The Federal Government commenced a review of the skilled migration occupation lists this month and is seeking feedback from stakeholders particularly in regional areas.
Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business, Senator Michaelia Cash, said the review was to ensure it remained responsive to genuine skill needs and regional variations across Australia.
“As a Government, our role is to ensure that Australian employers can access workers with the skills needed to fill the jobs of today and tomorrow when they can’t be met by the domestic workforce,” Cash said.
She said the government’s skilled migration policies were underpinned by the principle that Australian workers are considered first for jobs.
“As part of the review, my department will consult with industry, employers, unions and individuals in developing advice for the Morrison Government on the occupations required to meet the labour market needs of the Australian economy," Cash said.
Minister for Immigration, David Coleman, said the government has allocated 23,000 regional migration places, introduced two new regional visas and signed Designated Area Migration Agreements around the country to attract migrants to regional areas to help towns grow and to fill some of the 60,000 job vacancies in regional Australia.
The next update to Australia’s skilled migration occupation lists is scheduled to be announced in March 2020.