Wanted Down Under: Programmers, Developers and Network Security Experts

A series of massive IT projects have led the Australian Government to add a variety of computing professionals to its Migration Occupations in Demand List giving Java and C# programmers a better chance for a new life Down Under.

The Australian Government added the following to its Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL) today: Computing Professionals specialising in CISSP, C++/C#/C, Java, J2EE, Network security, Oracle, PeopleSoft, SAP and SIEBEL. Applicants for emigration to Australia with these qualifications are given bonus points and there applications fast-tracked.

"There simply aren’t enough qualified staff in Australia to meet demand, especially in the cases of C# and Java programmers," said Oonagh Baerveldt, spokeswoman for the Australian Visa Bureau. "There have been reports in the Australian media for a while now saying various large-scale Government IT projects are understaffed."

"The bulk of the vacancies are in the cities of Canberra and Adelaide where the cost of living and quality of life is suited to young professional with families. The cost of housing, ease of travel to work, and park lands are major selling points for British IT professionals.

"Both Canberra and Adelaide are affordable places to live. The fantastic quality of life in Australia because of cost of living and weather are unmatched," said Baerveldt. "Network security is an increasing issue in Australia; this is reflected in today’s additions to the MODL. Coupled with the fact that C# and Java programmers are in such high demand, there’s never been a better time to go to Australia if you’re in IT."

Basic requirements for emigration as a computing professional include being under 45 years of age, proficient in English, IT degree qualified with a minimum of 4 years of experience, or 6 years experience without.

IT professionals interested in investigating the possibility of emigrating to Australia are encouraged to visit www.visabureau.com and take the Online Assessment for Australia to determine their points total. Australia’s migration system is points-based, and applicants whose skills appear on the country’s MOLD receive are deemed "crucial."

"Australian IT is moving away from parachuting contractors in – the industry is moving towards having agency offices in the cities where work is being done. From an optics perspective, it’s not okay for a lot of coding to be done overseas anymore," said Baerveldt.