The Temporary Skill Shortage Visa (TSS) enables an employer to sponsor a suitably skilled worker from overseas to fill a position that cannot be filled by an Australian worker. The TSS program is designed to assist employers who experience labour shortages from time to time due to supply and demand in certain industries. Only certain occupations are nominated for the TSS visa and are based on current labour supply and demand trends.
The Temporary Skills Shortage Visa has three streams. These are:
– The Short-term Stream
– The Medium-term Stream
– The Labour Agreement Stream
The Short-term and Medium-term Streams require employers to be registered as a Standard Business Sponsor and submit a nomination application for each sponsored employee. The Labour Agreement Stream requires employers to enter into a Labour Agreement with the Department of Home Affairs and submit a nomination application for each sponsored employee.
How Do Each of These Streams Differ?
Short-term Stream
This visa allows employers to address labour shortages by bringing in skilled workers to fill a position that cannot be filled by an Australian worker. The applicant must be nominated to work in an occupation listed on the short-term skilled occupations list.
The short-term stream allows applicants to stay for up to two years although where an International Trade Obligation applies, applicants may be granted a stay of up to four years.
Medium-term Stream
The medium-term stream enables employees to bring in skilled workers for a period of up to four years to fill positions that cannot be filled by Australian workers. The occupation the applicant is nominated for must be on the list of medium and long-term skilled occupations.
Holders of medium-term visas may be eligible to apply for permanent residency after three years if they have been employed in the same position by the same employer for the duration of their visa.
Labour Agreement Stream
This visa is for skilled workers nominated by employers who have a labour agreement with the Australian Government. The length of stay is determined by the terms of the labour agreement, but is up to a maximum of four years.
In order to be eligible for a Temporary Skills Shortage Visa, applicants must fulfil basic eligibility criteria. These include:
– Being nominated for a skilled position by an approved sponsor
– Having the necessary skills to do the job
– Meet relevant English language requirements
More specific criteria apply to each of the three TSS streams. These applications are quite complex, so it is recommended that applications be handled by an experienced migration agent.
If you would like to learn more about the Temporary Skill Shortage Visa or any other aspects of migration contact the Visa Solutions Australia team. It is a complex subject so it is important to speak with someone in the know.
