An oversupply of optometrists and orthoptists in Australia has resulted in their removal from the country's skilled occupation list (SOL).
The revised list, which does include dentists, surgeons and vets, took effect at the start of this month following feedback from optical bodies.
Calls for removal were also made during the review process last year, but both occupations remained on the 2010 list after the government found 'insufficient labour market evidence of oversupply'.
However, fresh findings of a decline in occupational growth and above average unemployment led advisory body Skills Australia to recommend omission this time around.
Optometrists and orthoptists were two of only four occupations to be removed from the 2011 SOL, with panel beating and vehicle painting the others.
Meanwhile, 13 professions were added to the 192-strong list after being deemed of high value and meeting the needs of the Australian economy, meaning they will enjoy preferential visa access to the country.
Specsavers has undertaken aggressive expansion in Australia since launching three stores there in March 2008 and has a regional headquarters in Melbourne.
The company now has 257 practices in Australia and 52 in New Zealand, through joint venture and franchise arrangements. Optometrists and orthoptists remain on the latest list of skilled occupations published by Immigration New Zealand.
Optometrists who join Specsavers practices from the UK are required to pass additional examinations set by the Optometry Council of Australia and New Zealand (OCANZ).
Jerry Dunn, international development manager commercial business development at Specsavers, told Optician Online it would be business as usual for company operations in Australia. This owed to the fact Specsavers sponsors individuals looking to work in the country and has access to the Australian Government's '457 Visa programme'.
Dunn noted that removal from the skills list was more of a blow to optometrists looking to start a new life in Australia under their own steam.
‘For optometrists, the added bonus is that, when they make the move with Specsavers, we can fully fund their visa applications as well as helping them prepare for the OCANZ examinations,’ he added.
