Skill Select Do we really need SkillSelect?

So why the new system? Do we really need SkillSelect?

The new SkillSelect is being touted as a revolutionary way of efficiently managing Australia’s skilled migration needs. SkillSelect will allow the Australian government to manage allotted places to any given skill based on the economic need for those skills within Australia at any given time.

For Example, should Australia go through a building boom leading to a shortage of tradesmen and the Australian government can quickly open up the number of skilled visas allotted to such trades persons.

The system has benefits to applicants as well. Skilled applicants may not have a skill and that is currently in high demand in Australia. Supply and demand of skills tends to fluctuate and the skills a person hold that is not highly sought after in Australia today may well be highly sought after in several years’ time. Applicants who have recorded their skill set on SkillSelect is recording an expression of interest in migrating to Australia on the basis of holding these skills may well find themselves contacted in the future.

The Department of immigration and citizenship believes the new SkillSelect system will streamline the process of determining the worse to the Australian economy of the skill set of a skilled visa applicant at any one time but processing time for such visas will be greatly reduced and those who are successful in obtaining such a Visa will have good prospects of finding work upon their arrival as skilled migrants.

The SkillSelect program will also help address the huge shortages of skilled labour in regional Australia. Applicants will be able to nominate a willingness to take on positions and reside in regional Australia. This will have benefits to all involved parties.

For example the skill set of an applicant may not be of a type that is in short supply in the major cities of Australia, creating them poor prospects for a skilled visa application. In regional areas of Australia however there may be many positions in dire need of that skill set. The SkillSelect system will provide a mechanism for matching such applicants to areas with regional skill shortages.