Achieving permanent resident status in Australia is an aspiration for people across various fields, but the opportunity to migrate to Australia is particularly lucrative (and more easily accessible) for IT professionals. The Department of Home Affairs – Australia’s federal immigration authority – also gives preference to immigrants who can contribute to the country’s burgeoning tech industry. This is a mutually beneficial arrangement for Australian employers, and for immigrants who can enjoy the perks of living and working in Australia!

• Australia’s skilled workforce, sophisticated R&D infrastructure, and wide consumer base makes it a global IT hub. Thus, IT professionals get the opportunity to work in major global organizations such as IBM, Avaya, Google, Canon, etc. where they can embark upon unparalleled career growth trajectories within an ethical work environment.

• Due to high demand, it is also easier for IT professionals to obtain well-paying jobs in the country. The average annual salary of IT professionals in Australia is currently $82,507 – which allows them to enjoy a high quality of life and support their families. Over the next few years, with increasing digitization, the demand is expect to grow even further – which implies stable immigration levels for IT professionals, and more negotiating power for these immigrants.

• Besides, becoming a permanent resident allows foreign nationals to access the free public healthcare system, subsidized education for their children, employment benefits, as well as the high standard of living that Australian citizens enjoy.

• The General Skilled Migration (GSM) visas, which are the most popular and streamlined immigration pathways, select foreign nationals based on their ability to occupy job vacancies in occupations that are facing a shortage of skilled workforce in Australia. Fortunately, several IT job profiles feature prominently on the list of occupations that are in-demand across the country:

Software Engineer (ANZSCO 261313)
Database Administrator (ANZSCO 262111)
Systems Administrator (ANZSCO 262113)
ICT Systems Test Engineer (ANZSCO 263213)
Software and Application Programmer (ANZSCO 261399)
Computer Network and Systems Engineer (ANZSCO 263111)
Developer Programmer (ANZSCO 261312)
Analyst Programmer (ANZSCO 261311)
ICT Security Specialist (ANZSCO 262112)
Multimedia Specialist (ANZSCO 261211)

Besides the above-mentioned, there are also many other IT occupations in-demand in specific states or regional areas.

• The GSM visas are also points-tested i.e. eligibility for visa grant is determined by the Australia immigration point system, wherein each candidate is awarded points based on several selection criteria. IT professionals are typically more inclined to achieve a higher score in the point test, owing to their high level of qualifications and considerable work experience. Higher scores increase the likelihood of visa approval.

• Another significant indicator of the urgent need and value for IT professionals in Australia are the immigration policies implemented in the current pandemic scenario. In a situation where unemployment is an imminent threat, the Australian government is safeguarding the working rights of temporary foreign workers in the IT field, by allowing them to access up to $10,000 of their superannuation funds. IT workers in Australia are also less likely to lose jobs, since the current situation has made them essential for the functioning of businesses that are now operating remotely.

Thus, IT professionals in Australia are more privileged and less vulnerable than many other immigrant profiles. These factors, in combination, explain why IT professionals must explore all potential pathways to migrate to Australia – either independently or with the assistance of genuine immigration consultants.

ICT Professions on the Skilled Occupations List

Based on the current Australia Skilled Occupation List, which was released in March 2019, the following IT-related jobs are on the following lists. Depending on which list you are on, you will have different visa options.

1. Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL)

Occupations that are included on the medium and long-term skilled occupation list are qualified for temporary work visas that are valid for longer periods of time. Additionally, there are multiple pathways to obtain permanent residency, including sponsorship by an employer or state, skilled independence, or skilled independence.

• ICT business analyst – 261111
• System analyst – 261112
• Multimedia Specialist – 261211
• Analyst programmer – 261311
• Developer programmer – 261312
• Software engineers – 261313
• Software and applications programmers – 261399
• ICT security specialist – 262112
• Computer systems and network engineer – 263111

2. Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL)

Occupations that are included on the list of short-term skilled occupations might only make an applicant eligible for a temporary visa and might not even lead to permanent residency. If you are sponsored by the state, you may be able to obtain permanent residency in some states; however, this typically comes with additional criteria.

• ICT project manager – 135112
• ICT project manager – 135112
• ICT managers (nec) – 135199
• ICT trainer – 223211
• Web developer – 261212
• Software tester – 261314
• Database administrator – 262111
• Systems administrator – 262113
• Network administrator – 263112
• Network analyst – 263113
• ICT Quality assurance engineer – 263211
• ICT support engineer – 26212
• ICT systems test engineer – 263213
• ICT support and test engineers (nec) – 263299
• ICT customer support officer – 313112 (TRA)
• Web Administrator – 313113
• ICT support technicians (nec) – 313199 (TRA)

All of the above occupations are evaluated by the Australian Computer Society (ACS) for skill assessment, except for ICT customer support officer and ICT support technicians (nec), which are evaluated by Trades Recognition Australia (TRA).

Visa Pathways for IT Professionals

For ICT professionals on the MLTSSL occupation list, you may want to look into the General Skilled Visa, consisting of the new temporary Regional Skilled Visa Subclass 491 as well as the independent permanent visa Subclass 189, the state-nominated visa Subclass 190. Only jobs on the state occupation lists for the state nominated visa subclass 190 and/or the new visa subclass 491 can be considered for the short-term list. Due to the high demand for IT professionals in Australia, there is also a path that is paid for by an employer.

For more inquiries, contact our visa professionals at 8595338595 or mail us at [email protected].