In this article, we will explain the Developer Programmer Visa Options and Developer Programmer Skill Assessment. We will look into the general process of how developer programmers can migrate to Australia, as well as how we can best assist you in managing the migration journey. Australia welcomes qualified developer programmers to migrate to Australia as it is deemed to be an occupation that Australia is in great demand of.
Developer programmer (ANZSCO code: 261312) is currently on the Medium & Long Term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) with access to the broad range of Australian immigration visa programs. Developer programmer belongs to the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) field and it is currently on the Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List (PMSOL). This means Australian government considers developer programmer as a critical occupation in order to help Australia recover its economy from COVID-19. Therefore, the processing of the nomination and visa application for developer programmer will be given the highest priority. In other words, if you are a developer programmer and looking for opportunities to migrate to Australia, right now is the perfect timing.
Developer Programmer Visa and Visa Sponsorship
The following are a range of visas that developer programmers may apply for immigration to Australia:
- 189 Skilled Independent Visa
- 190 Skilled Nominated Visa
- 491 Skilled Regional (Provisional) Visa
- 482 Temporary Skill Shortage – Medium Term Stream
- 186 Employer Nomination Scheme Visa
- 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) Visa
- 407 Training Visa
- 485 Temporary Graduate
For developer programmers, the most practical choices in the General Skilled Migration program are subclass 190 Skilled Nominated visa and subclass 491 Skilled Regional (provisional) visa. The typical process is:
- Seeking professional migration advice about your eligibility for Australian immigration and the action plan
- Obtaining a satisfactory English test result to support your visa application
- Obtaining a satisfactory skills assessment for your occupation
- Submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) through SkillSelect
- Securing a State Nomination through a Registration of Interest (ROI) and a solid application for the state nomination
- Once state nomination has been approved, submitting your visa application as soon as possible within 60 days
If you are interested in seeking migration through employment and aiming to apply for subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme visa or 482 Temporary Skill Shortage visa, the process will be different to the general skilled migration above. Before you can apply for the visa, we must ensure the employer is an approved sponsor prior to them submitting the nomination application for you. For the 482 visa, the employer will also need to go through the labour market testing before they can nominate an overseas worker. This is usually referred as Developer Programmer Visa Sponsorship. It may sound complicated, but rest assured our experienced team at Ausdirect Migration will be able to provide you all the assistance and guidance you need along the way.
Developer Programmer Skill Assessment (ANZSCO code: 261312)
In order to apply for a permanent residency visa or provisional skilled visas through general skilled migration program, you are required to obtain a skills assessment. For developer programmers, which fall under the scope of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector, and the assessment authority is the Australian Computer Society (ACS). Developer programmers’ main duties are Interpreting specifications, technical designs and flow charts, building, maintaining and modifying the code for software applications, constructing technical specifications from a business functional model, and testing and writing technical documentation. For the ANZSCO job definition and description, please read ANZSCO 261312 Developer Programmer.
In order to apply for a skills assessment, you will need to provide the following documents:
- Copy of your passport
- CV/resume
- Education qualifications (including academic transcript and award certificate/completion letter for Australian / International qualifications)
- Employment references on company letterhead or third-party statutory declarations
- Payment evidence
Based on the supporting documents you provided, the ACS will assess if your educational qualification and/or work experience are at a professional level and closely related to developer programmer.
Once you have passed your skills assessment, ACS will issue a certificate to you, which verifies and recognizes your skills, qualifications, and work experience.
Contact Ausdirect Migration today to discuss your eligibility for the Skills Assessment, as this is one of the most important steps of your immigration journey.
Skill assessment for other ICT Skilled Occupations assessed by ACS
Besides developer programmer (261312), ACS is also the assessing authority for other skilled occupations’ skills assessments. The list is as follows:
- 261311 – Analyst Programmer*
- 135111 – Chief Information Officer*
- 263111 – Computer Network and Systems Engineer*
- 262111 – Database Administrator
- 261111 – ICT Business Analysts*
- 135199 – ICT Managers NEC
- 135112 – ICT Project Manager
- 263211 – ICT Quality Assurance Engineer
- 262112 – ICT Security Specialist*
- 263299 – ICT Support and Test Engineer NEC
- 263212 – ICT Support Engineer
- 263213 – ICT Systems Test Engineer
- 223211 – ICT Trainer
- 261211 – Multimedia Specialist*
- 263112 – Network Administrator
- 263113 – Network Analyst
- 261399 – Software and Application Programmer*
- 261313 – Software Engineer*
- 261314 – Software Tester
- 262113 – Systems Administrator
- 261112 – Systems Analysts*
- 313113 – Web Administrator
- 261212 – Web Developer
The occupations with * sign next to them, including developer programmer, are on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL).
English requirement for Developer Programmers
Another important task is to sit an English exam. The minimum English requirement for applying for general skilled migration is “Competent” level. You will need to provide evidence to prove that in the 3 years before being invited to apply for the visa, you have obtained satisfying scores on one of the following test:
| Test | Score |
| International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic or General Training) | At least 6 for each of the 4 components |
| Test of English as a Foreign Language internet-based Test (TOEFL iBT) | At least 12 for listening, 13 for reading, 21 for writing and 18 for speaking |
| Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) | At least 50 for each of the 4 components |
| Occupational English Test (OET) | At least B for each of the 4 components |
| Cambridge C1 Advanced test | At least 169 in each of the 4 components |
If you hold a valid passport from the following countries, you will be deemed as having competent English and you will not need to take an English exam. The countries are the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, New Zealand, and Republic of Ireland.
Competent English is the minimum threshold for applying general skilled visas. If you can score higher grade, you will receive more points when lodging your Expression of Interest (EOI). If you are at proficient level, you will receive 10 points. If you are at superior level, you will receive 20 points. For work visas, please find the English requirements in the definition of 186 ENS visa, 482 TSS visa and 494 SESR visas directly.
Prospects of Being a Developer Programmer in Australia
Developer programmer is a relatively large occupation. Developer programmers work across the whole Australia. They are mostly full-time workers and average working hour per week is 41 (average is 44 hours). According to a survey conducted by Glassdoor, the average salary for developer programmers per year is $64,657 in Australia. Entry level positions starts at a lower salary and will increase as one becomes more experienced.
Useful Job Search Platforms in Australia
Are you looking for job opportunities in Australia as a developer programmer? Here are some popular job search platforms that could potentially help you securing a job
Ausdirect Migration for DeveloperProgrammers
Our team at Ausdirect Migration is extremely experienced in managing migration programs in relation to Developer Programmer occupation. Our founder David Wang, prior to setting up the migration law practice in Australia, had over 10 years senior experience in global top software companies and IT consulting firms i.e. SAP, IBM, Infosys in the capacity of Solution Architect, Principal Consultant, Team Manager and Project Manager in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and China on large scale multinational projects. Our practice has provided top quality migration services to many ICT professionals globally and also ICT employers in Australia. We look forward to hearing from you and the opportunity to work with you along your immigration journey to Australia. We are confident to say our team has the best understanding and experience in the ICT sector and the associated immigration programs in Australia.
Contact Ausdirect Migration today to tailor the best suitable option(s) for your migration, and we will assist you in navigating every step of the process during the journey.
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