Australian Government Decided That 457 Visa Abolished and 488 TSS Visa Program Replacement Implemented
As of the 18th of March 2018, the Department Of Home Affairs has decided that 457 visa abolished replaced it with the Temporary Skill Shortage Visa (Subclass 482).
The Temporary Skill Shortage Visa (Subclass 482) or TSS Visa allows employers to seek overseas workers to temporarily fill skilled positions when an employer cannot source a qualified and appropriately skilled Australian employee to fill that position.
This means that Australian workers will get priority.
So what are the changes and how will this effect current 457 visa holders after 457 visa abolished?
Due to the decision of 457 visa abolished, any new visa applicant will no longer be able to apply for the 457 visa but will be able to apply for the TSS Visa 482 in one of two options (2 year or 4 years).
There are also changes to the number of, and type of occupations available to be applied for under the new visa program.
Previously on the 457 visa program over 650 jobs were available to 457 visa applicants.
That number has changed significantly and fewer job types are now available for skilled overseas workers.
A new visa applicant will also have tighter eligibility requirements than the previous 457 visa.
For example, an applicant MUST have the skills to fill a nominated position.
There will be tightened English language requirements,
a minimum of 2 years work experience,
one onshore visa renewal only for those who have applied under the short term stream (this rule however does not apply to existing subclass 457 visa holders who are seeking their first TSS visa),
and for those who have applied under the medium term stream the opportunity to apply for visa renewal onshore and permanent residence eligibility after three years.
These are just some of the changes and eligibility criteria.
For those already holding a 457 visa, the Department of Home Affairs will allow you to continue holding the 457 visa until its expiration date.
This is called the “grandfathering arrangement”.
A current 457 visa holder will only be impacted by the new changes should they seek to apply for a new visa or decide to change employers.
Not only do the changes and new rules apply to applicants, there are also changes in obligations and eligibility for the sponsor or employer.
From 18 March 2018, businesses already approved as standard business sponsors will continue to be able to sponsor a worker under the new TSS visa until their existing sponsorship expires.
Once an existing sponsorship expires, sponsors would need to reapply for sponsorship to be able to continue to sponsor overseas skilled workers.
Australian business sponsors which do not apply for sponsorship renewal before their current sponsorship ceases, will need to lodge a new sponsorship application.
This means tighter obligations and requirements must be met by the employer.
For example training benchmarks and mandatory labour market testing, just to name a few.
The changes in regulations, obligations and the abolishment of the 457 visa ensures that Australian workers have priority for Australian jobs and provides a reasonable structure and fair system for bringing skilled overseas workers to Australia.
Where I Can Seek More Information About This?
If you are unsure about the changes or for further details or clarification on the 482 TSS visa program, please contact our expert team today at ONE derland Consulting on +61 89 477 5831.
As a registered migration agency, we works closely with DIBP and keep getting the latest official update about any Australian visa.
We would be delighted to help you with any of your queries.
Alternatively you can send us question about 482 subclass visa program in our contact pages.
