Australia's government has dropped all technology skills from its list of specialisations given preference for immigration

Australia's revised Migration Occupations in Demand list (MODL) has dropped all information and communication technology (ICT) specialisations. Australian employment minister Kevin Andrews said the revised MODL had a small number of professional and trade occupations only.

Previously, there have been as many as 26 ICT specialisations in May 2001, and four specialisations more recently: CISSP (Certification for the Information Systems Security Professional), Java security, PeopleSoft and SAP.

He said the revision was based on research by his department which showed there were no shortages of ICT skills in Australia, reported Australian daily, The Age.

"The revised MODL shows the Australian government is closely monitoring the ICT labour market and the difficulties some Australian computing professionals have finding work," he said in a statement.

Other government initiatives such as suspending priority processing for ICT migration applications and increasing the points required are likely to slow the flow of ICT migrants into Australia and ease pressures in the local labour market, Andrews added.

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