Australia’s top 20 most-needed occupations in 2020 Seek has released a list of Australia’s top 20 most-needed workers in 2020. COVID-19 has brought a high level of demand for skilled workers across a number of industries. The below list ranks the most-needed occupations from 1-20. Most-needed workers Current rank Nursing-All roles 1 Warehousing, Storage & Distribution 2 Aged & Disability Support 3 Automotive Trades 4 Administrative Assistants 5 Sales Representatives / Consultants 6 Physiotherapy, OT & Rehabilitation 7 Childcare & Outside School Hours Ca ..read more

Section 48 Bar If you have had a visa cancelled or refused since last arriving in Australia and you are either do not hold a visa (you are unlawful) or you hold a bridging visa, you will likely be ‘section 48 barred’. If you are ‘section 48 barred’ you aren’t eligible to lodge most other visa applications while you are in Australia (there are some very limited exceptions). This usually means that you need to leave Australia before applying for another visa. Becoming unlawful in Australia or overstaying your visa is likely to negatively affect your future visa appl ..read more

Inquiry into Australia’s Skilled Migration Program In March 2021, The Joint Standing Committee on Migration inquired into and made recommendations on Australia’s skilled migration program. The inquiry found that COVID-19 has had a significant effect on Australia’s workforce. Although 94% of Australians who lost their jobs have returned to work, there are still significant skills shortages in Australia. Over 500,000 temporary visa holders left Australia as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in significant skills shortages. The Committee has heard that job vacancies in November 2020 re ..read more

Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List The Department of Home Affairs has released The Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List (PMSOL). The Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List aims to support Australia’s economic recovery from COVID-19 by prioritising visa applications for those with critical skills. Employer-sponsored applications with an occupation on the Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List will be given priority processing over all other occupations. All other applications will remain active, but the Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List occupations will take prior ..read more

Visa changes to support 457 & 482 Visa holders The Minister of Immigration announced this week that there will be some positive changes coming for temporary skilled workers looking for a pathway to permanent residency. These changes will benefit skilled workers who remained here during the pandemic and encourage them to stay in Australia permanently. “Eligible skilled workers, already in Australia, will continue to support local businesses facing critical shortages, particularly in health, hospitality and our regions,” Minister Hawke said. These visa changes will improve access to permanen ..read more

Travel without a Travel Exemption  From 1 December 2021, fully vaccinated eligible visa holders can travel to Australia without needing to apply for a travel exemption.  Some of the eligible visas include: 482 Visa – Temporary Skill Shortage visa 482 Family Visa 457 Visa – Temporary Work (Skilled) visa 457 Family Visa 494 Visa – Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa 491 Visa – Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa 417 Visa – Working Holiday visa 462 Visa – Work and Holiday visa What next? If you already hold one of these visas, you can book a flight after Decemb ..read more

Travel for vaccinated Australians and permanent residents Fully vaccinated Australian citizens, permanent residents and other visa holders with travel exemptions aged 12 years and over can now travel to and from Australia. When preparing to travel, you should check what you need to do when coming to Australia from overseas. All travellers to Australia MUST complete an Australia Travel Declaration (ATD) at least 72 hours before departure. There are specific vaccines that are accepted for travel to Australia. You need to make sure you have one of those before travelling.  ..read more

New English Language Requirement for Partner Visas The Morrison Government has announced new requirements for partner visa applicants and their sponsors to make ‘reasonable efforts’ to learn English. Only 13 per cent of residents with no English skills are currently working, compared to 62 per cent of residents who speak English well. The Morrison Government also highlighted that those migrants without sufficient English language skills are particularly vulnerable to family violence and exploitation. They are also less likely to know how and where to seek advice and assistance. The number of p ..read more