If you are a professional or trades person who has a few years of working experience and thinking of a career change in a different country, Australia might be worth considering as your location choice. Australian government is constantly looking for talents to fill vacancies as per its published skilled occupation list (SOL). If your current occupation is listed on this SOL, then you might be eligible to apply provided you fulfill other criteria listed on the General Skilled Migration (GSM) Point Test.
One of the key criteria for this skill migration program is that applicant must have at least a proficient English, ie. IELTS score of 6 for each band of the 4 components. Another main criteria is that the qualification and skill or working experience of the applicant must have been positively assessed by the relevant assessing authority stipulated on the SOL. Applicant must also obtain a point test score of minimum 60 points before he or she is eligible to apply.
If your occupation is not on SOL, there is a possibility that might be able to find an occupation similar to the one you are currently having from the consolidated SOL. Click here for the Consolidated SOL. Once you have identified the occupation from the consolidated SOL, the applicant will need to confirm the state or territory which offers such job opportunity. One you have done that you will require a nomination approval from the State/Territory which offers that particular occupation. In this case you must fulfill the state/territory nomination requirements as stipulated in the respective guidelines. Alternatively, you may wish to be sponsored by an employer in Australia under the employer nomination scheme (ENS). Under this ENS category, the applicant does not need to fulfill the point test. However, the employer can only nominate an occupation from the consolidated SOL.
The above visas are applied through the initial step of lodging an online Express of Interest (EOI) submission. Once your EOI is reviewed and accepted by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC), the applicant will be invited to apply for the visa intended in the EOI.
