Consolidated Sponsored Occupations List (CSOL) Released

By Mark Webster
2 July 2012 The long-awaited Consolidated Sponsored Occupations List (CSOL) was released on Friday 29 June. The CSOL is the occupations list for use for the following types of visa applications:

457 Business Long Stay - where nominated by a Standard Business Sponsor (this is the most common way of applying for a 457)

Employer Nomination Scheme - where nominated for the direct entry stream (most common pathway if the applicant does not already hold a 457 visa)

General Skilled Migration - where nominated by a State or Territory Government For the first time, a single skilled occupations list will apply to employer sponsored and state-nominated general skilled migration. This should make the process less confusing for employers and visa applicants. There are also some opportunities due to new occupations being added to the list which previously were not on the list for employer sponsorship.

New Occupations for 457 Sponsorship

Occupations on the CSOL which were not previously on the 457 list for employer sponsorship include:

Property professionals such as: Auctioneer, Conveyancer, Business Brokers, Property Manager, Real Estate Agent and Real Estate Representative.

Insurance Professionals such as Insurance Agent, Insurance Investigator, Insurance Loss Adjuster, Insurance Risk Surveyor;

Travel industry occupations such as Flight Attendant and Travel Attendants nec;

Legal occupations such as Court Bailiff or Sheriff, Judge, Legal Executive, Tribunal Member, Magistrate and Migration Agent;

Defence force officers and other ranks;

Medical Occupations such as Clinical Coders and Diversional Therapists;

Performing Arts Technicians;

First Aid Trainers;

Driving Instructors;

Boarding Kennel or Cattery Operator.

New Occupations for ENS Sponsorship

There were previously many occupations on the 457 list which were not available for permanent residence through the ENS program. This lead to a "dead end" for many 457 holders who could stay in Australia on their 457 visas, but not move onto a permanent visa through ENS. The CSOL includes many occupations which were not previously on the ENS list, including:

A wide range of hospitality and accommodation managers such as Cafe/Restaurant Managers, Bed & Breakfast Managers etc;

IT occupations such as project managers, trainers, business development Quality Assurance engineers, web developers and multimedia designers;

Business managers such as PR managers, corporate services managers, call centre managers, contract administrators etc;

Arts professionals such as actors, authors, dancers and community arts workers;

Agricultural managers such farmers and growers as well as shearers and wool classers;

Specialist managers such as sports centre managers, hair/beauty salon mnagers etc;

Medical/science technicians such as pharmacy, operating theatre, and school laboratory technicians;

Police, emergency service workers and prison officers;

Enrolled and mothercraft nurses;

Sportspersons.

Occupations Removed from CSOL

There are two occupations which are not on the CSOL, but which previously were available for employer sponsorship:

Office Manager: previously on the ENS Occupations List;

Security Consultant: previously on the 457 Occupations List. These occupations are, however, available for the RSMS program (see below).

Comparison of CSOL to RSMS Occupations List

The RSMS program is a permanent visa option which is an alternative to ENS. It requires a job offer in a regional area. The RSMS occupations list includes ANZSCO occupations at skill levels 1, 2 and 3 - this includes occupations which require bachelor degrees, diplomas, trade qualifications or Certificate IVs. The CSOL is selected from occupations at skill levels 1, 2 and 3, but is a shorter list than the RSMS list. The types of occupations which have been excluded from the CSOL when compared to the RSMS Occupations List are:

Retail Managers and Hotel Service Managers;

Office Managers, Practice Managers and Call Centre Team Leaders;

Personal Assistants and Secretaries;

Legislators and Members of Parliament;

Court Clerks, Court Orderlies, Law Clerks and Trust Officers;

Security Consultants, Lifeguards, Pet Groomers and Photographers' Assistants.

Conclusion

The breadth of the CSOL leads to many opportunities, particularly in the following industries where occupations have been added:

Property

Insurance

Travel

Accommodation & Hospitality

the Arts. It is somewhat disappointing to see administrative and certain retail/hospitality staff excluded from the CSOL as these positions can make a significant difference to a business. Please contact us if you would like to discuss sponsoring employees or applying for General Skilled Migration.