Australia’s Department of Home Affairs has announced the Skills in Demand (SID) Visa, replacing the Temporary Skills Shortage Visa from December 7. Here's what you need to know:

Key Features:

Three Visa Streams:

• Specialist Skills Pathway: For high-earning individuals (above AUD 135,000).
• Core Skills Pathway: Targets workers earning between AUD 70,000–135,000, using a Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) with 456 occupations.
• Essential Skills Pathway: Details yet to be revealed.

Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL):

• It covers the health, education, construction, agriculture, and technology sectors.
• It includes tech roles like software engineers, cybersecurity professionals, and software testers, which are popular among Indian migrants.
• Excludes roles like market research analysts, potentially affecting some applicants.

Employer Nomination Scheme:

The same CSOL will be used for the Direct Entry stream of the permanent Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) visa.

Impact on Indians:

• The focus on tech roles aligns with skills held by many Indian professionals, making migration smoother for those in the software and digital economy sectors.
• Aspirants outside the Core Skills Pathway can explore the Specialist Skills Pathway.