Even though the new migration program only commenced on 1 July 2013, places are already running out for IT and engineering professionals looking to apply for General Skilled Migration.
Statistics released by the Department of Immigration show that as of 5 August 2013, many Engineering and IT Occupations were close to meeting their occupational ceiling. As a result, the Department of Immigration has announced that remaining places in these occupational groups will be “allocated on a pro rata basis” for the rest of the program year. This means that only a few places will be given out each month in the highest demand occupations to make them last for the rest of the year.
Applicants with the highest points score will receive invitations in the high demand occupations. This may see the effective pass mark for these occupations rise from the current 60 to 65 or even 70 points. Most other eligible applicants with a score of 60 are currently receiving invitations through SkillSelect.
Six occupations will be affected:
- Chemical and Materials Engineers (50% Filled)
- Electronics Engineers (39% Filled)
- Other Engineering Professionals (36% Filled)
- ICT Business and Systems Analysts (67% Filled)
- Software and Applications Programmers (28% Filled)
- Telecommunications Engineering Professionals (38% Filled)
Engineering
Overall, 11% of engineering places are filled after just 3 invitation rounds in the new program year:
| ANZSCO | Title | Ceiling | Invitations | % Filled |
| 2331 | Chemical and Materials Engineers | 360 | 181 | 50% |
| 2332 | Civil Engineering Professionals | 2280 | 159 | 7% |
| 2333 | Electrical Engineers | 1500 | 47 | 3% |
| 2334 | Electronics Engineers | 420 | 164 | 39% |
| 2335 | Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers | 2040 | 155 | 8% |
| 2336 | Mining Engineers | 780 | 20 | 3% |
| 2339 | Other Engineering Professionals | 300 | 107 | 36% |
| Engineering Overall | 7680 | 833 | 11% |
IT Professionals
23% of IT professional places have been filled – a summary of the situation as of 15 August is below:
| ANZSCO | Title | Ceiling | Invitations | % Filled |
| 2611 | ICT Business and Systems Analysts | 1380 | 918 | 67% |
| 2612 | Multimedia Specialists and Web Developers | 720 | 1 | 0% |
| 2613 | Software and Applications Programmers | 4800 | 1333 | 28% |
| 2621 | Database and Systems Administrators, and ICT Security Specialists | 1920 | 74 | 4% |
| 2631 | Computer Network Professionals | 1800 | 109 | 6% |
| 2632 | ICT Support and Test Engineers | 300 | 0 | 0% |
| 2633 | Telecommunications Engineering Professionals | 300 | 114 | 38% |
| IT Overall | 11220 | 2549 | 23% |
Which Visas are Affected?
All permanent and provisional General Skilled Migration visas are subject to occupational ceilings, including:
- Skilled Independent Subclass 189: permanent visa which does not require sponsorship by a State/Territory Government or Relative
- Skilled Sponsored Subclass 190: permanent visa which requires sponsorship by a State/Territory Government
- Skilled Regional (Provisional) Subclass 489: 4 year provisional visa which requires sponsorship by either a State/Territory Government or Relative living in a Designated Area
If the occupational ceiling has been reached for your occupation, you can still apply for employer sponsored visas such as:
- Employer Nomination Scheme: a permanent employer sponsored visa
- Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme: a permanent visa requiring a job offer in a regional area
- 457 Temporary Worker (Skilled): a 4-year temporary employer sponsored visa