Understand the Traffic Light Bulletin & its latest edition

In Australia, the list of occupations graded in 3 categories is called the Traffic light Bulletin. The list considers the latest recommendations and brings the changes required for immigration purposes. It is an important list for migrants coming to work overseas. The list can indicate where their occupational skills stand in Australia.

The Department of Employment, Skills, Small & Family Business releases the Traffic Light Bulletin. It has released the latest bulletin with potential changes to the skilled occupation list. Understanding these changes is essential for immigration purposes.

These proposed changes will not be formalized until its release date in March 2020. Hence there’s no surety of any or all the proposed amendments to occur.

This time, there is a removal or downgrading of certain trades/occupations. There are also occupations added, like those relating to personal and aged care.

There are 3 types of occupation lists in Australia

• Regional Occupation List (ROL)
• Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL)
• Short-Term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL)

The occupations that aren't removed from the list could shift across these lists. These will be joined by the new occupations added to the list.

Red Occupations

The Red occupations have a big chance to get removed from all occupation lists. This time, occupations that see this ranking include:

• Hairdresser
• Massage Therapist
• Community Worker

These occupations have before been popular among migrants. They had good demand in Australia too.

Orange Occupations

Orange occupations are very transitional. These occupations can move between the three occupation lists STSOL, MLTSSSL, and ROL.

Occupations that may be downgraded from MLTSSL to the STSOL list include

• Painting trades workers
• Automotive electricians & motorcycle mechanics
• Wall and floor tilers

Occupations that may move from the ROL to the STSOL include:

• Real estate representative
• Mechanical engineering draftsperson

This will give the option for employers in non-regional Australia to sponsor visas.

Occupations that have a big chance to move from the STSOL to the MLTSSL are:

• Sales & Marketing Manager
• ICT Project Manager
• Information & Organization Professionals (includes Data Scientists)

This move can enable 482 visa applicants to seek permanent residency. It will also give migrants the chance to apply for a Skilled Independent 189 visa. These occupations also come with a recommendation for salary caveats beyond a certain level.

A geologist could be an occupation that will move from the STSOL to the ROL list. This would limit applicants to those living and working in regional Australia.

There are occupations that could make the big jump from the ROL to the MLTSSL. These include the Procurement Manager and Ship's Master. In this case, employers will get to sponsor employees beyond regional Australia.

Green Occupations

Many personal support occupations have been marked to be added to the STSOL. These occupations have been staying off all lists for a while now. This time, aged or disabled careers, nursing support workers, and personal care assistants could get added. There has been a recommendation that these occupations involve a mandatory skill assessment.

Occupations with salary caveats

Certain occupations will see no changes in the list. But the Department has recommended the implementation of a minimum salary caveat for them. This will amount to AU$65,000 per annum for Pastry Cooks, Bakers, and Fitter and Turners. A minimum salary of AU$120,000 per annum is proposed for sportspersons (NEC).

Occupations new and emerging

Many occupations have been identified as new and emerging ones by the Department this time. These did not have a place in the ANZSCO system until now.

ANZSCO is the short form of The Australian & New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO). It is a classification system based on skills. This will be used to classify occupations and jobs in the Australian and New Zealand labor markets. The objective is to achieve better comparability of occupation statistics from the two countries.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has now determined these occupations with definitions assigned to them.

Occupation not in ANZSCO	ABS Determined Occupation Code
Maintenance Electrician	341111 Electrician (General)
Biosecurity Officer	311313 Quarantine Officer
Blockchain Planner/Manager	135112 ICT Project Manager
Blockchain Strategist	261111 ICT Business Analyst
Data Scientist	224999 Information & Organization Professionals NEC
Irrigation Manager	121213 Fruit or Nut Grower
Horticulture Farm Manager	121213 Fruit or Nut Grower

These definitions are in place now and can be used for Immigration purposes.

If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit, Invest or Migrate to Australia, talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company.

If you found this blog engaging, you may also like…

Holiday visa holders to help Australia’s bush fire victims