Your chance to give input to the draft Core Skills Occupations List (CSOL)

The Migration Strategy, unveiled on 11 December 2023, provides a plan for the future of Australia’s migration system. Streamlining the list of occupations eligible for employer-sponsored visas appears logical for a migration system often criticised for being slow, complex and ‘broken’.

Late last year, Home Affairs Minister, Clare O’Neil and Immigration Minister, Andrew Giles revealed a plan to have three streams for work visas only:

Specialist Skills Pathway	Core Skills Pathway	Essential Skills Pathway
In any occupation except trades workers, machinery operators, drivers, and labourers. Earning at least $135,000 (the Specialist Skills Threshold) and no less than Australian workers in the same occupation.	For occupations listed under the new Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL), individuals must receive at least $70,000 or the market salary rate, whichever is higher. This is currently out for consultation and is the basis of this article.	This applies to occupations earning below $70,000 annually but are deemed essential. Both the pathway and eligible occupations are still under consideration.

Understanding the Core Skills Pathway

In addition to these streams, the Migration Strategy also formalised the creation of Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) to use data-driven evidence and advice to determine Australia’s skill requirements.

JSA has crafted a Migration Labour Market Indicator Model, which, combined with extensive stakeholder involvement, will guide the formulation of recommendations to the Government regarding the CSOL.

Draft Core Skills Occupation List

The draft CSOL has now been released based on labour market analysis for Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) Skill Level 1 to 3 occupations.

There are three lists of skilled occupations open to stakeholder feedback.

1. Confident On List – JSA is confident these occupations should be on the CSOL
2. Confident Off List – JSA suggests these occupations should be off the CSOL
3. Targeted for consultation – for these occupations, JSA is particularly interested in labour market surveys and independent research, recruitment experiences, and the views of jobseekers.

However, only two of the top 10 occupations receiving visa grants in 2022-23 are listed as 'Confident On' in the draft Core Skills Occupations List (CSOL), listed below.

Occupation	Proposed approach
Software Engineers	Consultation
Chefs	Consultation
ICT Business Analysts	Consultation
Resident Medical Officers	On
Developer Programmers	On
Motor Mechanics	Consultation
External Auditors	Consultation
Accountants	Consultation
Cafe and Restaurant Managers	Off
Cooks	Consultation

New IT sector occupations open for consultation include:

• User Experience Designer (ICT)
• Cyber Security Engineer
• DevOps Engineer
• Penetration Tester
• Cyber Governance Risk and Compliance Specialist
• Cyber Security Advice and Assessment Specialist
• Cyber Security Architect
• Cyber Security Operations Coordinator.

In addition, a range of “in demand” occupations may be considered for inclusion, including:

• Childcare Workers
• Office Managers
• Retail Managers.

Your feedback shapes the future

• Businesses: JSA values your input, especially if you're facing skill shortages. Share your experiences to help shape the Core Skills Occupations List.
• Australian Workers, Migrants, & Job Seekers: Your perspective matters. JSA wants to hear from everyone impacted by the Core Skills Occupations List.

Anyone can provide feedback by completing the survey questions or uploading a separate submission before the deadline: Friday, 10 May 2024, at 5.00pm AEST.

The information collected will supplement the labour market data and intelligence available to Jobs and Skills Australia to inform its advice to the Government on the Core Skills Occupations List.

Need support?

This list is a draft and doesn’t represent the final decision on the CSOL list. If you’d like to understand the potential impacts of an occupation being listed as Confident On, Confident Off, or Targeted for Consultation, please contact our Migration Services team.