A new temporary visa has been unveiled in Australia, designed to attract and retain skilled workers and address the country’s local shortages.
The Skills in Demand (SID) visa came into force on December 7, replacing the Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) visa (subclass 482), according to the Home Office.
This is part of a series of changes to skilled visa programs unveiled by the government to modernize the system, with a focus on skilled migration.
These reforms were described in the .
“As a government, we are focused on skilled migration to meet our labor needs while promoting worker mobility,” Home Affairs and Immigration Minister Tony Burke said on Monday .
“The new visa programs reshape temporary and permanent skills migration to drive long-term prosperity and help Australia attract and retain the best and brightest. »
The Skills Required Visa
The SID allows an employer to sponsor an eligible skilled worker to fill a position for which it cannot find a suitably qualified Australian worker.
The government says it will provide a “streamlined pathway” for skilled migrants, promoting worker mobility while also providing a “simple process” for employers to access skilled workers.
Those who are eligible can stay in Australia with SID for up to four years, while Hong Kong passport holders can stay for up to five years.
It costs $3,115 for the principal applicant and each dependent aged 18 and over, and $780 for dependents under that age. However, additional fees are required, including for English tests, health checks and police certificates.
The visa has three targeted streams: a Basic Skills stream, a Specialized Skills stream and a Work Agreement stream.
The first is designed to address skills shortages and fill labor gaps in middle-income positions.
For this component, eligible holders must be sponsored to work in a profession listed on the government’s updated list. . They must meet the basic skills income threshold, which currently stands at $73,150 and is expected to be indexed annually.
The CSOL covers 456 jobs, including construction, agriculture, cybersecurity, health and education, based on those identified by government agency Jobs and Skills Australia as being in shortage.
It received mixed responses from various sectors, including criticism from the construction and trades industry regarding some key machinery operator roles which were not on the list.
The specialized skills stream is aimed at highly skilled migrants and higher-income earners.
Employers can offer any occupation from the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations listed in the major groups (excluding trades) with a salary that meets the specialist skills income threshold. This amount currently stands at $135,000.
The third stream is for skilled workers appointed by employers to carry out a specified occupation under the terms of an employment agreement.
In a press release, the government said an Essential Skills stream would replace the TSS Work Arrangement stream following further consultation with state and territory governments and other stakeholders.
The department said all TSS nominations and visa applications filed before the implementation of the SID visa on December 7 will be processed according to the requirements in effect at that time.
What other changes has the government announced?
Also on Monday, the government said a national innovation visa had replaced the Global Talent visa as an “invitation-only program for highly skilled migrants who will make a significant contribution” to sectors such as critical technologies, renewable energies and health.
This is a permanent visa for people with international recognition in an eligible area.
Minister of Industry and Science Ed Husic said: “There is a global race to attract the best science and technology workers to give industry an edge; These new visas put Australia in the best position to attract the right people to work together. with our own world-class researchers.
Available applications for global talent will continue to be processed in accordance with priorities and migration planning levels.
The information provided in this story is general in nature. Please contact a migration expert for advice on individual situations.
