On 7th December, the new Skills in Demand (SID) visa was introduced and replaced the Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) Visa. The visa subclass will remain as 482.
The changes to this visa subclass aim to provide more flexibility to skilled workers and employers. It offers simplified, stream-lined processes and new occupation lists that will provide increased opportunities for employers to sponsor overseas talent quickly and efficiently.
The Skills in Demand Visa has three streams:
- Core Skills Stream
- Specialist Skills Stream
- Labour Agreement Stream
Key Differences from TSS to SID
- Uniform 4-year visa validity
- New Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL)
- Reduced work experience requirement from 2-years down to 1 year
- English language requirements now standardised to the old “medium-term stream”
Core Skills Stream
This is the most common stream for the SID and will cover most applications including managers, professionals, and trades.
This stream is for applicants who hold an occupation on the Core Skilled Occupation List (CSOL) with the core skills income threshold of $73,150 (in line with the current Temporary Skilled Migrant Income Threshold (TSMIT)).
It’s important to note that some occupations that were previously eligible for a TSS visa have been removed from the new CSOL and those visa holders change to a new SID visa. They may be eligible under the Specialist Skills Stream if they meet the requirements.
Holders of this visa can stay in Australia for up to four years (five years for Hong Kong passport holders).
Specialist Skills Stream
The specialist skills stream enables employers to address labour shortages by bringing in skilled workers where appropriately skilled Australian workers can’t be sourced.
It’s for highly skilled professionals who hold an occupation on the Australian New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) list with the specialist skills income threshold of $135,000 or more (this excludes occupations in ANZSCO major groups 3, 7 and 8 which encompasses trade workers, machinery operators and drivers and labourers).
This means occupations outside of the CSOL are eligible, unless they are under the above excluded groups.
This stream was not available under the Temporary Skills Shortage Visa and recognises highly skilled migrants bring significant economic benefits to Australia enabling employers to access these skills quickly through streamlined processing arrangements.
Holders of this visa can stay in Australia for up to four years (five years for Hong Kong passport holders).
The DHA notes that applications under this stream will receive fast-tracked processing of their applications.
Labour Agreement Stream
The Labour Agreement stream is for skilled workers nominated by employers who have a Labour Agreement. This stream has remained unchanged under the SID Visa framework.
Holders of this visa can live and work in Australia temporarily for up to a maximum of four years (five years for Hong Kong passport holders).
Additional information About the Skills in Demand Visa
Applicants of the SID visa will only be required to have one year of work experience as opposed to two years as per the TSS requirements. Each of the streams that form the Skills in Demand Visa can be applied for onshore or offshore. They each have a travel facility enabling visa holders to travel in and out of Australia as many times as they wish throughout the validity of the visa. Each of these streams offer a pathway to permanent residence.
Processing times for this visa vary and are determined by individual circumstances. Each application is assessed on a case-by-case basis. The following factors can impact processing times:
- Whether a complete application was lodged, including all supporting documentation
- How quickly requests for more information are addressed
- How long it takes to perform required checks on the supporting information provided
- How long it takes to receive additional information from external agencies particularly in relation to health, character and national security requirements
Transitional Arrangements
For current holders of a Temporary Skill Shortage Visa, their visa will remain valid until the expiry date that was given when the visa was granted.
Applicants who lodged a Temporary Skills Shortage visa application prior to the implementation of the Skills in Demand Visa will have their visa application processed in line with the requirements in place at the time the application was lodged.
If an applicant’s employer lodged a TSS nomination prior to 7th December and it was approved but the applicant has not yet lodged the associated Temporary Skills Shortage Visa application, then the nomination will be considered a SID nomination, and the applicant will be required to lodge a Skills in Demand Visa application.
To learn more about the Skills in Demand Visa or any other aspect of migration, speak to the team of experienced registered migration agents at Visa Solutions Australia.
