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As part of the Australian Government’s Migration Strategy, the Department of Home Affairs established the new Subclass 482 Skills in Demand (SID) visa on 7 December 2024, replacing the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa. This new visa offers clear pathways to permanent residency via the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme visa.

The SID visa is a temporary employer-sponsored visa that permits visa holders to stay in Australia for up to four years.

Notable changes in the SID visa include:

1. 1. Adjusted work experience requirements—the requirement has been reduced from two years to one year of relevant full-time (or equivalent part-time or casual) work experience within the last five years.
   2. Permanent residency pathway—All full-time sponsored work experience gained in Australia while on a SID or TSS visa will be considered for a Subclass 186 visa application in the Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream.
   3. Updated occupation list: A Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) has been established to provide a consolidated and up-to-date list of occupations that are currently in demand in Australia. This new list replaces the previous three occupation lists used for the TSS visa and the Subclass 186 visa in the Direct Entry stream.

The SID visa comprises three main streams:

1. 1. Core Skills stream;
   2. Specialist Skills stream; and
   3. Labour Agreement stream.

Core Skills stream 

To qualify under this stream, an applicant must:

1. 1. Have an occupation listed on the CSOL;
   2. Be offered a salary that meets or exceeds the new Core Skills Income Threshold of AUD 73,150;
   3. Possess a minimum of one year of relevant work experience in an occupation on the CSOL list; and
   4. Obtain the prescribed English language test scores.

Specialist Skills Stream

To qualify under this stream, applicants must:

1. 1. Be offered an annual salary of AUD 135,000 or more;
   2. Be employed in a profession categorised under ANZSCO Major groups 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6. This does not include trades, machinery operations, drivers or labourers (which fall within ANZSCO Major Groups 3, 7, and 8).
   3. Meet the necessary English language requirements.

According to the Department of Home Affairs website, the estimated processing time for this stream is around 7 days.

Labour Agreement Stream

This stream is intended for applicants whose occupations are not included in the CSOL and who do not satisfy the income criteria for the Specialist Skills Stream.

If you would like to discuss your eligibility for the SID visa or any other visa, please do not hesitate to contact us to arrange an initial consultation with one of our experienced migration lawyers.