Australia has three skilled occupation lists. These lists contain all the occupations in Australia that is in need of skilled and experienced workers from overseas because there is a shortage of talent in the country.
- Medium and Long-Term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL)
- Short-Term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL)
- Regional Occupational List (ROL)
The good news is that Environmental Consultants are on the Medium and Long-Term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL)!
This means the Australian government is happy with Australian companies hiring environmental consultants from overseas, albeit subject to strict requirements.
Please note: Australia has also created a temporary skilled occupation list in response to COVID-19 called the Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List (PMSOL).
Each occupation on the skills shortage lists has an ANZSCO (Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations) code assigned to it. This code determines the requirements a visa applicant must meet, including the skill level and the tasks the applicant must be able to perform.
The ANZSCO code assigned to environmental consultants is 234312. This code gives us more details about the criteria environment consultants have to meet in order to qualify to emigrate to Australia.
The first thing we look at is the group that environmental consultants fall under:
Major Group: 2 - Professionals | Sub-Major Group: 23 - Design, Engineering, Science and Transport Professionals | Minor Group: 234 – Natural and Physical Science Professionals | Unit Group: 2343 – Environmental Scientists
As you can see there are four groups showing how the code is made up – we are mostly interested in the code (234312) which is specific to environmental consultants.
This part of the ANZSCO criteria lays out a broad description of what an environmental consultant is supposed to be able to do:
Analyses and advises on policies guiding the design, implementation and modification of government or commercial environmental operations and programs.
Environmental consultants is a Skill Level 1, which means you must have a level of skill comparable with a bachelor degree or higher qualification. In the absence of a formal qualification, at least five years of relevant experience may act as a substitute.
In some instances relevant experience and/or on-the-job training may be required in addition to the formal qualification.
When applying for emigration as a environmental consultant, you must be able to demonstrate or prove that you can perform the majority of the tasks below:
- Evaluating habitat, wildlife and fisheries needs, and formulating short- and long-term management goals and objectives
- Enforcing laws and regulations to conserve and protect fish and wildlife
- Carrying out environmental impact assessments for a wide range of development projects
- Proposing solutions to address negative environmental impact
- Studying the effects of factors, such as terrain, altitude, climatic and environmental change,
- Sources of nutrition, predators and the impacts of humans, on animal and plant life
- Studying and analysing pollution, atmospheric conditions, demographic characteristics, ecology, mineral, soil and water samples
- Developing conservation and management policies for biological resources, such as fish populations and forests, and establishing standards and developing approaches for the control of pollution and the rehabilitation of areas disturbed by activities such as mining, timber felling and overgrazing
- Implementing policies and organising activities in designated parks and other areas to conserve and protect natural and cultural heritage
- Participating in management planning by providing environmental information and making inventories of plants, animals and items of cultural and heritage significance
Many people mistakenly think that finding a job is the first step when immigrating.
In fact, the first step should always be an immigration assessment to see if you have the necessary skills, qualifications and experience to work in Australia.
Why do we say this?
- If you don’t meet the requirements for skilled migration, you won’t be able to apply for a visa.
- Doing an assessment first and knowing for sure that you’re eligible for immigration enables you to job hunt with confidence. Employers are much more likely to extend job offers if they know that you can work in Australia.
The golden rule? Do an assessment, then find a job.
In addition to the ANZSCO requirements, you must be able to meet the health, character, English language, and points requirements as determined by the Department of Home Affairs.
All applicants for permanent and provisional visas must meet Australia’s health requirements to qualify for immigration. This includes the:
- Main applicant;
- Spouse; and
- Any other members of the family unit.
The Department of Home Affairs or the migration medical services provider will evaluate the completed health exam reports to decide if applicants meet Australia’s health requirements.
Please note: In certain cases, non-migrating family members will also be assessed against the health requirements.
Everyone who wants to enter Australia must be of good character and will be assessed against Australia's character requirements. As part of your visa application, you might be required to provide a police clearance certificate or other evidence to satisfy the character requirements.
