Australia launches new Skills in Demand visa
On 7 December 2024, the Australian government launched the new Skills in Demand (SID) visa (subclass 482), which has replaced the Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) visa.
The Skills in Demand visa enables employers to address labour shortages by bringing in skilled workers from overseas where an appropriately skilled Australian worker cannot be sourced from the resident labour market.
All TSS nominations and visa applications lodged prior to the implementation of the SID visa will be processed using the requirements in force at the time the application was lodged.
Overview of the Skills in Demand visa
The Skills in Demand visa is a temporary visa which allows the holder to live and work in Australia for up to 4 years, or up to 5 years if you are a Hong Kong passport holder. SID visa holders may be able to apply for permanent residence in Australia, if they are eligible.
The SID visa includes the following 3 streams:
- Core Skills Stream
- Specialist Skills Stream
- Labour Agreement Stream.
Each stream has slightly different eligibility requirements, but all applicants must meet the following basic eligibility requirements:
- You must be nominated for a skilled position by an approved sponsor.
- You must have the right skills to do the job.
- You must meet the relevant English language requirements.
More information on the eligibility requirements for each stream and how to apply can be found here.
New core skills occupation list
On 3 December 2024, the Australian Government announced the release of the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL).
The new CSOL fulfils the Government’s commitment to replace complex, out of date and inflexible occupation lists in Australia’s temporary skilled visa program. The CSOL is a single consolidated list, informed by labour market analysis and stakeholder consultations by Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) that provides access to temporary skilled migration for 456 occupations.
The CSOL will apply to the Core Skills stream of the new Skills in Demand visa. The CSOL will also apply to the Direct Entry stream of the permanent Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) visa.
Find out more
Further information on Australia’s new Skills in Demand visa can be found here.
