Subclass 482 Visa work experience requirement slashed to 1 year
As part of the Australian Government’s 2024-25 Federal Budget, the Federal Government has announced that they will be reducing the work experience requirement for Temporary Skill Shortage (Subclass 482) Visas from two (2) years down to only one (1) year, and that this change will take effect on 23 November 2024.
Excerpt from the 2024-25 Budget Papers.
The reduction in the work experience requirement means that skilled migrants in Australia, including international students graduating from an educational institution in Australia may now be able to access an earlier pathway to permanent residence through an employer sponsored visa after obtaining 1 year of full-time work experience in a nominated occupation. This will hopefully help alleviate any concerns arising from the Australian Government’s proposal to shorten the validity periods for Temporary Graduate (Subclass 485) Visa applications lodged after 1 July 2024, and also make it easier for Australian businesses with skills shortages to sponsor overseas workers to work within a nominated position in their business.
Graduates who are unable to apply for a Temporary Graduate (Subclass 485) Visa to the proposed age limit of 35 from 1 July 2024 onward may also now have a pathway to permanent residence from the Temporary Skill Shortage (Subclass 482) Visa through to the Temporary Residence Transition stream of the Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186) Visa, as long as they have the requisite qualifications and at least one (1) year of work experience to work for a sponsoring employer in a nominated occupation in Australia.
Nonetheless, this change will only come into effect from 23 November 2024 onward, so current Student (Subclass 500) Visa Holders who are affected by the reduction of age limit for the Subclass 485 Visa from 1 July 2024 and whose visas expire before they can benefit from this change on 23 November 2024, are encouraged to seek professional advice about their options in the intervening time.
But how much longer will the Subclass 482 Visa be around with the new Skills in Demand Visa in development?
Since the Australian Government has announced its intention to effectively replace the Temporary Skill Shortage (Subclass 482) Visa Program with a new Skills in Demand Visa in “late 2024”, it remains to be seen:
when the Skills in Demand Visa will actually be implemented in “late 2024” and whether this will immediately replace the Subclass 482 Visa Program;
when the Subclass 482 Visa Program will be closed to new applications since the work experience requirement is being reduced from two years to one year from 23 November 2024 onwards, which is already in late 2024; and
whether the 1-year work experience requirement will also be carried across to the Skills in Demand Visa.
If you wish to discuss your eligibility for a Temporary Skill Shortage (Subclass 482) Visa or the upcoming Skills in Demand Visa based on information that is presently available, please email info@inclusivemigration.com.au or submit an enquiry using the contact form on our website.