-
You will not pass the character test if:
-
you have a substantial criminal record, meaning you have been sentenced to 12 months or more in prison, or multiple sentences that add up to more than 12 months in prison. A suspended sentence is considered a prison sentence.
-
you have been convicted of escaping from immigration detention, or convicted for an offence that you committed:
-
while you were in immigration detention,
-
during an escape from immigration detention,
-
after an escape, but before you were taken into immigration detention again.
-
-
-
You are or have been a member of a group or organisation, or had or have an association with a person, group or organisation that the Minister for Immigration reasonably suspects of involvement in criminal conduct
-
The Minister for Immigration reasonably suspects that you have been involved in people smuggling, people trafficking, genocide, a war crime, a crime against humanity, a crime involving torture or slavery, or a crime that is of serious international concern, whether or not you have been convicted of such an offence
-
Your past and present criminal or general conduct shows that you are not of good character
-
There is a risk that while you are in Australia you would:
-
engage in criminal conduct,
-
harass, molest, intimidate or stalk another person,
-
vilify a segment of the Australian community,
-
incite discord in the Australian community or in a part of it,
-
be a danger to the Australian community or a part of it.
-
-
You have been convicted of, or found guilty or had a charge proven for one or more sexually based offences involving a child,
-
You are subject to an adverse security assessment by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation
-
You are subject to an Interpol notice, from which it is reasonable to infer that you a direct or indirect risk to the Australian community, or a segment of the Australian community.
In order to immigrate to Australia, you must score an IELTS 7 in all four components of your test - reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
The IELTS is not the only English test available though. Your immigration agent should advise you on which English language test would be best for you.
Emigrating to Australia as an environmental consultant will only be possible if you achieve a points score of at least 65.
PART 1 – Age
|
18 – 25 |
25 |
|
25 – 32 |
30 |
|
32 – 39 |
25 |
|
40 – 44 |
15 |
|
45 – 49 |
0 |
Environmental consultants can achieve as much as 50% of the required 65 points just by being in the right age group!
|
Superior English - IELTS 8 or more in all 4 components or OET ‘A pass’ |
20 |
|
Proficient English - IELTS 7 or more in all 4 components or OET ‘B pass’ |
10 |
|
Threshold English: Competent English (IELTS 6 or more in all 4 components or certain passport holders) |
0 |
The English language test is very important in scoring points. As you can see it can be as much as 20 points but be warned - if you're not a native speaker it can be a challenge.
PART 3 – Overseas employment experience
|
36 months (3 years) in the last 10 years |
5 |
|
60 months (5 years) in the last 10 years |
10 |
|
96 months (8 years) in the last 10 years |
15 |
Overseas means employment not in Australia and as per the table above we are looking for at least 3 years in your occupation as an environmental consultant to make emigration to Australia possible.
PART 4 – Australian employment experience
Points are available if an applicant has worked in Australia in their nominated occupation or closely related skilled occupation as follows:
Years |
Points |
|
1 year |
5 |
|
3 years |
10 |
|
5 years |
15 |
|
8 years |
20 |
Note that a maximum of 20 points can be awarded for a combination of Australian and overseas work experience
.
PART 5 – Australian professional year
5 points are awarded if you have completed a professional year in Australia, in your nominated occupation as an environmental consultant or closely related occupation.
PART 6 – Educational qualifications
Points are awarded for the completion of qualifications either through an Australian educational institution or an overseas qualification for which the Minister is satisfied is a recognised standard:
|
Doctorate (PhD) – Australian institution or recognised overseas institution |
20 |
|
Bachelor degree or higher – Australian institution or recognised overseas institution |
15 |
|
Diploma – Australian institution |
10 |
|
Trade certificate – Australian institution |
10 |
|
Qualification or award recognised by the relevant assessing authority for the applicant’s nominated occupation |
10 |
Applicants only receive points for their highest single qualification – it is not possible to claim points for more than one qualification under this part.
PART 7 – Australian study
Applicants who have met the two-year Australian study requirement can obtain 5 points.
PART 8 – Credentialed community language
NAATI-accredited translators and interpreters at the paraprofessional (level 2) or higher are eligible for 5 points. A list of languages is not specified, so by implication any language assessed by NAATI at the paraprofessional level or higher should be acceptable.
