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What's changed?

On 28 October, a new Ministerial Direction came into effect that changed which skilled visa applications are prioritised. It aims to allow the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) to simplify and speed up the processing of applications across all occupations. Additional resources and funding have also been put towards expanding visa processing capacity.

Crucially, the Direction removed the Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List (PMSOL). Priority for other key programs, including the Global Talent and Business Innovation and Investment programs, has also been removed. At the same time, other occupations and types of visa applications are now being prioritised. These are listed in the summary table below:

The new priorities apply to all skilled visa nomination and visa applications still to be decided, as well as new applications lodged.

Why the change?

The PMSOL was implemented by the previous Coalition government in September 2020 as a response to skill shortages caused by the COVID pandemic. A spokesperson for the DHA said that with the removal of travel restrictions, the PMSOL was ‘out-dated’ and involved ‘time-consuming and complex assessments’. Sectors with occupations on the PMSOL also had many other occupations that weren’t on the PMSOL, resulting in inconsistencies.

Reducing the number of priorities should increase efficiencies and reduce overall processing times.

Who benefits?

Applications that were not prioritised under the PMSOL, Global Talent and business investment visas will now more likely be considered and processed quicker. This is particularly good news for:

• Accredited Sponsors. The new Direction restores priority for Accredited Sponsors, ie. larger employers and businesses who meet certain criteria and are approved to access streamlined visa processing.
  
  
• Offshore permanent and temporary skilled visa applications, including Temporary Skill Shortage (Subclass 482) visas. The government’s focus on allowing more workers to enter Australia to ease labour shortages means those who apply from overseas will be given priority. Employers may also find that criteria such as the ‘genuine position’ requirement will be relatively easier to demonstrate.
  
  
• Small businesses recruiting overseas workers. With a less complicated process and faster processing time, accessing critical skilled workers will be easier for small businesses – particularly those looking to recruit workers using the Temporary Skill Shortage
  
  
• Businesses and applicants with occupations in regional areas. A renewed focus on applications relating to occupations in regional Australia means those willing to settle outside of the main metropolitan areas will benefit greatly.

If you are a sponsor or potential sponsor, contact us for advice on whether becoming an Accredited Sponsor is an option for you. The benefits are significant – Accredited Sponsors are given priority for application processing and have their applications processed faster. This means less work for employers and a quicker pathway to recruiting and hiring workers.