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Could Your Occupation Give You Priority Immigration to Australia?

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If you've always dreamed about living in the land down under but may have faced issues when it comes to migration, your plans may have been thwarted. Further, you may have been prevented from actually travelling to Australia as a tourist for some time due to pandemic-related restrictions. However, the situation is thankfully changing, and as tourists begin to plan their flights, the government may have thrown a lifeline to skilled workers. What do you need to know about the latest immigration program?

Recovering from the Pandemic

The Australian government recognises that the economy has taken a battering following the pandemic and that this has led to some labour shortages in certain sectors. To help fill a huge number of vacancies, they have developed a "priority migration skilled occupation list," which seeks to find people with critical skills from other countries. The idea is that such people will be given an easier path to travel and live in Australia, so they can effectively support the country's economic recovery from Covid-19.

Taking Precedence

Certainly, the government may already have priority processing in place for some skilled occupations, and those programs remain active. However, this new category will take precedence, even though the program may only be offered for a certain time.

Priority Occupations

All told, there are 44 different occupations on the priority list, all of which fall under four different visa subclasses. Some of these occupations include chefs from the hospitality sector, structural or mechanical engineers from construction, GPs and midwives from healthcare and programmers or software engineers from IT. There is a full list of the relevant occupations on the Department of Home Affairs website.

Taking Urgent Action

Many people have wanted to live and work in Australia but thought their particular occupation was not eligible or that the process might be long and tedious. If you're in this position, it's worth taking a second look at this new program. However, you should hurry in case the government withdraws the idea. If they get a certain number of applicants and are able to fill the quota, regulators may move back to the original processing system instead.

Getting Expert Help

Immigration can be challenging, and the process can still be somewhat complex. This is why it is a good idea to engage the services of an expert in visa processing. They'll help you put all the paperwork together and be with you at every stage of the process. 

For more information, contact a local organization that can help with migration services.


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