Australia Work Permits

This Government initiative is specifically designed to target individuals who have skills or outstanding abilities to fill the skilled workers shortage in the Australian Workforce and who can contribute to the Australian economy. Over 200,000 jobs are advertised each week, and unemployment is at its lowest level in a decade. If you are a skilled professional, tradesperson or student graduating from an Australian university, you can qualify for unrestricted Australian working rights for you and your partner, allowing you to secure employment without the requirement of sponsorship. The Australian Government has made over 97,500 Skilled Visas available between July 2006 - June 2007.

Skilled Occupations in Demand

Certain occupations that appear on the SOL have been identified as being in demand in Australia and therefore are listed on the “Migration Occupations in Demand List” (MODL). The current MODL is set out below:

Professionals
Accountants
Anaesthetists
Chemical Engineers
Civil Engineers
Computing Professionals specialising in CISSP
Computing Professionals specialising in E-commerce Security (non-programming)
Computing Professionals specialising in Network Security
Computing Professionals specialising in SAP
Computing Professionals specialising in SIEBEL
Dental Specialists
Dentists
Dermatologists
Emergency Medicine Specialists
General Medical Practitioners
Hospital Pharmacists
Medical Diagnostic Radiographers
Mining Engineers
Nuclear Medicine Technologists
Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
Occupational Therapists
Opthalmologists
Paediatricians
Pathologists
Petroleum Engineers
Physiotherapists
Podiatrists
Psychiatrists
Radiation Therapists
Radiologists
Registered Mental Health Nurses
Registered Midwives
Registered Nurses
Retail Pharmacists
Specialist Medicine Practitioners (not elsewhere classified)
Specialist Physicians
Speech Pathologists
Sonographers
Surgeons

Associate Professionals
Chefs (excluding Commis Chef)*

* Chefs would normally be expected to have a relevant trade level (or higher) certificate, & at least 3 years relevant experience following the completion of that formal qualification.

Tradespersons
Automotive Electricians
Bakers
Boat Builder and Repairers
Bricklayers
Cabinetmakers
Carpenters
Carpenter and Joiners
Cooks
Drainers
Electrical Powerline Tradespeople
Electricians (Special Class)
Electronic Equipment Tradespeople
Fibrous Plasterers
Fitters
Flat Glass Tradespeople
Floor Finishers
Furniture Upholsterers
Gasfitters
General Electricians
General Electronic Instrument - Tradespeople
General Plumbers
Hairdressers
Joiners
Lift Mechanics
Mechanical Services and Air-conditioning Plumbers
Metal Fabricators (Boilermakers)
Metal Machinists (First Class)
Motor Mechanics
Panel Beaters
Pastry Cooks
Pressure Welders
Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Mechanics
Roof Plumbers
Roof Slater and Tilers
Solid Plasterers
Sheetmetal Workers (First Class)
Stonemasons
Toolmakers
Vehicle Body Makers
Vehicle Painters
Wall and Floor Tilers
Welders (First Class)

If your nominated occupation is listed on the above list (and it is still current at the time your application is processed), you can claim an additional 15 points and if you have a job offer for full time employment with an Australian organisation, you may be able to claim a further 5 points towards your overall points score.

The occupations on the MODL change from time to time.

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