Month: November 2024

skills-in-demand-visa

SKILLS IN DEMAND VISA- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Posted by Rebecca Berkovic on

With Australia’s work visa landscape on the verge of significant change with the abolition of the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS)(subclass 482) visa program and introduction of the Skills in Demand (SID) visa, additional information has been provided by the Australian Government regarding the SID visa. The new visa is intended to revolutionise the Australian visa work visa program and better address genuine skills shortage in the Australian labour market.

In our previous article regarding initial requirements for the Skills in Demand visa, we mentioned the three streams, namely:

  • The Specialist Skills Pathway for applicants earning a base salary of over AU$135,000 per annum in specific fields;
  • The Core Skills Pathway for applicants earning a base salary of over AU$73,150 which will largely mirror the TSS subclass 482 visa and will require applicants to have an occupation on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL); and
  • The Essential Skills Pathway designed for specific industries with immediate labour shortages.

The additional changes to the replacement SID Australian work visa program include the following:

  1. Work experience requirement: Under the SID visa, applicants will only be required to have one year of relevant work experience, leading to increased accessibility for skilled overseas professionals.
  2. Increased flexibility to transfer sponsors: Under the SID visa, holders will have greater potential for mobility with 180 days given to find a new sponsor.
  3. Skilling Australia Fund visa levy: In order to reflect the greater flexibility of visa applicants under the SID program being able to transfer employers, the Australian Government has stated that the Skilling Australia Fund levy which currently is required to be paid up front for all the years of visa sponsorship will instead be able to be paid in instalments.
  4. Australian Permanent Residency will not reset when transferring employers: Under the SID visa, the Australian Government has stated that time counted towards permanent residency will not reset when a visa holder changes employers as it does under the current system.
  5. Public Register of Approved Sponsors: The Australian Government will introduce a public database of approved sponsors intended to increase transparency of standard business sponsorship.

The introduction of the SID visa in the near future will usher in a host of changes to the Australian work visa program. It will provide a wider pool of applicants where only one year or work experience is required and increased flexibility for visa applicants transferring employers. We look forward to guiding our clients through the new requirements when sponsoring skilled overseas employees through the SID visa program.

Disclaimer:

The information on this website is intended only to provide a summary and general overview on relevant matters. It is not intended to be comprehensive nor does it constitute legal advice. You are advised to seek legal or other professional advice before acting or relying on any of the content contained in this website.

skills-in-demand-visa

Skills in Demand Visa Information

Posted by Rebecca Berkovic on

With the Skills in Demand visa on the verge of replacing the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS)(subclass 482) visa program potentially before the end of 2024, more details have become available regarding the new Australian work visa program.

The main change to the Australian work visa program will be the introduction of the new three-tiered visa system which will divide applicants based on their annual earnings and occupations. The new Skills in Demand visa is intended to address labour skills shortages in Australia whilst also introducing greater flexibility for temporary overseas workers to find another sponsor if their employment ceases or change sponsors and provides a clear pathway to Australian permanent residency for visa holders.

The three visa streams of the Skill in Demand visa program are intended to contain the following requirements:

Stream 1: Specialist Skills Pathway  

Stream 2: Core Skills Pathway

 

 Stream 3: Essential Skills Pathway
 

  • No skilled occupation list will be provided however it seems that trade workers, machine operators, drivers and labourers will be excluded.
  • Guaranteed annual earnings of over AU$135,000 will be required which is intended to be indexed on an annual basis.
  • Priority processing will be given to this stream with the Australian Government stating that a 7-day median processing time is intended.

 

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  • Jobs and Skills Australia is intended to provide a regularly updated ‘Core Skills Occupation List’ (CSOL). Visa applicants will be required to meet the definition of an occupation on the CSOL.
  • Guaranteed annual earnings of over AU$73,150 will be required which is to be indexed on an annual basis.
  

  • This stream will apply to occupations where annual earnings are under AU$73,150 but working in ‘essential skill occupations.’
  • This pathway is still under assessment and likely to be sector-specific and include a stronger regulatory framework as well as potentially being capped and with minimum standards introduced.

