Immigration

Australia | New details on the Skills in Demand visa released

Summary

The Department of Home Affairs provided an update on the incoming Skills in Demand visa at a Migration Institute of Australia Conference last week. As outlined in our earlier alerts, the Skills in Demand visa will replace the current Temporary Skills Shortage (subclass 482) visa (TSS visa) by the end of 2024.

In addition, a new National Innovation Visa will be introduced before the end of 2024 to replace the Global Talent and Business Innovation and Investment visa programs.

The detail

The new Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa will:

• commence before the end of 2024
• have a validity of up to four years
• provide a clear pathway to permanent residence
• Be comprised of 3 streams
  • Specialist Skills stream: For highly skilled migrants earning at least $135,000 in any occupation
    except trades workers, machinery operators, drivers and labourers;
  • Core Skills stream: be for skilled employees with occupations on the new Core Skills
    occupation List and who meet a new Core Skills Income Threshold (expected to align with the
    current TSMIT of $73,150); and
  • Skills in Demand Labour Agreement stream: This will be similar to the current ‘Labor Agreement’ stream of the TSS visa
•  Have a reduced work experience requirement, down to one year of relevant work experience

Existing Short-term and Medium-term streams of the TSS visa will close to new applications with the implementation of the Skills in Demand visa.

The new National Innovation Visa (subclass 858) will:

• replace the Global Talent visa
• cater for a broad range of high calibre talent with a diversity of backgrounds such as:
  • global researchers and thought leaders e.g. published in leading journals, high levels of
    publications and citations, recipients of top of field awards;
  • entrepreneurs both established and emerging with lessons taken from successful State and
    Territory led initiatives;
  • innovative investors with a focus on the quality of investment, not simple thresholds; and
  • athletes and creatives particularly those that represent Australia internationally.
• be by invitation only with the Express of Interest process more closely reflecting that of other ‘invitation
  only’ Skilled visas.
• commence before the end of 2024

Contact us

For a deeper discussion on the above, please reach out to your Vialto Partners point of contact, or alternatively:

Stacey Tsui
Partner & Principal Solicitor

Cherie Wright
Partner & Principal Solicitor

Fariha Islam
Director

John O’Brien
Director

Arathi Tekkam
Director

Further information on Vialto Partners can be found here: www.vialtopartners.com

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