Skilled Migration Processing Priorities and Critical Skills List

Published by Nora Lamont on Saturday 24th of October, 2009

The Minister has set priority processing arrangements, which apply to the following visas from 23 September 2009:

Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS)

Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS)

General Skilled Migration (GSM) visas except for:

Skilled – Recognised Graduate Subclass 476

Skilled – Designated Area – Sponsored (Residence) Subclass 883

Skilled – Regional Subclass 887.

The following General Skilled Migration visas are affected by priority processing:

Skill Matching Subclass 134
•
Skilled – Independent Subclass 136
•
Skilled – State/Territory-nominated Independent Subclass 137
•
Skilled – Australian-sponsored Subclass 138
•
Skilled – Designated Area-sponsored Subclass 139
•
Skilled – Independent Subclass 175
•
Skilled – Independent Subclass 176
•
Skilled – Regional Sponsored Subclass 475
•
Skilled – Graduate Subclass 485
•
Skilled – Regional Sponsored Subclass 487
•
Skilled – Independent Regional Subclass 495
•
Skilled – Designated Area-sponsored (Provisional) Subclass 496
•
Graduate – Skilled Subclass 497
•
Skilled – Onshore Independent New Zealand Citizen Subclass 861
•
Skilled – Onshore Australian-sponsored New Zealand Citizen Subclass 862
•
Skilled – Onshore Designated Area-sponsored New Zealand Citizen Subclass 863
•
Skilled – Independent Overseas Student Subclass 880
•
Skilled – Australian-sponsored Subclass 881
•
Skilled – Designated Area-sponsored Overseas Student Subclass 882
•
Skilled – Independent Subclass 885
•
Skilled – Sponsored Subclass 886

Under the Ministerial Direction, the following processing priorities (with highest priority listed first) apply:
1. applications from people who are employer sponsored under the ENS and the RSMS
2. applications from people who are nominated by a State/Territory government and whose nominated occupation is listed on the Critical Skills List (CSL)
3. applications from people who are sponsored by family and whose nominated occupation is listed on the CSL
4. applications from people who are neither nominated nor sponsored but whose nominated occupation is listed on the CSL
5. applications from people who are nominated by a State/Territory government whose nominated occupation is not listed on the CSL
6. (i) applications from people whose occupations are listed on the Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL) and
(ii) applications from people who are sponsored by family and whose nominated occupation is not listed on the CSL.
7. all other applications are to be processed in the order in which they are received.

Critical Skills List

ASCO Number Occupation Shortages – Professional
2312-11 Anaesthetist
2381-11 Dentist
4315-11 Electronic Equipment Trades
2312-15 Emergency Medicine Specialist
2129-17 Engineer – Chemical
2124-11 Engineer – Civil
2125-11 Engineer – Electrical
2125-13 Engineer – Electronics
2126-11 Engineer – Mechanical
2127-11 Engineer – Mining
2126-13 Engineer – Production or Plant Engineer
4114-15 Aircraft Maintenance Engineer – Avionics
4114-11 Aircraft Maintenance Engineer – Mechanical
4431-13 Gasfitter
2311-11 General Medical Practitioner
2391-11 Medical Diagnostic Radiographer
2312-17 Obstetrician & Gynaecologist
2383-11 Occupational Therapist
2382-11 Pharmacist (Hospital)
2382-15 Pharmacist (Retail)
2385-11 Physiotherapist
2388-11 Podiatrist
2312-27 Psychiatrist
2122-11 Quantity Surveyor
2325-11 Registered Mental Health Nurse
2324-11 Registered Midwife
2323-11 Registered Nurse
2413-11 Secondary School Teacher
2312-79 Specialist Medical Practitioners NEC
2312-25 Specialist Physician
2312-31 Surgeon
2123-13 Surveyor
2523-11 Urban & Regional Planner
4416-11 Wall and Floor Tiler
2386-11 Speech Pathologist
2391-17 Sonographer
2312-19 Ophthalmologist
2312-21 Paediatrician
2312-23 Pathologist
2312-29 Radiologist
2211-11 Accountant — where the applicant has achieved a score of at least IELTS 7 in each of the four competencies, and/or has completed The Professional Year – Skilled Migration Internship Program Accounting (SMIPA).
Computing Professionals — where the applicant’s specialisation is listed on the Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL).