The Software Engineer’s Guide For Emigrating to Australia
Welcome to our guide on the Australian skills assessment process for a Software Engineer. Before we examine the skills required to be recognised as a Software Engineer it may be helpful to explain that the skills assessment is the first step of the emigration process. The skills Assessment of a Software Engineer determines their eligibility to emigrate and the visa options available. Ultimately, it will affect their employment opportunities once they are in Australia.
While we appreciate that each case is unique, we always strive to secure the best possible outcome from the Skills Assessing Authorities in Australia. Experience has proven that a positive accreditation result is an essential first step to a successful case.
Australia’s top employers and recruiters are increasingly turning to the UK for highly skilled workers to meet the demand in key professions.
Securing Employment in Australia
Sterling Migration works closely with many of Australia’s leading employers, connecting them with international candidates who possess the specific skills these Australian companies require.
To secure a job offer from a reputable Australian employer, candidates must first complete their skills accreditation, receive an invitation to emigrate from the government and be able to provide a potential start date.
Leading recruiters across Australia trust Sterling Migration to endorse and introduce only the best candidates who have been assessed and are ready to emigrate. We are always delighted when we can recommend a client for a role that we believe will be their ideal fit.
Ensuring Software Engineers Are In High Demand
Every skilled migrant wants to know that they will be able to secure the best role that matches their personal requirements quickly and easily in Australia. The Australian emigration system ensures that they can.
Each year, State Governments and the two territorial Governments report to the federal government on their local demand for Software Engineers and if they need to bring any in from overseas to fill potential shortage skills gaps. The report will provide the precise number of overseas a Software Engineers required in the region during the coming year to fill any potential skills gap.
The Skills in demand are placed on priority lists. These lists range from those skills in high demand across the entire country to those skills with only limited demand within rural areas. Depending on the list a skill is on will determine which visa(s) are available to people within that profession.
Curently, Software Engineers are on the MLTSSL skills shortage list. Being on the MLTSSL list means a Software Engineer may qualify for the following visa streams:
See note Visa streams.
Skills and Experience Required To Be a Software Engineer
Before a Software Engineer can apply to emigrate as a skilled worker to Australia, their qualification, skills, and experience must be independently verified via a rigorous accreditation process. The process ensures all Software Engineers invited to emigrate can do their job to the required Australian standards.
1. Defining the job title a Software Engineer:
The profession “a Software Engineer” can mean something slightly different in Australia to what is referred to overseas. In “official emigration terms”, this profession is aligned within the occupation category “Software Engineer” and is uniquely identified by the code 261313. This registry system that has been in place since 2006 and has proven to work well for Australia.
2. Key Requirements for a Software Engineer:
For a Software Engineer to be deemed experienced to the Australian standard, here are the essential skills, tasks, duties and responsibilities they must be familiar with:
General Duties:
Communication and collaboration
Quality control and inspections
Production processes and machinery
Performance evaluation and efficiency improvement
Data
analytics
and databases
Records
documentation
reports and research
Business operations and financial activities
Operating procedures and processes
Security and emergency services
Digital technologies and electronics
Teaching and education
Core Specialist Responsibilities:
Teach others to use computer technology
Develop procedures for communications and data management
Prepare reports or evaluations
Operate and maintain computers
Install and maintain computer equipment or software
Create and update databases
Collaborate and advise on educational and technical issues
Communicate and collaborate
Establish organisational policies or programs
Enforce or maintain security
Develop operational strategies
plans or procedures
Develop and review technical designs and processes
Operational specifications design and reporting
Develop websites or software
Test computer or software performance
Monitor equipment
procedures and systems
ICT support
design and management
Undertake project planning
Research
evaluate or design new technologies
Specific Tasks Associated with the Role:
Coordinate project activities with other staff or departments
Design integrated computer systems
Communicate project information to others
Create databases to store electronic data
Test computer system operations to ensure proper functioning
Develop software applications
Evaluate utility of software or hardware technologies
Monitor computer system performance to ensure proper operation
Conduct research to gain information about products or processes
Install computer hardware
Recommend changes to improve computer or information systems
Maintain computer hardware
Collaborate with others to determine design specifications or details
Develop detailed project plans
Anticipate the organisational implications of machine learning models
Install computer software
Analyse security of systems
network or data
Manage information technology projects or system activities
Provide technical support for software maintenance or use
Test software performance
Develop organisational goals or objectives
Develop performance metrics or standards related to information technology
Coordinate software or hardware installation
Review computer information systems
procedures and networks
Document technical specifications or requirements
Identify information technology project resource requirements
Prepare analytical reports
Test computer hardware performance
Configure computer networks
Train others in computer interface or software use
Develop guidelines for system implementation
Design computer modelling or simulation programs
Develop models of information or communications systems
3. The Australian eligibility criteria for a Software Engineer:
Currently Software Engineer’s are listed on the MLTSSL reflecting the demand for the profession within Australia.
