The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) declared at the 2024 MIA National Conference held in Brisbane that there will be some key changes in Australia’s skilled migration visas. Specifically, the Temporary Skill Shortage visa (SC 482), which will be changed to the “Skills in Demand Visa (SID)”, and the Global Talent visa (SC 858) will be changed to the “National Innovation Visa (NIV)”.
The SID Visa (SC 482) is a temporary skilled worker visa that can be granted for up to four years, with a pathway to permanent residency. It is a visa class meant to bridge the skill gaps that were particularly recorded in the main sectors of health, technology, engineering, and trades. With this, the Australian government expects to attract the best talents to fill pending vacancies across states. It includes three streams:
- “Specialist Skills”, for highly skilled migrants earning at least $135,000
- “Core Skills”, which introduces a new occupation list and income threshold, and
- “Labour Agreement” is a renaming of the Skilled in Demand Labour Agreement stream with a reduced work experience requirement of one year.
The existing TSS visa streams are set to close new applications by the end of 2024.
The NIV (SC 858) will replace the Global Talent Visa, targeting top-tier talent from various fields, including global researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, and international athletes and innovators. Applicants for the NIV will be invited only through an Expression of Interest (EOI) process and must be internationally renowned or highly innovative in their field.
These changes on the part of the government, however, reveal sustained economic growth and innovative efforts. The goal is that by aligning immigration with labour market requirements, Australia would be able to attract a supply of skilled workers for sustainable economic prosperity. Employers will have a greater supply of qualified applicants, and it would also be easier for migrants to go through the visa process.
In short, the immigration changes in November 2024 mark an excellent opportunity not only for employers but also for skilled professionals. New pathways for visas, with more relaxed requirements, will make Australia attractive to global talent, and this is expected to be a win-win for all parties involved.
We make every effort to update you with the latest immigration changes. To schedule a consultation with our Principal Migration Consultant, please contact us at info@transausmigration.com.au.
We are a firm of migration consultants with offices in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and Melbourne, Australia.
