On 8 May 2021, Minister Alex Hawke announced that the occupation of Veterinarian (234711) has been added to the Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List (PMSOL) and will be given priority processing for employer-sponsored nominations and visa applications. There are just 18 other occupations on this list, identified as having critical skills to support Australia’s economic recovery from COVID-19. The inclusion will potentially give temporary relief to employers impacted by the current veterinary workforce shortage.
Minister Hawke decided to include veterinarians on the PMSOL based on solid industry feedback from the Australian Veterinary Association and other stakeholders, including AVBC. AVBC had an opportunity to provide input to the first meeting of the Ministerial Advisory Council on Skilled Migration (MACSM) through the Australian Council of Professions (AcoP).
AVBC Chair, Dr Mark Simpson said, “AVBC’s mission is to ensure the quality of our veterinary profession. There will be no changes to the standards required of veterinarians. We are, however, pulling out all stops in the skills assessment process – with AVBC’s new applications portal, for example, and offering fast-tracking of applications.”
What does this mean for overseas veterinarians?
The inclusion of veterinarians on the PMSOL took effect on 11 May 2021, providing fast-tracked immigration for suitably qualified employer-sponsored vets. Current on-hand visa applications for veterinarians have also been re-diverted for priority processing by the Department of Home Affairs.
Priority processing of nomination and visa applications for PMSOL occupations applies to these employer-sponsored visa subclasses:
- Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa (subclass 482)
- Skilled Employer-Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494)
- Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) visa (subclass 186)
- Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) visa (subclass 187)
Please note that while Australia’s border restrictions remain in place, temporary visa holders must obtain a travel exemption before travelling to Australia. For information about visas and the travel exemption process, contact the Department of Home Affairs or see their website.
Useful Links:
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/employing-and-sponsoring-someone/sponsoring-workers/pmsol