Please note:
Even though Software Engineer is on the MLTSSL shortage skills list, it does not guarantee that there are currently places available under any visa stream. The emigration selection process is a dynamic environment that changes continually as quotas for specific skills are met within each region and economic demands change. We provide an up-to-date report at the time of application to ensure our clients secure the best possible visa for their requirements.
Navigating the Skills Assessment Process
As part of the accreditation process, you will be required to provide:
- Relevant qualifications
- Detailed reports from previous employers
- Registrations and licences
Additional for specific cases:
- Video footage of your work
- Photographs
- Attend an interview
These additional items may incur further costs and will cause delays, so they are best avoided where possible.
Context and Function:
The primary purpose of the assessing authority is to protect their Australian Software Engineers from migrants entering Australia and driving down standards or wages.
Therefore, they often look to delay, frustrate, delay or even reject cases preventing accreditations wherever possible with those aims in mind. They are also motivated by the additional fees they may charge when a person is required to resit an assessment.
The result of a candidate’s skills assessment is often a critical factor in their emigration success. It is vital that a Software Engineer secures the highest possible skills accreditation possible. To have your own team of experts fighting for you provides a considerable advantage in preparing your case and maximising your credibility.
Points Test For Software Engineers
Each candidate applying to emigrate as a Software Engineer is assessed against a number of criteria set out by the Australian Department of Home Affairs. The criteria include:
- Age
- Qualifications
- Work Experience
- Partners Skills
- English Language Ability
- Miscellaneous
The candidate is awarded points accordingly. Those Software Engineers who achieve the minimum points required will be eligible to enter the Expression of Interest pool. As with all legal processes, there are many ways to gain points and forfeit points, simply by how a case is presented. The Australian Immigration Authorities do not provide any feedback on the quality of a case once it has been presented and have no statutory obligation to do so. Therefore, if a case has an error that could be easily corrected, the candidate will not be asked to correct the mistake.
Expression of Interest
Once candidates complete their skills accreditation successfully and achieve the minimum points required for a Software Engineer, they become eligible to enter the “Expression of Interest” pool.
The best analogy is that it is a recruitment process. Entering the Expression of Interest pool is like meeting the minimum requirements set out by the employer to be eligible to apply for a position. There is no guarantee of selection.
This is a competitive environment where Software Engineers from across the globe are requesting one of the available visas to emigrate. Australia periodically selects those it deems to best meet its requirements for a Software Engineer from the pool of available candidates. Those a Software Engineers selected are invited to apply to emigrate.
Candidates who fail to be selected within two years are automatically removed from the pool.
Police and Medical Checks
The final hurdle to overcome is completing the Police and Medical checks. Assuming nothing is discovered that has not been previously disclosed, the visa will usually be issued within a few weeks.
From the date the visa is issued a Software Engineer will have one year to enter Australia to activate the visa. It is during that time that it is best to reach out to potential employers and make all the necessary arrangements to begin a new life in Australia.
Once a visa is activated, the Software Engineer may leave Australia for a few more months if they require extra time before emigrating permanently.
Find Out More
Emigration law is one of the most complex areas of legislation and is continuously being adapted. By definition, emigrating to Australia is a legal process where the individual must prove their case. The government is not responsible for assisting an applicant in that process. On the contrary, in legal terms, it is the government against whom a Software Engineer must fight and win their case and the right to be hired by the best employers in Australia.
Once you have completed your skills assessment and been invited by the Government to emigrate, you will be ready to meet leading employers with vacancies that will fit your requirements perfectly.
To discover more, complete our online assessment form for your complimentary guide and to discuss your options with one of our friendly experts.
