Consider applying for skilled migration to Australia under the general skilled migration programme. If you meet the points test and have an occupation listed on the Skilled Occupations List (SOL), you would be right in thinking that you have a reasonable chance of applying for a skilled visa.
Depending on your pathway of choice, there might however be an issue. Applicants applying for a points based visa (excluding State or Territory Nominated, Employer Nominated and Business visas) must also make sure that the occupation ceiling for their nominated occupation has not been reached.
Occupation ceilings were introduced when Skillselect was launched. It’s a mechanism that helps regulate the number of visas granted for a specific occupation so that skilled migrants do not flood the labour market for their nominated occupation.
Occupation Ceilings 2015 – 2016
The table below lists all the occupations and their corresponding ceiling values. It includes a percentage value to highlight occupations quickest reaching the maximum number of applications permitted this year. Hint: click on the column headers to sort the table.
Last update: 17 March 2016
| Description | Ceiling | Invitations | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction Managers | 5640 | 75 | 1.33 |
| Engineering Managers | 1014 | 21 | 2.07 |
| Production Managers | 3582 | 3 | 0.08 |
| Child Care Centre Managers | 1000 | 11 | 1.10 |
| Health and Welfare Services Managers | 1410 | 38 | 2.70 |
| Accountants | 2525 | 1605 | 63.56 |
| Auditors, Company Secretaries and Corporate Treasurers | 1000 | 1000 | 100.00 |
| Actuaries, Mathematicians and Statisticians | 1000 | 56 | 5.60 |
| Land Economists and Valuers | 1000 | 29 | 2.90 |
| Marine Transport Professionals | 1000 | 38 | 3.80 |
| Architects and Landscape Architects | 1650 | 229 | 13.88 |
| Cartographers and Surveyors | 1000 | 41 | 4.10 |
| Chemical and Materials Engineers | 1000 | 396 | 39.60 |
| Civil Engineering Professionals | 2970 | 901 | 30.34 |
| Electrical Engineers | 1230 | 431 | 35.04 |
| Electronics Engineers | 1000 | 637 | 63.70 |
| Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers | 1788 | 1326 | 74.16 |
| Mining Engineers | 1000 | 144 | 14.40 |
| Other Engineering Professionals | 1000 | 913 | 91.30 |
| Agricultural and Forestry Scientists | 1000 | 102 | 10.20 |
| Medical Laboratory Scientists | 1362 | 104 | 7.64 |
| Veterinarians | 1000 | 60 | 6.00 |
| Other Natural and Physical Science Professionals | 1000 | 23 | 2.30 |
| Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teachers | 1980 | 108 | 5.45 |
| Secondary School Teachers | 8352 | 338 | 4.05 |
| Special Education Teachers | 1158 | 17 | 1.47 |
| Medical Imaging Professionals | 1092 | 68 | 6.23 |
| Occupational and Environmental Health Professionals | 1578 | 66 | 4.18 |
| Optometrists and Orthoptists | 1000 | 21 | 2.10 |
| Chiropractors and Osteopaths | 1000 | 23 | 2.30 |
| Occupational Therapists | 1000 | 76 | 7.60 |
| Physiotherapists | 1104 | 99 | 8.97 |
| Podiatrists | 1000 | 28 | 2.80 |
| Speech Professionals and Audiologists | 1000 | 41 | 4.10 |
| General Practitioners and Resident Medical officers | 3558 | 258 | 7.25 |
| Anaesthetists | 1000 | 32 | 3.20 |
| Internal Medicine Specialists | 1000 | 34 | 3.40 |
| Psychiatrists | 1000 | 24 | 2.40 |
| Surgeons | 1000 | 17 | 1.70 |
| Other Medical Practitioners | 1000 | 427 | 42.70 |
| Midwives | 1000 | 30 | 3.00 |
| Registered Nurses | 13872 | 1882 | 13.57 |
| ICT Business and Systems Analysts | 1536 | 1366 | 88.93 |
| Software and Applications Programmers | 5364 | 4544 | 84.71 |
| Computer Network Professionals | 1986 | 1460 | 73.51 |
| Telecommunications Engineering Professionals | 1000 | 502 | 50.20 |
| Barristers | 1000 | 3 | 0.30 |
| Solicitors | 3252 | 187 | 5.75 |
| Psychologists | 1212 | 65 | 5.36 |
| Social Workers | 2166 | 143 | 6.60 |
| Civil Engineering Draftspersons and Technicians | 1000 | 49 | 4.90 |
| Electrical Engineering Draftspersons and Technicians | 1000 | 17 | 1.70 |
| Telecommunications Technical Specialists | 1000 | 21 | 2.10 |
| Automotive Electricians | 1000 | 7 | 0.70 |
| Motor Mechanics | 6108 | 123 | 2.01 |
| Sheetmetal Trades Workers | 1000 | 5 | 0.50 |
| Structural Steel and Welding Trades Workers | 4416 | 36 | 0.82 |
| Metal Fitters and Machinists | 8070 | 51 | 0.63 |
| Precision Metal Trades Workers | 1000 | 2 | 0.20 |
| Panelbeaters | 1134 | 2 | 0.18 |
| Bricklayers and Stonemasons | 1656 | 42 | 2.54 |
| Carpenters and Joiners | 7290 | 124 | 1.70 |
| Painting Trades Workers | 2802 | 26 | 0.93 |
| Glaziers | 1000 | 1 | 0.10 |
| Plasterers | 1866 | 12 | 0.64 |
| Wall and Floor Tilers | 1284 | 4 | 0.31 |
| Plumbers | 5130 | 72 | 1.40 |
| Electricians | 8772 | 127 | 1.45 |
| Airconditioning and Refrigeration Mechanics | 1038 | 16 | 1.54 |
| Electrical Distribution Trades Workers | 1000 | 8 | 0.80 |
| Electronics Trades Workers | 2076 | 32 | 1.54 |
| Chefs | 2475 | 93 | 3.76 |
| Boat Builders and Shipwrights | 1530 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Cabinetmakers | 1000 | 4 | 0.40 |
| Dental Hygienists, Technicians and Therapists | 1000 | 34 | 3.40 |