Australia boasts of plenty of positive factors like a strengthened economic profile, premium academic credentials, attractive landscapes and spaces to explore as well as a relaxed yet balanced lifestyle, thereby making it a prime destination for those wishing to immigrate, pursue higher studies and eventually settle down.

Hence, it comes as no big surprise that this nation has successfully catered to approximately 300,000 students from countries overseas and enabled them to speed track their careers by studying here.

Back in the year 2018, a couple of notable modifications took place by the country’s Department of Home Affairs within the list displaying Skill Shortage Occupations.

In case you’re someone that’s potentially considering an educational degree/certificate from Australia or are already pursuing your further education within the country, the possibility of settling down as a registered PR (permanent resident) is not rare to think about.

Subclass 485 allows those international students who have successfully completed a total of two years of studying within the nation to apply for a post-study work visa for the purpose of residing, working, or studying in Australia. However, it’s necessary to possess the required skills and educational qualifications as mentioned at the side of the occupation of choice through the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) for those applying via the General Skilled Migration category.

On an annual basis, the Australian Government will announce a list publically that enlists those occupations and job positions that are in high demand for the year. Those students coming from countries overseas and having graduated in a course as relevant to the occupations from the list have better chances of securing the status of a PR. However, since this list is quite dynamic in nature, it becomes confusing for potential candidates to shortlist courses they might want to pursue to increase their chances.

Here are the top 5 courses (in no particular order) that almost always guarantee a chance to procure an Australian PR status and are always in high demand as per the SOL:

• Nursing

Australia considers a high level of regard towards services associated with the Healthcare, Medical, and Pharmaceutical sectors, hence Nursing falls under this criterion of courses. For those interested in pursuing courses within the fields of nursing, midwifery, or health, they could choose from a wide range of varied Universities of Nursing in Australia that have secured a global reputation for providing seamless and quality educational content for courses ranging from undergraduate, postgraduate and research segments. Some examples of possible courses that may interest you include Nursing in the streams of Mental Health, Child and Family Health, Medical Practice, Community Health, Paediatric, and Surgical, etc.

• Engineering

There is always a rampant vacancy for qualified and talented engineers in an array of technical fields within Australia. A few of the choice categories available include Software, Agricultural, Aeronautical, Chemical, Mechanical, Civil, Structural, Biomedical, Telecommunications, Environmental, and Production/Plant Engineering. This is the core reason why students pursuing a career here from overseas always have better chances to garner employment in these zones. One of the peak salary packages in the engineering sector was recorded within the Australian territory as reported by the Good Universities Guide, with an average of $60,700 by recent engineering graduates. The SOL provided increased attention to those candidates possessing enhanced experiences within Core Engineering fields, as they are the ones having increased opportunities of procuring a PR status within the nation.

• Computer and IT (Information Technology)

IT being at the very central aspect of every global industry, the Australian authorities garner maximum attention to those individuals having a knack for anything pertaining to the field as this could help improve the country’s booming economy. With the rampant demand for IT professionals within the nation, the SOL now includes IT-related professions as added by the Australian Qualifications Framework. For those overseas students pursuing an educational qualification in the field or having completed one, their chances of procuring temporary or permanent residency status within the country.

• Accountancy

Being one of the most prominent and quickest growing professions within the nation, a whopping 500% rise in enrolment of international students within the field was noticed between the time period of 2001 to 2014. In Australia, it is expectant of accountants to have laudable exposure to conceptual matters pertaining to financial dealings, compliance requirements, taxation activities, and record maintenance.  Those candidates who had completed their Masters in Professional Accounting (MPA) stood better chances for employment opportunities in the years 2018 and 2019.

• Teaching and Education

Considered to be one of the prime powerhouses for maintaining and effectively thriving a superb quality educational system, students pursuing courses in Education and Teaching will find it surprisingly easy to secure Australian PR status. There exist a variety of courses to pursue job positions such as University teachers, Pre-primary, Primary, Secondary, Vocational, and Special Needs teachers as well as those for English as a second, non-native language.

One thing for those students from overseas wishing to pursue an educational course from one of the aforementioned should keep in mind is that the Department of Home Affairs, Australia requires a compulsory possession of an Overseas Health Insurance by potential candidates. Hence, it would be best advised to invest in an International Student Health Coverage before making further Australian PR plans.