AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY (ACT)

OCCUPATION LIST

AUGUST 2015

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Government is committed to a targeted skilled migration program and can provide advice on ACT nomination criteria, but not on wider immigration issues.

Before lodging an application for nomination, it is recommended that you obtain specific migration advice relevant to your circumstances from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection or a Registered Migration Agent.

The ACT Skilled Migration Program is managed by the Small Business and Skills (SBS) area in Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development, a Directorate of the ACT Government.

About the ACT Occupation List

The ACT Occupation List identifies the skills that are currently in demand in Canberra.  The ACT Occupation List is used to determine the eligibility for ACT support of the following programs:

• Skilled Migration: ACT nomination of a Skilled – Nominated (subclass 190) visa.
• Employer Nomination: Regional Certifying Body support of an Employer Nomination under the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme.

Skilled Migration Applicants

The ACT Occupation List determines if the occupation is available for ACT nomination:

• Open Occupations: you can apply for ACT nomination if you meet the nomination criteria.
• Closed Occupations:  You may be eligible to apply for ACT nomination if you have close ties (job offer or close family) to Canberra and you meet the nomination criteria.

To determine your eligibility for ACT nomination you must read the ‘Guidelines for applying for ACT nomination’ and make sure that you meet the nomination criteria. See: http://www.canberrayourfuture.com.au/portal/migrating/article/skilled-visas/.

Employability

The ACT Occupation List is not linked to specific job vacancies and it is not a guarantee of a job in a nominated occupation. You must be satisfied that there are sufficient employment opportunities in your nominated occupation before you apply for ACT nomination. You will compete for employment vacancies with all people in the labour market as part of a normal selection process. Your success will depend on employer requirements, your relevant skills, your experience and your level of English language ability.

New residents generally do not meet the criteria of employers who require citizenship or security clearance.

Employer Sponsored Nomination

Employers seeking to nominate highly skilled workers under the Direct Entry pathway of the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) must seek the support of the Regional Certifying Body (RCB) before the RSMS nomination can be assessed by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection.

Before you apply for RCB support, you must read the ‘Guidelines for applying for Regional Certifying Body support of an employer nomination’ at: http://www.canberrayourfuture.com.au/portal/migrating/article/sponsor-a-skilled-employee/

Applying for Regional Certifying Body (RCB) support

As part of the application for RCB support, employers must demonstrate that the position cannot be filled from the local labour market.

• If the nominated occupation has a status of ‘open’ on the ACT occupation List, the application for RCB support is deemed to meet this criterion.
• If the nominated occupation has a status of ‘closed’ the application for RCB support does not meet this criterion. You should refer to the RCB guidelines for other pathways to demonstrate that the position cannot be filled from the local labour market.

ACT Occupation List updates

The ACT Occupation List will be updated on a regular basis to reflect the current demand in Canberra for each occupation. Once it is determined that the demand for an occupation has been met, the occupation will be closed. The demand for closed occupations will be reassessed in February 2016.

ACT OCCUPATION LIST: AUGUST 2015