Software engineers from Vietnam: is Australia still your only plan?

News · 2026-08-26 · 3 min read

Are you a software engineer, a data scientist or another IT worker in Vietnam? Do you want to work in Australia? Please read this first. Australia has changed the order of its skilled visa queue. Tech jobs are not at the front now.

The queue has a new order

The Home Affairs Minister gave a new direction, and it started in July. Now, people in law enforcement and defence who are already in Australia come first. Offshore applicants in the same fields come next. After that come construction, healthcare and teaching applicants who applied from inside Australia. Technology is not on this list of priority jobs.

A parliamentary inquiry heard from the Australian Computer Society (ACS), the Business Council of Australia and the Australian Information Industry Association. All three said IT visas are now slower. Many of the people who wait are highly qualified and did everything right.

Why waiting without news is hard

At the inquiry, the founder of a tech firm told one story. His company wanted to sponsor a data scientist. Sponsor means an employer supports your visa. She could not tell when, or if, her visa would move. So she went to Ireland, where she was welcomed fast. Later she moved to the United States. She is reportedly earning several times more than the Australian job would pay.

This shows one thing. A long wait with clear dates is easier than a wait with no news. Skilled people may leave if nothing is clear.

What you can do

Check your skills assessment. An ACS assessment usually ends after two years. Some people must renew it because their visa took too long. Put the date in your calendar.
Do not trust the fastest time on paper. The Tech Council of Australia said some visas should take seven business days but took months.
Ask your employer about an intra-company transfer visa. It may help if you work for a large international company that has an office in Australia.
Keep another plan. Ireland and some US employers moved quickly for skilled people. Looking at more than one country is a wise choice.

Prepare your documents

Good papers save time. Keep your degree and work letters ready. If the visa rules ask, get certified English translations of Vietnamese documents. Vietnamese degrees are usually assessed again abroad. If a police certificate is requested, Vietnamese citizens usually need the Judicial Record Certificate No. 2 (Phiếu lý lịch tư pháp số 2). Take IELTS or PTE if the visa or employer needs an English test.

Stay safe, too. Use licensed organisations and real employers only. Do not pay an unlicensed broker. Be careful if someone asks for money upfront to secure a job or visa. You can check the official Home Affairs visa list for the visa types.

A shrinking tech workforce

The ACS Digital Pulse report says Australia's tech workforce became smaller in 2026. This is the first time on record. The report says part of this is because fewer jobs are open now. It also says migration must stay open when demand comes back, because AI skills are changing faster than the official skills lists.

So the slowdown may be short. But if it stays, Australian employers may lack the experts they need. Policy can change again. For now, hope for the best, and keep a second plan ready.

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