As a business owner, finding and hiring top-quality staff can be a challenge. If your business is feeling the pinch, you're not alone. Nearly a third of all Australian sectors are currently facing worker shortages, with industries like nursing, software engineering, and care work being particularly affected.
According to the Australian Government (Jobs and Skills Australia) the 2023 Skills Priority List shows 36% of occupations were in national shortage (332 out of 916), about 5 percentage points higher than 2022 (31% of occupations). The rise in shortages in 2023 from 2022 reflects the cumulative impacts of recruitment challenges stemming from a persistently tight labour market, which began tightening from late 2021.
If you're struggling to find the right people for your business, the good news is that the Federal Government is working to address the issue. They've announced plans to establish a new agency to help match skilled workers with available job opportunities. The other good news is that BlueRock has added specialist migration lawyers to our team to help business owners hire and retain great staff.
Solutions to Solve the Small Business Skills Shortage
If you're looking to hire some new talent but the responses to your job ads have dried up, get across the latest changes to Australia's migration program. The Federal Government has announced a few key updates that might impact you:
- On 9 May 2023, the Australian Government announced that the planning level for the 2023–24 permanent Migration Program will be set at 190,000 places.
- The Government has designed the 2023–24 permanent Migration Program to address persistent and emerging skills shortages, and to attract people with specialist skillsets that are difficult to find or develop in Australia.
- While Australia is building the domestic pipeline of highly skilled workers, the permanent Migration Program will help build resilience, boost productivity and support our economy as it transitions to net-zero emissions.
- The 2023–24 permanent Migration Program also recognises the strong contribution all migrants make to social cohesion. It focuses on strengthening family and community bonds in Australia. It also demonstrates the Government’s commitment to family reunification.
- The permanent Migration Program will help address the challenges of an ageing population. Migration reduces the average age of the population and slows the rate of population ageing. This is because migrants are, on average, younger than the existing Australian population.
- A well-targeted, skills focussed Migration Program supplements the cohort of working-age people. It helps boost participation rates and the size of the labour force.
Changes to Temporary Skill Shortage Visas
On 25 November 2023, the Australian Government made changes to the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) (subclass 482) and Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream of the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) (subclass 186) visas to provide a simpler and clearer pathway to permanent residence for TSS visa holders.
- The changes will provide employers and holders of TSS visas with more certainty and ensure Australia attracts and retains the skilled workers it needs.
- The Federal Government has removed the limit on the number of Short-term stream TSS visa applications that visa holders can make in Australia.
Changes for TRT stream nomination requirements include:
- allowing employers to nominate holders of all streams of TSS visas (including Short-term and Labour Agreement streams).
- removing the requirement for nominated occupations for the TRT stream to be assessed against a skilled migration occupation list. The nominated occupation will need to be listed in the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) and the nominated worker will need to continue to work in the occupation nominated for their TSS visa(s).
- reducing the period of time a TSS visa holder must hold their visa and work in their nominated position or occupation to be eligible to be nominated by their employer for the TRT stream to two out of the three years before nomination.
So if you're in need of some new employees, now is the time to start looking at your hiring policies and exploring if overseas workers or international students can fill the employment gaps in your business.
Changes to Australia’s Migration Program Could Help Small Businesses
Also on the Federal Government’s agenda is a proposal to allow industries to sponsor individuals for work in their sector, rather than having employees sponsored directly by a specific employer. This could give workers more flexibility to change jobs within their industry and increase the talent pool for employees without the burden of sponsoring individuals.
The government is also looking at ways to address regional labour shortages and make it easier for small businesses to access the migration system. If you've been having trouble finding the right staff, these changes could be good news for you. So keep watching this space!
Understand Australia’s Employer Sponsored Visa Categories
Before you can plug your skills gaps with overseas talent, it’s important to understand what employer sponsored visa categories apply to your business or industry. We can assist with the below Australian visa categories:
Temporary Skill Shortage Visa (Subclass 482)
This visa lets employers bring in skilled workers from other countries when they can't find someone in Australia with the right skills.
Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional Visa (Provisional) Subclass 494
Regional businesses , this one’s for you. This visa lets employers in certain regions sponsor skilled workers from other countries when they can't find someone locally with the right skills.
Employer Nominated Visa Scheme (Subclass 186)
This visa allows skilled workers, who have been nominated by their employer, to live and work in Australia permanently.
Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) visa (Subclass 400)
The Highly Specialised Work stream of this temporary visa lets skilled workers do short-term, highly specialised work in Australia. It is suitable if a skilled worker has specialised skills, knowledge or experience not generally available in Australia.
Labour Agreements
Labour agreements allow certain businesses to sponsor skilled workers from other countries when they really need them and can't find someone in Australia with the right skills. These agreements are made between the government and the employer and usually last for 5 years. They let employers secure visas for workers through various visa programs.
Temporary Activity Visa (Subclass 408)
This visa lets you come to Australia for a temporary stay, usually up to 2 years, to do certain types of work. This could be religious work, research, sports, entertainment, exchange programs, working as a domestic worker for executives, or even joining a superyacht crew.
Specialist Migration Lawyers to Help Small Business Owners Solve the Skills Shortage
If you’re a small business owner, you know that hiring great staff is essential to your success. Unfortunately, the skills shortage in Australia is making this harder and harder to do. A specialist migration lawyer can help small business owners like you hire and retain great staff, navigate the employer sponsored visa process, and understand which visa category is right for you and your business. They can also help you with changes to Australia’s migration program that could affect your business. So if you’re looking for help with your staffing problems, get in touch with our employment lawyers today and we'll see how we can help.
