Submission on 2025 Core Skills Occupation List
Submission to Jobs and Skills Australia calls for retention of key roles, addition of emerging occupations and reforms to support workforce needs
In brief
- CA ANZ urges targeted updates to Core Skills Occupation List
- CA ANZ recommends retaining 13 key occupations on the CSOL
- Four emerging roles proposed for inclusion, including forensic accountant
- Migration not supported as a solution for financial adviser shortages
Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand's (CA ANZ) submission to Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) on the 2025 Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) consultations advocates for targeted updates that reflect current and future workforce needs.
The CSOL is one of the criteria for the Skills In Demand Visa (subclass 482) and focuses on the Core Skills Stream. This visa enables employers to address labour shortages by hiring temporary skilled workers where they can't source an appropriately skilled Australian worker.
CA ANZ’s submission highlights the importance of retaining key accounting, audit, finance and cyber security roles on the CSOL, while also recommending the inclusion of emerging occupations experiencing strong demand.
Retain critical roles
CA ANZ recommends that 13 occupations remain on the CSOL:
- Taxation Accountant
- Accountant (General)
- Management Accountant
- External Auditor
- Internal Auditor
- Finance Manager
- Management Consultant
- ICT Business Analyst
- Cyber Security Advice and Assessment Specialist
- Cyber Security Engineer
- Cyber Security Analyst
- Cyber Security Architect
- Cyber Security Operations Coordinator
Add emerging occupations
CA ANZ proposes adding four occupations to the CSOL:
- Forensic Accountant
- Data Architect
- Data Engineer
- Information and Organisation Professionals
Do not add financial advisers
CA ANZ does not support adding the Financial Adviser occupation to the CSOL. While demand for financial advice is increasing, CA ANZ argues that temporary migration is not an appropriate solution. Instead, regulatory reform is needed to allow qualified accountants, who are members of a major accounting body, to provide strategic financial advice.
Meeting workforce needs
CA ANZ’s submission provides insights into how our members are investing in domestic graduates and professional development to meet workforce needs, and improving migrant employment outcomes.
We also note several barriers that limit the effectiveness of the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482), calling for improvements including faster processing, prioritising current visa holders changing sponsors, and improving communication on the status of visa applications.
CA ANZ will continue to advocate for migration policies that support a skilled, adaptable and future-ready workforce.
