Department of Home Affairs re-affirms implementation of the Skills in Demand Visa - coming by the end of 2024
We recently discussed migration changes and updates that have occurred in 2024 as well as potential changes which may be forthcoming by the end of 2024, including the implementation of the upcoming Skills in Demand visa which is intended to replace the current Temporary Skill Shortage (Subclass 482) visa.
On Friday 1 November 2024, the a representative of the Department of Home Affairs reportedly indicated at a migration conference that the Skills in Demand visa will in fact be superseding the Temporary Skill Shortage (Subclass 482) visa by the end of 2024, and that it may likely have the following features -
require one (1) year of work experience
have 3 main streams, being the Specialist Skills Pathway, the Core Skills Pathway and a Labour Agreement Pathway
retain the same Subclass 482 as the current Temporary Skill Shortage visa
The implementation of the Skills in Demand visa would effectively close the short-term and medium to long-term streams of the current Temporary Skill Shortage (Subclass 482) visa program, which means that once the Skills in Demand visa comes into effect, applicants who are not working in professional occupations with a proposed annual salary of at least AUD135,000 would only be eligible to be sponsored for a Skills in Demand visa if -
they meet a minimum income threshold (likely to be around at least AUD73,150) and are being nominated in an occupation on the Core Skills Occupation List; or
are eligible to be sponsored for a Skills in Demand visa under a Labour Agreement (unless the Department subsequently introduces the previously announced Essential Skills Pathway to the Skills in Demand visa program which they have yet to revisit or elaborate on).
For a full list of the occupations that may or may not be available on the Core Skills Occupation List, check out our free guide on all the occupations which have been canvassed by Jobs and Skills Australia, a government body which has been responsible for providing independent advice on current, emerging and future workforce, skills and training needs. Jobs and Skills Australia has published a draft Core Skills Occupation List and classed current occupations available for the Temporary Skill Shortage (Subclass 482) visa into three (3) main categories (i.e. Confident On List, Confident Off List and Targeted for Consultation), providing an indication of what the final Core Skills Occupation List may look like.
If your occupation is in the Confident Off List or Targeted for Consultation, and you are already eligible to apply for a Temporary Skill Shortage (Subclass 482) visa, it may be prudent to explore your current immigration and/or visa options before the Skills in Demand visa is implemented, noting that we are less than two (2) months away from the end of 2024, which effectively means that the Skills in Demand visa could replace the current Temporary Skill Shortage (Subclass 482) visa any day now.
Our immigration lawyers at Inclusive Migration have extensive experience in advising prospective migrants to Australia about their employer-sponsored, skilled migration and family migration options in Australia. Should you wish to discuss your eligibility for migration to Australia through employer-sponsored and/or general skilled migration pathways, please email info@inclusivemigration.com.au or submit an enquiry using the contact form on our website.
