The Australian federal government releases an updated version of its Skilled Occupations List in an attempt to ensure that the skilled occupations that appear on the released list will fill all shortages for the following year.

The Skilled Occupations List which is released by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, is used for the following visa applications: the 189 Skilled Independent Visa, the 489 Skilled Regional Provisional Visa and the 485 Graduate Temporary Visa.

The Department of Immigration and Border Protection released the Consolidated Sponsored Occupations List in addition to the Skilled Occupations List. The Consolidated Sponsored Occupations List is used for the following visa applications: the 190 Skilled Nominated Visa, the 457 Temporary Work Skilled Visa and the 186 Employer Nominated Scheme.

No major changes were made to the Australian Skilled Occupations List in comparison to previous years. However, because of the downturn in the oil, mining and gas industry some changes were made.

The major occupations have been removed from the Skilled Occupations List include:

• Dental Therapists
• Dental Technicians
• Dental Prosthetists
• Dental Hygienists
• Occupational Health & Safety Advisers
• Environmental Health Officers
• Metallurgists
• Petroleum Engineers
• Mining Engineers (excluding petroleum)

While these occupations were removed from the Skilled Occupations List, two were added:

• Audiologists
• Orthotists and Prosthetists

The full Skilled Occupations List for 2016 and 2017 is as follows:

A

• Accountant (General)
• Actuary
• Aeronautical Engineer
• Agricultural Consultant
• Agricultural Engineer
• Agricultural Scientist
• Airconditioning & Mechanical Services Plumber
• Airconditioning & Refrigeration Mechanic
• Anaesthetist
• Analyst Programmer
• Architect
• Audiologist
• Automotive Electrician

B

• Barrister
• Biomedical Engineer
• Boat Builder & Repairer
• Bricklayer

C

• Cabinetmaker
• Cardiologist
• Cardiothoracic Surgeon
• Carpenter
• Carpenter & Joiner
• Cartographer
• Chef ***
• Chemical Engineer
• Child Care Centre Manager
• Chiropractor
• Civil Engineer
• Civil Engineering Draftsperson
• Civil Engineering Technician
• Clinical Haematologist
• Clinical Psychologist
• Computer Network & Systems Engineer
• Construction Project Manager

D

• Dermatologist
• Developer Programmer
• Diagnostic & Interventional Radiologist
• Diesel Motor Mechanic
• Drainer

E

• Early Childhood (Pre-Primary School) Teacher
• Educational Psychologist
• Electrical Engineer
• Electrical Engineering Draftsperson
• Electrical Engineering Technician
• Electrical Linesworker
• Electrician (General)
• Electrician (Special Class)
• Electronic Equipment Trades Worker
• Electronic Instrument Trades Worker (General)
• Electronic Instrument Trades Worker (Special Class)
• Electronics Engineer
• Emergency Medicine Specialist
• Endocrinologist
• Engineering Manager
• Engineering Technologist
• Environmental Engineer
• External Auditor

F

• Fibrous Plasterer
• Fitter & Turner
• Fitter (General)
• Fitter-Welder
• Forester

G

• Gasfitter
• Gastroenterologist
• General Practitioner
• Geotechnical Engineer
• Glazier

H

-NO LISTINGS-

I

• ICT business Analyst
• Industrial Engineer
• Intensive Care Specialist
• Internal Auditor

J

• Joiner

K

-NO LISTINGS-

L

• Land Economist
• Landscape Architect
• Lift Mechanic
• Locksmith

M

• Management Accountant
• Materials Engineer
• Mechanical Engineer
• Medical Administrator
• Medical Diagnostic Radiographer
• Medical Laboratory Scientist
• Medical Oncologist
• Medical Practitioners (nec)
• Medical Radiation Therapist
• Metal Fabricator
• Metal Machinist (First Class)
• Midwife
• Motor Mechanic (General)
• Motorcycle Mechanic

N

• Naval Architect
• Neurologist
• Neurosurgeon
• Nuclear Medicine Technologist
• Nurse Practitioner
• Nursing Clinical Director

O

• Obstetrician & Gynaecologist
• Occupational Therapist
• Ophthalmologist
• Optometrist
• Organisational Psychologist
• Orthopaedic Surgeon
• Orthotist or Prosthetist
• Osteopath
• Other Spatial Scientist
• Otorhinolaryngologist

P

• Paediatric Surgeon
• Paediatrician
• Painting trades workers
• Panelbeater
• Pathologist
• Physicist (Medical Physicist only)
• Physiotherapist
• Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon
• Plumber (General)
• Podiatrist
• Pressure Welder
• Primary Health Organisation Manager
• Production Manager (Mining)
• Production or Plant Engineer
• Project Builder
• Psychiatrist
• Psychologists (nec)
• Psychotherapist

Q

• Quantity Surveyor

R

• Radiation Oncologist
• Radio Communications Technician
• Registered Nurse (Aged Care)
• Registered Nurse (Child & Family Health)
• Registered Nurse (Community Health)
• Registered Nurse (Critical Care & Emergency)
• Registered Nurse (Developmental Disability)
• Registered Nurse (Disability & Rehabilitation)
• Registered Nurse (Medical Practice)
• Registered Nurse (Medical)
• Registered Nurse (Mental Health)
• Registered Nurse (Paediatrics)
• Registered Nurse (Perioperative)
• Registered Nurse (Surgical)
• Registered Nurses (nec)
• Renal Medicine Specialist
• Rheumatologist
• Roof plumber

S

• Secondary School Teacher
• Sheetmetal Trades Worker
• Ship’s Engineer
• Ship’s Master
• Ship’s Officer
• Shipwright
• Small Engine Mechanic
• Social Worker
• Software Engineer
• Solicitor
• Solid Plasterer
• Sonographer
• Special Education Teachers (nec)
• Special Needs Teacher
• Specialist Physician (General Medicine)
• Specialist Physicians (nec)
• Speech Pathologist
• Stonemason
• Structural Engineer
• Surgeon (General)
• Surveyor
• Systems Analyst

T

• Taxation Accountant
• Teacher of the Hearing Impaired
• Teacher of the Sight Impaired
• Technical Cable Jointer
• Telecommunications Engineer
• Telecommunications Field Engineer
• Telecommunications Network Engineer
• Telecommunications Network Planner
• Telecommunications Technical Officer or Technologist
• Thoracic Medicine Specialist
• Transport Engineer

U

• Urologist

V

• Valuer
• Vascular Surgeon
• Veterinarian

W

• Wall & Floor Tiler
• Welder (First Class)
• Welfare Centre Manager

X

-NO LISTINGS-

Y

-NO LISTINGS-

Z

-NO LISTINGS-