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Australia's New Skills in Demand Visa: Key Details

by DD Staff

December 19, 2024

Australia

key takeaways

With effect from December 7, 2024, Australia has introduced a new three-stream Skills in Demand (SID) visa scheme. The Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) visa has been replaced by this new visa, which provides talented individuals with multiple options for living and working in Australia.

Key features of the SID Visa Program: The new visa program consists of three primary streams:

Specialist Skills Pathway: Designed to drive innovation and job creation.

Essential Skills Pathway: This replaces the Labour Agreement stream and is currently under development.

Core Skills Pathway: The most commonly used stream for meeting targeted workforce needs.

The new Skills in Demand (SID) visa gives skilled workers more flexibility and a quicker route to permanent citizenship, according to Australia's Department of Home Affairs.

Visa holders are permitted to enter and exit Australia on several occasions while their visa is valid. Furthermore, qualified professionals can now apply for permanent residency more easily because the work experience requirement has been lowered to one year.

Candidates must have appropriate work experience and fulfil the same English language standards as those applying for a TSS visa in order to be eligible for a SID visa.

New Core Skills Occupation List

To expedite the skilled migration procedure, the Department of Home Affairs has recently published a revised Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL). This list, which is relevant to the Skills in Demand (SID) visa's Core Skills Pathway, includes more than 450 jobs in a variety of industries, such as healthcare, technology, construction, and more.

Candidates must earn between AUD 70,000 and AUD 135,000 in order to be eligible for the Core Skills Pathway. The Specialist Skills Pathway may be available to those making more than AUD 135,000. This streamlined strategy seeks to alleviate labour shortages in important industries and draw in talented workers.

Additionally, the Department has announced that the direct entry stream of the Permanent Employer Nomination Scheme will also be covered by the revised Core Skills Occupation List, which was created based on stakeholder consultations and labour market analysis. We expect further information about the SID visa program in the days ahead.

The Department also declared that the TSS visa application period ended on December 6, 2024. Applications that are still pending and filed before this date will be handled in accordance with the present setup. If they fulfil the requirements, current TSS visa holders are still eligible to apply for permanent residency.

SID Visa: A streamlined path to Australian residency

Multiple entry: SID visa holders can travel to and from Australia multiple times during the visa's validity.

Extended stay: Most visa holders can work in Australia for up to four years, with Hong Kong passport holders eligible for a five-year stay.

Pathway to permanent residency: The SID visa provides a clear pathway to permanent residency, with a reduced work experience requirement of one year.

Simplified occupation list: The Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) consolidates multiple skilled occupation lists, offering a broader range of eligible occupations.