Revisions to occupation lists provides positive outcome for ICT sector

The Federal Government’s announcement in April ‘17 to replace the 457 skilled visa program with the completely new Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa by March 2018 sent many industries into a spin. As trends in technology rapidly develop, companies continue to rely on contingent (or project based) workers and skills from overseas to meet changing business demands.
In today’s new world of work, organisations across the globe are investing heavily in the digitisation of business processes and cybersecurity protection. It therefore comes as no surprise that senior ICT skills and in particular cybersecurity experts, remain in critical demand. As these roles continue to shape the makeup of our workforce, being able to tap into global talent has never been more important in allowing Australian organisations to remain competitive in the global marketplace.
As of 1 July, when the occupation lists were revised and updated, the Government appears to have listened to feedback and moved some integral job titles, such as CEO, CIO and various other IT specialists, from the 2 year list to the 4 year list. This move is sure to provide some relief to businesses genuinely experiencing the ICT skills shortage.
Immigration Minister, Peter Dutton, has spoken about the revised lists, saying, “The occupation lists are designed to be dynamic. Revisions to the occupation lists are just one element of the Government’s reforms strengthening the integrity of Australia’s employer sponsored skilled migration programmes and raising the productivity of skilled migrants.”
Using overseas talent is a viable option for organisations looking to bridge the critical skills gap. Evident by the latest list revisions – the Government understands that the climate of working in Australia requires flexibility, creativity and continual communication to solve today’s workforce challenges.
For full details of the revised lists, click here. To discuss these changes or any other migration matter with a registered Migration Agent, please contact us on (03) 9600 0333 or via email at enquiries@entitysolutions.com.au.