In March 2018, the Australian Federal Government replaced the existing 487 visa with the Temporary Skill Shortage Visa (TSS Visa) Subclass 482. The aim was to ensure Australian workers are given first priority for jobs, while allowing businesses to temporarily access critical skills they need to grow if skilled Australians workers are not available.

The TSS visa has tightened requirements for English language, includes mandatory criminal checks and requires visa applicants to have at least two years’ work experience in their skilled occupation.

There are three streams within the TSS visa program that you can apply for:
• The short term stream (a visa for up to two years or four years if an International Trade Obligation applies).
• The medium term stream (a visa for up to four years, with eligibility to apply for permanent residency after three years.)
• The labor agreement stream (available for exceptional cases where standard visa programs are not available and there is a demonstrated need that cannot be met in the Australian labor market. A sponsor must have entered into a labor agreement with the Department).

The 482 is a great way to work in Australia for a specific period of time, knowing you are free to travel in and out of the country for the duration of your visa.

While age doesn’t matter when applying for a 482 visa, as you’d expect, there are plenty of other criteria to meet.
• For a start, assignees will need to have the specific skills/ qualifications and work experience for which there is a shortage in Australia – a full list of skills currently required here.
• The employer in Australia must act as a sponsor in order to make the visa application.
• Requirements for health, English language and character will also need to be met.

The process involves a three-step visa application process which can be completed from outside Australia. The steps must be completed in order, though it is not necessary to wait for one step to be approved before moving to the next:

Step 1: a sponsorship application must be submitted by the employer
Step 2: a nomination application for a skilled position must be completed by the employer
Step 3: a visa application must be submitted by the proposed employee

Overall, it will take upwards from 35 – 70 days for most applicants to receive an approval.