Australia has simplified the process of obtaining visas and residence permits for game developers
The Australian authorities have expanded the list of professions that will be given priority during immigration. Now it will be easier for developers and other game specialists to get a work visa and a residence permit. This is another measure to restore the economy from the effects of the pandemic.The Australian Ministry of the Interior announced the changes last week.
In total, 22 more categories were added to the so-called List of Qualified Professions for Priority Migration (PMSOL).
Among them are software and application programmers, as well as multimedia specialists. The latter refers to people who create computer animation, sound, video and graphics for games, presentations, movies and websites.
PMSOL is a list that was developed in September 2020. It should help create more jobs amid the recovery of the Australian economy from the COVID-19 pandemic. In total, there are 41 categories in the list, specialists in which priority is given to obtaining work visas. Also, representatives of these professions will be able to count on obtaining a residence permit.
For a long time, foreign gaming specialists had difficulties obtaining work visas to Australia. They had to apply for documents in the categories of web developers and multimedia specialists, which initially did not specify gaming professions. However, last year the Association of Interactive Games and Entertainment (IGEA) managed to achieve the inclusion in these categories of 47 specialties related to the development of video games.
Despite this initiative, the Australian authorities have a difficult relationship with the gaming industry. International developers often had problems getting an age rating in the country — it’s enough to recall the recent case of Disco Elysium, which was initially not allowed for sale.
However, recently Australia has been taking more and more measures to support developers. In May, the country’s authorities proposed to introduce a 30% tax deduction for games whose revenue in the country exceeds 500 thousand Australian dollars. The initiative will come into force next year and will apply to all titles — with the exception of those with gambling.
