“The biggest issue for anyone trying to hire a cybersecurity professional or a tech worker via the skilled migration system is processing times. They are still being measured in months in Australia, compared to days in our competitive markets,” Ms Pounder said.
“It is a surprise that in the midst of our worst ever national cybersecurity crisis, the government has decided it was the opportune time to de-prioritise these skills in our migration system.”
Cybersecurity and Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil. James Brickwood
New direction
Following the new ministerial direction, applications for visas in the affected categories, which were previously processed with higher priority, will join the back of the queue. There are certain exemptions possible for big companies, but they exclude many technology start-ups and small- and medium-sized businesses.
Job titles removed from the PMSOL related to tech and cyber skills include ICT security specialists, analyst programmers, developer programmers, software engineers and software and applications programmers.
Other jobs removed include chief executives, accountants, engineers, veterinarians and chefs.
Highest priority for employer-sponsored visas will now go to healthcare or teaching professionals, followed by applications lodged by approved sponsors with accredited status. The next priority is applications for a role in a regional area.
Tech Council of Australia CEO Kate Pounder. Louie Douvis
Among requirements for being an approved sponsor is that the organisation must have an annual turnover of at least $4 million in the past two years, which excludes many tech start-ups and small businesses.
COSBOA chief executive Alexi Boyd has voiced concerns that smaller businesses would be ill-equipped to comply with expected new laws to govern the collection and protection of customers’ data, which were flagged after the Optus breach.
“This change is certainly not in the spirit of what we are trying to do, and what the government says they’re trying to do with getting small businesses to engage,” Ms Boyd said. “If they want small businesses to be part of the solution, then they need to enable them to be able to access as many of those solutions as possible.”
Minister responds
Asked to explain the changes, Ms O’Neil told The Australian Financial Review the previous ministerial direction prioritised so many occupations and sectors that it was adding up to 45 minutes of extra processing time for each application.
She said that by streamlining the system, all applicants would be better off, as overall waiting times would improve.
“This adds to the work we’ve already done to improve our migration system since the election, including injecting $36.1 million extra funding into visa processing, and we are already seeing the backlog starting to fall,” Ms O’Neil said.
The government said 43,000 temporary skilled and 47,000 permanent skilled visa applications had been finalised since June 1. Meanwhile, temporary skilled visa grants in 2022-23 are up 120 per cent compared to the same time last year.
“Flabbergasted”
Opposition cybersecurity spokesman James Paterson described the government’s changes as “extraordinary” in the context of the current national focus on cyber breaches, and said companies had already been struggling enough with slow processing times, without it being exacerbated.
“I’m genuinely flabbergasted that they’ve done this, and it is worse that the minister who is responsible for cybersecurity has done this,” Mr Paterson said.
“It’s not like this is some other minister in the government who doesn’t understand the cyber challenge that we face. No one should have a better understanding of the challenges we face than Clare O’Neil, but she has just made it more difficult for businesses to get the help they need to protect themselves and their customers.
Despite feeling blindsided by the sudden change to visa processing rules, Ms Pounder said there was still plenty of scope to rectify the situation with speedy consultation.
“The government, I think, is well-intentioned in that they want to find ways to reduce the complexity of the migration system,” Ms Pounder said.
“I’m not sure that the government fully appreciates the immediate effect that this decision will have on trying to address the skill shortages.”
She said one suggestion to reduce the impact of the change would be to make start-ups funded by a recognised venture capital fund eligible to apply to be an approved visa sponsor.
