Accountant (Management) (221112)
External Auditor (221213)
Internal Auditor (221214)
Electrical Engineer (233311)
Civil Engineer (233211)
Structural Engineer (233214)
Geotechnical Engineer (233212)
Transport Engineer (233215)
Mining Engineer (233611)
Petroleum Engineer (233612)
Surveyor (232212)
Cartographer (232213)
Other Spatial Scientist (232214)
Medical Laboratory Scientist (234611)
Orthotist / Prosthetist (251912)
Multimedia Specialist (261211)
Analyst Programmer (261311)
Software and Applications Programmers (261399)
ICT Security Specialist (262112)
Chef (351311)

Visa holders, who have been sponsored by an Australian business in a PMSOL occupation, will be subject to quarantine arrangements at their own expense. Existing skilled migration occupation lists will remain active, and visas will still be processed, but priority will be given to those in occupations on the PMSOL.​

The list is temporary and priority occupations may change as Australia recovers from the pandemic. The Government and the National Skills Commission will continue to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on the Australian labour market and assess Australia’s skills needs as they evolve and new sources of data emerge.

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