The 482 visa has undergone a fundamental transformation, with the Skills in Demand (SID) visa replacing the Temporary Skills and Shortage (TSS) visa effective 7 December 2024. Corresponding changes to the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) Subclass 186 permanent visa have also been implemented.

These reforms represent a huge shift in Australia's skilled migration system, requiring both hiring employers and skilled migrants to adapt and reassess their migration strategies.

We’ll walk you through the key changes to the Subclass 482 visa (now the Skills in Demand visa), highlighting the new visa streams, occupation lists, changed work experience requirements, and their implications for employers and workers.

All nominations and visa applications for a TSS visa made before 7 December will be assessed against the requirements that were in force at the time that the application was made.

•  Base application charge – $3,115;
• Additional application charge for an application who is at least 18 years old – $3,115;
• Additional application charge for an applicant who is less than 18 years old – $780.

These figures are consistent with the amounts that currently apply to applicants for the Medium-term stream of the TSS visa.

How are skilled workers and visa applicants impacted?

Current TSS visa holders face a complex migration landscape with significant implications for their job mobility. There are 125 fewer occupations eligible for the Core Skills stream, meaning certain occupations previously available under the TSS are excluded from the new CSOL and will not qualify for the Core Skills Stream of the SID visa. However, these occupations may be eligible for other visa pathways, including permanent visas.

The ability to change employers and secure ongoing visa status will depend on your specific occupation and income level. Professionals in CSOL-listed roles or those who meet the Specialist Skills stream income threshold will experience greater employment flexibility. For others, the path forward will involve reassessing migration options, whether that’s to find work in a new occupation, explore alternative visa pathways, or leave Australia.

Overall, the changes introduce greater flexibility and opportunity for skilled migrants. Reducing work experience to one year and allowing part-time/casual work makes attaining an SID visa easier. More flexible mobility provisions give workers more time to find a new job, reducing vulnerability to exploitation and providing more career control. And now that permanent residency is available to ALL streams of the SID visa, skilled migrants now have more certainty with regards to staying long-term in Australia (more on this in our upcoming Newsflash covering the ENS 186 permanent visa).

Employers benefit from a streamlined, skills-focused system that simplifies the sponsorship process. The Specialist Skills stream enables quick access to high-value talent, while the Core Skills stream maintains a substantial occupation list. However, higher income thresholds in the Specialist Skills stream may create barriers for smaller businesses seeking specialised but not extremely high-paid talent.

With skilled migrants gaining greater flexibility to change employers, businesses may need to reassess recruitment and employment retention strategies, as well as become more competitive in their compensation and benefit packages to attract and retain top talent.

Additionally, an employer’s obligation to ensure the primary sponsored person works or participates in the nominated occupation, program or activity will end when the primary sponsored person ceases employment for them, rather than when they obtain a new sponsor. This ensures that sponsors are not in breach of their obligations where they no longer sponsor a migrant on a skilled visa, and the worker makes use of mobility provisions and works in an occupation other than their nominated occupation while they find a new employer.

Given the complexity of the migration reforms to the 482 visa program, existing visa holders, potential applicants, and employers should consider taking the following actions:

• Review current visa status, occupation classifications, and income levels to understand how the new regulations may affect existing or planned migration strategies
  
  
• Engage a qualified registered migration agent or lawyer to:
  • understand how the changes will affect or constrain individual professional trajectories and/or organisational workforce planning
  • make informed decisions about specific visa options, potential employer transitions, sponsorship obligations, and long-term professional mobility
  • help develop tailored migration approaches
    
    
• Prepare contingency plans that may include exploring alternative job opportunities, other visa pathways, or potential relocation options.