Temporary Skilled Shortage visa (subclass 482 visa)
In April 2018, the Temporary Work (Skilled) visa (subclass 457 visa) was replaced with the Temporary Skilled Shortage (TSS) visa.
The TSS visa has a short-term stream and a medium-term stream. The stream you apply for is dependent on which list your occupation is on. Applicants with occupations on the Short-term Skilled Occupations List (STSOL) are eligible for a visa of up to two years on the short-term stream.
Applicants who apply for jobs on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) are eligible for a visa of up to four years on the medium-term stream, and may apply for permanent residency after three years.
To be eligible you must:
- Be nominated for a skilled position by an approved sponsor
- Have the right skills to do the job
- Meet the relevant English language requirements
What is standard business sponsorship (SBS)?
Businesses who wish to employ workers from another country first need to obtain an SBS to sponsor overseas workers on the TSS visa streams. As each application is assessed by the Department of Home Affairs, Australian companies who wish to sponsor international applicants need to show that they are legally trading in Australia and have processes in place to train local employees.
Overseas businesses with plans to expand their business in Australia, or with contracts to fulfil in the country, are also able to apply for an overseas business SBS. If granted, these foreign companies can make use of the TSS visa. The companies must declare that they have been unable to find a suitable local worker from the Australian workforce.
How to nominate a vacancy
Employers must select the role that needs to be filled from the defined list of skilled occupations. All nominated roles need to meet certain minimum criteria relating to salary and skill level.
Once a role is selected, immigration authorities will evaluate the nomination and determine whether it meets their criteria. As nominations are thoroughly examined, it is important that applications are well-prepared and correctly completed.
Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) visa
Subclass 186 is a permanent residence visa. To be eligible you must first have an employer who is prepared to nominate you in a permanent position in their business. The visa applicant needs to be under the age of 45 years, although some exemption apply in special circumstances
The Subclass 186 has three visa streams:
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The Temporary Residence Transition stream
This is for applicants who are currently in Australia on a medium-term stream TSS visa (or a 457 visa) and have worked for their employer for at least three years. The employer must sponsor the applicant’s permanent residence visa application.
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The Direct Entry stream
This stream does not require that the employer and visa applicant have ever worked together previously. The visa applicant will need a positive skills assessment and at least three years of relevant work experience is necessary to obtain this visa.
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The Agreement stream
This stream is for applicants who are sponsored by an employer through either a labour or regional migration agreement.
Additional criteria for the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186)
When applying for this visa, you will be assessed on a number of different factors, including age, English language ability, training, health, character and what the market salary rates are.
Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494)
There are two streams available under the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional visa).
Both allow you to:
- Live, work and study only in designated regional areas of Australia for five years
- Travel to and from Australia for five years
- Apply for permanent residence after three years from the time your visa is granted
Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa — Employer Sponsored stream
This stream enables regional employers to address identified labour shortages within their region by sponsoring skilled workers where employers can't source an appropriately skilled Australian worker.
To be eligible you must:
- Be nominated to work in an occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list
- Have at least three years relevant work experience in your nominated occupation
- Have a relevant skills assessment, unless an exemption applies
- Work only for your sponsor or associated entity, unless an exemption applies
- Be under 45 years of age, unless an exemption applies
- Meet minimum standards of English language proficiency
Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa — Labour Agreement stream
This stream is for skilled workers nominated by employers who have a labour agreement. Labour agreements are developed between the Australian Government (represented by the Department) and employers.
To be eligible you must:
- Be nominated to work in a specified occupation under the terms of a labour agreement
- Have at least three years relevant work experience in your nominated occupation
- Have a relevant skills assessment, if this is specified in the labour agreement
- Work only for your sponsor
- Be under 45 years of age, unless the labour agreement states otherwise
- Meet minimum standards of English language proficiency
Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa — Subsequent Entrant
This visa is for family members of a Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (SESR) (Provisional) visa (subclass 494) holder. They apply separately for their SESR visa to join the primary SESR visa holder in Australia.