PART 9 – Study in a regional or low-population growth metropolitan area of Australia
Criteria are:
-
Applicant meets the 2-year Australian study requirement;
-
Studies were conducted at a campus in regional Australia or a low-population growth metropolitan area;
-
Applicant lived in in regional Australia or a low-population growth metropolitan area during the study;
-
None of the studies was via distance education.
The relevant regional areas are all parts of Australia, excluding: greater Brisbane area, the Gold Coast, Newcastle, the Central Coast, Sydney, Wollongong, Melbourne metropolitan area, Perth and surrounding areas and the Australian Capital Territory.
.
PART 10 – Partner skill
Applicant’s spouse or de facto partner:
-
Is an applicant for the same GSM visa subclass;
-
Is not an Australian permanent resident or citizen;
-
Was under the age of 45 at the time of invitation to apply for the visa;
-
Nominated a skilled occupation at the time of invitation to apply for the visa;
-
Had a suitable skills assessment in their occupation at time of invitation to apply for the visa; and
-
Had competent English at the time of invitation to apply for the visa.
PART 11 – State or Territory nomination
One way of gaining extra points as an environmental consultant seeking to emigrate to Australia is to look at state or territory nomination. Whilst this commits you to living in a certain state for or territory for 2 years it can mean those vital extra points are earned.
If you are able to look at the 190 visa option the following factors apply in order to gain 5 additional points.
-
The applicant has been invited to apply for the visa by a State or Territory government; and
-
The nomination has not been withdrawn by the State or Territory government.
If you are able to look at the 489 visa option the following factors apply in order to gain 10 additional points.
-
The applicant has been invited to apply for the visa by a State or Territory government; and
-
The nomination has not been withdrawn by the State or Territory government.
-
The applicant has been sponsored by a relative usually resident in a designated area; and
-
The sponsorship has been accepted by the Minister.
Want to know if you can emigrate to Australia as an environmental consultant?
VETASSESS is nominated by the Department of Home Affairs as the relevant assessing authority for the occupation of environmental consultant.
VETASSESS is Australia's leading vocational education and training (VET) assessment provider.
VETASSESS will assess your qualifications and employment against the suitability of your nominated occupation.
Qualification assessment involves assessing the educational level comparability of your qualifications on the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) and determining the relevance of your qualifications for your nominated occupation. Employment assessment entails determining if your work experience, whether obtained in Australia or overseas, is at an appropriate skill level and relevant to your nominated occupation.
You’ll need a positive assessment of both qualifications and employment for a successful skills assessment for migration purposes.
Skills assessments are costly! Our advice is thus to only do a skills assessment once you've had an immigration assessment done.
In doing so, you'll receive a written report that confirms whether or not you meet all the requirements. Your report will also make clear recommendations on the way forward and outline all the costs involved in your visa application.
Neglecting to do the eligibility assessment first could jeopardise your visa application and cost you a lot of money.
Here’s something most people get wrong – they assume there is one right of emigrating.
The truth is that every individual who emigrates do it differently. For example:
- You have a bachelor's degree and 11 years of work experience. Your friend who also wants to immigrate has a master's degree and 5 years of experience. Each of these circumstances will lead to different immigration plans.
OR
- You're immigrating with your family while your next door neighbour is immigrating as a single person. You'll score different points, which will lead to two unique immigration plans.
The secret to getting it right? Getting a tailored immigration plan from a licensed advisor to know which steps to take and when to do so. This approach maximizes your chances of success and reduces unnecessary costs.
How do you do this? By completing an immigration assessment which assess your education, skills, experience, and unique situation against the immigration criteria set out by Australia.
Our team of licensed advisors can assess your eligibility to work in Australia - so that you know for sure if you can go ahead with your immigration.
If you meet the requirements to work in Australia as an environmental consultant, our licensed advisors will discuss your visa options with you, work out a personalised immigration plan, and share the costs and process involved.
If you choose to work with us, our advisors and our admin department will work with you to submit a complete visa application.
Ready? Click 'GET STARTED' below to get in touch with our team.