Australia has replaced its Temporary Skills Shortage Visa with the new Skills in Demand (SID) Visa, effective December 7, as announced by the Department of Home Affairs. This updated visa framework offers three distinct pathways: the Specialist Skills Pathway, the Core Skills Pathway, and the Essential Skills Pathway, aiming to address the country’s evolving labor market needs.

Focus on the Core Skills Pathway
The Core Skills Pathway targets workers earning between AUD 70,000 and AUD 135,000 annually. A newly introduced Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) includes 456 in-demand professions across key sectors like health, education, construction, agriculture, and technology. Jobs on this list range from medical professionals and software engineers to cooks and dog trainers, reflecting a broad spectrum of labor market demands.

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his list plays a pivotal role in enabling employer-sponsored skilled migration. The government’s streamlined approach replaces outdated lists to better address workforce shortages while ensuring alignment with Australia’s economic priorities.

Permanent Residency Opportunities
The updated CSOL will also serve as a critical element in the Direct Entry stream of the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) visa. By modernizing and simplifying the occupation lists, the government aims to make the migration process more efficient and responsive to changing labor demands

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Opportunities for Indian Migrants
For Indian professionals aspiring to migrate to Australia, the new Core Skills Occupation List offers substantial opportunities. The list retains a strong emphasis on tech roles such as software engineers, software testers, cybersecurity experts, and software programmers—areas where many Indian professionals excel. This focus aligns with Australia’s push to build a stronger digital economy, making the transition for skilled Indian workers relatively seamless.

However, the exclusion of certain roles, like market research analysts, may pose challenges for applicants specializing in market strategy and analysis. Those affected may need to explore alternative migration pathways or focus on occupations currently in demand.

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or high-income earners, the Specialist Skills Pathway remains an option, requiring earnings above AUD 135,000.

Streamlined and Future-Focused
The Department of Home Affairs developed the new occupation list based on labor market analysis and input from stakeholders. This change reflects the government’s commitment to eliminating outdated and overly complex visa processes, thereby creating a more dynamic and adaptable migration system.

More details about the Skills in Demand Visa and its implementation are expected to be released in the coming days.

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