NEW "SKILLS IN DEMAND" VISA- Coming soon!
Big changes are underway in Australia's immigration landscape as the announcement for a new "SKILLS IN DEMAND” VISA has been unveiled. The Australian immigration system is gearing up for a significant revamp, aiming to attract individuals with the skills the country needs.
In this blog post, we'll explore the key details about this new visa and what it means for prospective immigrants.
What We Know So Far:
The New Visa Streams: According to the Migration Strategy plan released last December 2023, the upcoming visa will be available in three streams, each designed to identify and accommodate the specific skills Australia is in need of:
Specialist Skills Pathway, to drive innovation and job creation:
This pathway will be for highly skilled workers and welcomes applications from nearly all occupations (except trades workers, machinery operators and drivers, and labourers).
The primary requirement will be an annual salary of at least $135,000.
An annual cap of available spots will most likely be enforced.
Core Skills Pathway, to bring in the skilled employees Australia needs now and in the future:
Individuals seeking sponsorship through this stream will have an occupation listed in the relevant Core Skills Occupation list, with salaries ranging from $70,000 to $135,000 per year.
This pathway is expected to be central, covering a majority of the visa applications. Unlike the Specialist Skills Pathway, trades workers, machinery operators and drivers, and labourers will be eligible to apply.
The Core Skills occupation list will be regularly updated to reflect Australia's evolving needs for skilled workers.
Essential Skills Pathway:
This stream will be for workers with skills essential to Australia, but their salaries are below $70,000.
Initially, the department is expected to open this stream to applicants employed in aged care and disability assistance sectors. However, this pathway is still considered an area for future reform, with consultations scheduled to begin in early to mid-2024.
Additional Highlights:
Sponsor Transfers: Sponsors can be transferred within 180 days instead of the current 60 days.
Expanded Work Opportunities: Unlike the current restriction where individuals can only work for the nominating employer, Skills in Demand visa holders will be able to work for multiple employers. Employment with any approved employer will count towards permanent residence requirements.
It's important to note that these changes are not yet officially legislated, and the exact timeline for implementation remains uncertain (we expect them to become active from late 2024). As of now, the existing work visas like TSS 482, ENS 186, and Regional 494 remain in effect.
For more information on these visas and recent reforms already in place, click here.
Stay tuned for the latest updates on immigration and visas in Australia!
Expanding Employer Sponsored Pathways to Permanent Residence (PR)!
Important updates for subclass 482 (or 457) visa holders!
To ensure that temporary skilled workers have a pathway to PR, the Department of Home Affairs is working on changes to the:
Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) (TSS) visa
Temporary Residence Transition stream (TRT) of the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) (ENS) visa
Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (subclass 187) (RSMS) visa
Key Points of the reform:
PR pathways for 482 visa holders regardless of their occupation
Access to the 186 TRT/ 187 TRT visa after 2 years with the same employer (currently 3).
Applies to 186 TRT/ 187 TRT visa applications lodged on/after 25 November 2023* (and applications already lodged that are yet to be finalised as at 25/11/2023)
We are ready to assist you with these upcoming changes. Contact us for guidance on how this could benefit your future in Australia!
*Pending regulation approval.