Legislative changes will soon allow workers to be sponsored for a Subclass 482 Visa with just one year of relevant work experience – a reduction from the previous requirement of two years. This will provide employers greater flexibility to sponsor suitably skilled and qualified workers, complementing several policy changes that were made earlier in the year for 482 Visa work experience requirements – find out more below.

Written by Sheila Woods (MARN: 0533879) of Interstaff  3 December 2024

You can also read on to explore our key takeaways from the Migration Institute of Australia (MIA) National Conference on other skilled visa changes expected before the end of the year, such as the new Skilled in Demand Visa and the new Subclass 858 National Innovation Visa.

Policy Changes Related to 482 Visa Work Experience

In addition to reducing the work experience requirement for 482 Visas, migration policies have been updated in the below ways to make it easier for employers to sponsor migrant workers:

• There is no longer an expectation that the applicant’s work experience be undertaken in the last five years;
• There is no requirement for the work experience to have been undertaken in a full-time capacity (although work experience obtained through full-time work is preferred and would weigh strongly in Department of Home Affairs’ assessments) and;
• Previous work does not have to be continuous to count towards the work experience requirement.

Update on the Skills in Demand Visa

The Skills in Demand Visa will provide:

• A visa period of up to 4 years
• A clear pathway to Permanent Residence (PR)
• A reduced Work Experience Requirement of one year

It will have 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:
• For skilled migrants with an occupation listed on a new Core Skills Occupation List.
• Migrants must earn at least the Core Skills Income Threshold.
• Labour Agreement Stream:
• Likely to be for industry-specific labour requirements.
• The TSS Labour Agreement Stream will be renamed the Skills in Demand Labour Agreement Stream.

New Subclass 858 National Innovation Visa 

The National Innovation Visa is set to replace the Global Talent Visa, and may provide a non-sponsored (invitation only) alternative to the Specialist Skills Pathway under the Skills in Demand Visa for highly skilled migrants.

Recently at the MIA Conference, the Department of Home Affairs provided an update on how the features of each pathway are expected to compare:

Established in 1988, Interstaff has over 35 years of Australian visa and migration experience and provides strategic immigration advice to businesses and individuals Australia-wide and internationally. MARN: 0533879.