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CA ANZ has hailed the outcome as a “hard-fought” win for the industry as firms grapple with skills shortages.
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Migrant accountants, auditors added to visa fast-track list
05 December 2024
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Migrants with accounting, audit and finance skills are among the select workers set to be fast-tracked into the country to meet local demand, the government has confirmed.
On Tuesday evening, the government released its final core skills migration list of occupations (CSOL) eligible to apply for the new Skills in Demand visa.
The list features 456 occupations spanning industries including professional services, construction, agriculture, technology, health and education.
Accounting, audit and finance-related jobs that made the cut included taxation accountant, general accountant, management accountant, external auditor, internal auditor, finance manager, financial investment adviser, cyber security specialist and ICT business analyst.
The list delivers on 10 of the 11 occupations that the top accounting bodies, CA ANZ and CPA Australia advocated for in a submission earlier in the year. The only occupation left out was financial investment manager.
The bodies argued the government had to bring in more migrants because local talent was failing to meet the demand caused by insolvencies and new reporting requirements.
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CA ANZ chief executive Ainslie van Onselen welcomed the finalised list of occupations and said the “hard-fought” win followed a year of sustained advocacy and stakeholder consultation.
“This change means Australian businesses will be able to access temporary skilled workers for accounting, audit and finance occupations which are currently in shortage across Australia, and unable to be filled domestically,” she said.
CPA Australia said it was “pleased the government has understood and acted on our recommendations to enhance the number of accounting and auditing roles on the core skills occupation list.”
“Accountants and auditors are in-demand, crucial roles that are essential to keeping the wheels of Australia's economy turning,” Elinor Kasapidis, chief of policy, standards and external affairs, said.
Kasapidis said bringing accountants and auditors into the country would also be vital for Australia’s journey to a net zero economy, including the introduction of mandatory climate reporting early next year.
The four-year Skills in Demand visa is due to come into effect on Saturday, replacing the Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) visa as part of the government’s 10-year migration strategy.
Under the new three-tiered system, the core skills pathway would allow the applications of eligible workers paid between $70,000 and $135,000 to be fast-tracked.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said Labor was determined to tackle the skills shortage.
“The new core skills occupation list will fill positions where no Australian workers are available,” Minister Burke said.
“The [list] is one of the important steps the Albanese government is taking to modernise the visa system to ensure Australia has a workforce with the skills it needs for a strong economic future.”
Minister for Skills and Training, Andrew Giles, said the reform played an important role in “ensuring Australia has a targeted skilled migration system that addresses genuine skills gaps in the economy, and works in conjunction with our work to train Australians”.
Van Onselen said CA ANZ looked forward to helping the government finalise details of the core skills pathway to “ensure that we have a strong accounting, audit and finance skills base to support the nation’s economic sustainability”.
“We are pleased to see that the migration system will be streamlined through the provision of a single consolidated List, replacing complex, out of date and inflexible occupation lists for the temporary skilled visa program,” she said.
A CA ANZ survey found only 67 per cent of accounting, audit and finance vacancies were filled between January and February.
In its submission to the government in June, CA ANZ said even the country’s most prestigious firms were failing to attract local accountants despite “extensive recruitment efforts”.
The drastic decline in the number of domestic student enrolments in accounting and accounting-related university courses such as management and commerce also “exacerbated” the shortage, it said.
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