The Australian government announced several changes to the Employer Nomination Scheme ENS, the standard employer-sponsored permanent residence program, applicable to applications submitted on or after December 5. The minimum base annual salary for foreign nationals seeking to qualify for the ENS by filling a highly paid position has been raised to AU 250,000 from AU 165,000. In addition, 16 new occupations qualify for the program after being added to the Employer Nomination Skilled Occupation List ENSOL.