Australian Skills in Demand visa - subclass 482

The Australian government has replaced the Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) visa and introduced a Skills in Demand (SID) visa (subclass 482). The Skills in Demand visa enables employers to address labour shortages by sponsoring skilled overseas highly skilled workers who will bring significant economic benefits to Australia and enables employers to access these skills quickly through streamlined processing arrangements.

The Skills in Demand visa is a temporary visa which allows the holder to live and work in Australia for up to 4 years' with a potential pathway to apply for permanent residence in Australia.

Before you can apply for a Skills in Demand visa, the employer must have submitted an application to become a standard business sponsor and a nomination describing the position to be filled including job tasks and salary.

The Skills in Demand visa has 3 visa streams:

Specialist Skills Stream

The Specialist Skills Stream is for applicants in any ANZSCO occupation with an income threshold of $135,000 or more and excludes occupations in ANZSCO Major Groups 3, 7 and 8 such as trade workers, machinery operators,  drivers, and labourers. 

Core Skills Stream

The Core Skills Stream is for applicants with an occupation on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) which replaces all occupations on the TSS occupation pathway and comprises of 456 occupations and with an income threshold of $73,150 or above.

Labour Agreement Stream

 Labour Agreement stream, which carries over existing settings from the TSS visa while further development of the proposed Essential Skills stream takes place. The nominated occupation must be the subject of a labour agreement between the Commonwealth and the nominator.

Eligibility requirements

All applicants must meet the following basic eligibility requirements:

• be nominated for a skilled position by an approved sponsor.
• have relevant skills and work experience to fill the nominated position
• meet the relevant English language requirements
• Have a minimum of 12 months’ full-time employment, or equivalent period of part-time or casual work , within the five years that immediately preceded the date of the visa application. 

Visa Application Charge (VAC)

The base visa application charge is A$3,115 per adult aged 18 years' or over plus A£780 for an applicant who is less than 18. Other costs include English language tests, health checks, police certificates and biometrics.

Skilling Australians Fund

The Migration (Skilling Australians Fund will remain the same that currently applies to the Temporary Skill Shortage visa.

Labour Market Testing (LMT)

LMT is mandatory for subclass 482 so as to ensure that Australian citizens and permanent residents have priority to fill vacant positions. LMT does not need to be undertaken if international trade obligations apply or if an applicant's annual earnings are A$250,000 or more.

English

To prove you have competent English you will  need to evidence that you are a citizen of and hold a valid passport issued by the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, New Zealand or the Republic of Ireland. All other applicants will need to achieve an IELTS score (or equivalent) of level 5 overall, with a minimum of 5 in each component of reading, writing, listening and speaking. 

Travel

You can travel outside Australia and return as many times as you want while the visa is valid. The time you spend outside Australia does not extend the visa.

Work

Conditions attached to a subclass 482 visa include that you work in Australia only in the occupation you were nominated for and only for your nominating business or in some circumstances, an associated entity of the business. You must begin your employment within 90 days of entering Australia or on the visa grant date, if you are in Australia when  the visa is granted.

Pathway to Permanent Residency

To be considered for permanent residence junder the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) - Temporary Residence Transition Stream, applicants must complete 2 years of full-time employment in the same occupation in Australia within the last 3 years'. This can may be with multiple sponsors, as long as the total employment duration is continuous (excluding unpaid leave).

What services can I expect to receive from Concept Australia?

Concept Australia has been assisting people since 1991 to obtain temporary work visas for Australia.  All of our staff are based permanently in the UK and have previously been employed by the Department of Home Affairs (DHA). Concept Australia works directly with its clients and does not sub-contract work out to other companies or individuals. The visa process requires sponsorship and nomination approval before you can apply for a subclass 482 visa. Concept Australia will take responsibility for the entire management of your subclass 482 visa application so as to ensure that your case runs as smoothly as possible.

Our services include:

•    A zoom or telephone consultation to explain each stage of the 482 visa process
•    Liaison with your employer to assist with the sponsorship and nomination process
•    Electronic completion of all forms
•    Overview of items needed to support the sponsorship, nomination and visa application
•    Attaching all relevant documents to the ImmiAccount
•    Management of your application with the DHA until your visa is granted

Why should I only use an agent registered with MARA?

The Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA) is managed by the DHA who is responsible for monitoring the conduct of registered migration agents both in and outside Australia. MARA approves continuing professional development activities of all registered agents to ensure they maintain up-to-date knowledge of migration law and procedure so that only the highest level of advice and assistance is provided to prospective applicants.

The DHA strongly advise that if you need assistance with the visa process that you should only appoint an agent who is registered with the MARA. A person who is not registered cannot offer you legal protection and you run the risk of being exposed to migration fraud by someone who has limited knowledge on immigration procedures and who is not accountable for his/her actions.

Fees payable to Concept Australia

Fees charged by Concept Australia will be determined by our involvement with the sponsorship, nomination and visa application stages and whether the sponsor is based in Australia or overseas. Once we have assessed the requirements of both the sponsor and applicant, a detailed estimate will be issued setting out our fees and the services you can expect to receive from Concept Australia.  

The most Frequently Asked Questions we receive from subclass 482 applicants are:

•    What is the difference between a subclass 482 and subclass 400 visa?
•    Would I be eligible to apply for permanent residence in Australia?
•    Could I be eligible if I only have work experience?
•    Will I need to undergo a skills assessment?
•    Is there a minimum salary that my employer has to pay me?
•    Will my employer need to undertake labour market testing?
•    What happens if I change employers?
•    Can I work in a different position to the one specified in the nomination?
•    Can I get health care in Australia or do I need private insurance?
•    Can my spouse work in Australia?
•    Can I apply for a subclass 482 visa if I am in Australia?
•    Is there an age limit applied to 482 visa applicants?

If these are the type of questions you are asking, it is time to talk to Concept Australia.

Telephone our subclass 482 visa specialist for more information

If you would like to know more about the TSS 482 visa process and how the migration regulations will be applied to you and your prospective employer, please telephone Concept Australia on 020 8315 6700 and talk to our specialist, Jane Smith or complete the Enquiry form below and submit your details to Concept Australia.