 

 

 

The Skills in Demand visa set to replace the TSS subclass 482 visa, is intended to be granted for a four year period. The exact requirements will be announced by the Australian Government once the new visa comes into effect. It is intended that all three tiers- the Specialist Skills, Core Skills and Essential Skills streams will act as a pathway to Australian permanent residency.

We will keep you updated with new developments regarding the introduction of the Skills in Demand visa and will advise when it replaces the TSS subclass 482 visa program.

Disclaimer:

The information on this website is intended only to provide a summary and general overview on relevant matters. It is not intended to be comprehensive nor does it constitute legal advice. You are advised to seek legal or other professional advice before acting or relying on any of the content contained in this website.

What’s Next for Australian Work and Business Innovation Visas?

Posted by Rebecca Berkovic on

The Australian Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has stated that significant changes will occur to the Australian work visa and business innovation visa programs. The major changes will be as follows:

  • The Skills in Demand visa will replace the current Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS)(subclass 482) visa.
  • The National Innovation visa will replace the current Global Talent and Business Innovation visas.

The DHA has advised that the new visa programs will include the following features:

Skills in Demand Visa:

  • Four year duration;
  • Pathway to Australian permanent residency;
  • One year relevant work experience.; and
  • Three separate visa streams with their own discrete requirements, including:
    1. Specialist visa stream
    2. Core visa stream
    3. Essential visa stream.

National Innovation Visa:

  • Will require an invitation to be issued by the DHA prior to lodging a visa application;
  • Intended to attract ‘exceptionally talented’ migrants who will drive growth in sectors of national importance to Australia; and
  • Intended to target entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, creatives and athletes.

The new Skills in Demand visa and National Innovation visa programs are expected to be introduced by the end of 2024.

Specific details and requirements of the new visa programs are still yet to be revealed by the Australian Government. We will keep you updated as the new visa programs are introduced.

Disclaimer:

The information on this website is intended only to provide a summary and general overview on relevant matters. It is not intended to be comprehensive nor does it constitute legal advice. You are advised to seek legal or other professional advice before acting or relying on any of the content contained in this website.

3 Tips for Newly Established Australian Businesses Sponsoring Overseas Employees

Posted by Rebecca Berkovic on

Your company began the recruitment process for an important role in the business. The best candidate with the skills and experience you need to fill the role turns out to not be an Australian permanent resident or citizen. However, you need this role filled by the best candidate.

Sponsorship enables an Australian company (or overseas company in certain situations) greater flexibility to hire the best and most skilled and experienced candidate for the role.

However, what happens if your company is a start-up?

What happens if you have been operating for less than 12 months?

If your company has been operating in Australia for less than 12 months, it is considered to be a ‘newly established’ business under the Migration Regulations. Newly established businesses are still able to sponsor skilled overseas employees for Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS)(subclass 482) and Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) (subclass 494) visas as a ‘standard business sponsor.’

Here are three tips in being able to sponsor:

Tip 1:

Bank Statement

If you are running a newly established business it is important to show that you will be able to afford to pay the salaries of your employees and show that you have sufficient cashflow to continue to operate your business.

Since you will not have built up significant financial records, providing a bank statement for the company will assist you in showing that you meet the requirements to register as a standard business sponsor.

Tip 2:

Business Plan

Having a detailed business plan for a newly established business is an important part of showing the Australian Department of Home Affairs that the business.

Tip 3:

Support from your Accountant

It can be helpful to enlist the support of your accountant and provide a letter of support for the business when applying to become a standard business sponsor. Your accountant can provide information about the business and cash projections

Do you need assistance registering your business as a sponsor to give you more flexibility in your hiring solutions?

Please feel free to contact Hartman Immigration.

Disclaimer:

The information on this website is intended only to provide a summary and general overview on relevant matters. It is not intended to be comprehensive nor does it constitute legal advice. You are advised to seek legal or other professional advice before acting or relying on any of the content contained in this website.