The Department of Home Affairs has recently provided important updates on the upcoming changes to the skilled visa program.
Here is what you need to know:
Skills in Demand (SID) Visa Subclass 482
The new Skills in Demand (SID) Visa Subclass 482 is designed to address skills shortages and provide a clear pathway to permanent residence. Key features include:
- Temporary Visa: offers up to 4 years of validity.
- Permanent Residence Pathway: Clear route for skilled migrants to settle permanently.
- Reduced work experience requirement to one year (currently 3 years
There will be three distinct streams available:
-
- Specialist Skills Stream: For highly skilled migrants earning at least $135,000 annually. This stream will exclude tradies, machinery operators, drivers, and laborers.
- Core Skills Stream: For skilled employees, with a new Core Skills Occupation List and a Core Skills Income Threshold.
- Labour Agreements Stream: The existing TSS Labour Agreement stream will be renamed to Skills in Demand Labour Agreement Stream.
Above changes are set to commence before the end of 2024 and once the new SID visa has launched, the existing short-term and medium-term streams of the TSS visa will close to new applications.
The National Innovation Visa (Sc 858)
This new visa is set to replace the current Global Talent visa, aiming to attract a diverse range of high-caliber talent to Australia, including:
- Global Researchers and Thought Leaders: Especially those published in leading journals, or award recipients.
- Entrepreneurs: This includes both established as well as emerging entrepreneurs.
- Innovative Investors: With a new focus on the quality of investment rather than simple financial thresholds.
- Athletes and Creatives: Particularly those who will represent Australia on an international stage.
Application Process: The National Innovation Visa will adopt the current invitation-only application process, following an Expression of Interest (EOI) by the applicant. Whilst the National Innovation visa is currently in development, it is set to commence before the end of 2024.
Stay tuned as Australia continues to innovate its approach to skilled migration, fostering growth and talent across various sectors. If you require assistance with your visa application or if you would like to discuss your options to migrate to Australia, feel free to get in touch or book a consultation.