Hi. Just getting back from a short hiatus from this site. Lost hope about AU.
Anyway, for those who also lost hope about the prospect of invitation from AU, have you considered other countries to immigrate to? Popular alternatives are Canada and NZ but right now, they are challenging to achieve as well especially if we are outside the priority occupations.
I'd like to introduce you to the Republic of Ireland. Right now they also have Critical Skills Occupation system which is currently more diverse than the priority occupations of AU. That is, not only health care workers are being considered.
I just got an offer from an Irish employer with luck and lots of effort of submitting (spamming? lol) CVs. My occupation (not health care related) is in the critical occupations list and I got my work permit approved with the sponsorship of an employer. I am currently in the visa process.
I'm sharing this because I think Ireland is not well known as a consideration for immigration but they do have a system that encourages it. Critical Skills Work Permit is a path to permanent residency (not exactly but the equivalent) for only 2 years in Ireland plus 5 years for naturalisation. Irish passport will allow you to live in any EU member states. Although Ireland is a bit behind AU, NZ, and Canada government system.
To know more about Ireland's Critical Occupations List:
https://dbei.gov.ie/en/What-We-Do/Workplace-and-Skills/Employment-Permits/Employment-Permit-Eligibility/Highly-Skilled-Eligible-Occupations-List/