Temporary Work Visas
Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) Visa
Lets people with certain skills to carry out short-term, highly specialised work in Australia.
Temporary Activity Visa
Lets people do specific types of work on a short term, temporary basis.
Skills in Demand Visa
Temporary Graduate Visa
Lets international students live, work and study in Australia after they have finished studies.
Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa
Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) Visa
Lets skilled workers, who are sponsored by an employer, to live and work in regional Australia.
Temporary Work
(Short Stay Specialist) Visa
This temporary visa lets people with certain skills to carry out short-term, highly specialised work in Australia.
Basic requirements
The applicant must:
- have highly specialised skills, knowledge or experience that can help Australian business and can't reasonably be found in Australia
- only do work that is non-ongoing (ie. completed within 6 months or less)
- only do the work or activities for which their visa is granted
Other Requirements
- Generally for stays longer than 3 months, a strong business case must be provided with the application.
- In certain cases, a visa holder can stay for up to 6 months.
- This visa must be applied for offshore (ie. outside of Australia) and cannot be extended.
- Applicants can bring family members to Australia, but they are not permitted to work or study, except to do a language training program
Training Visa
This temporary visa lets people undertake work training activities to improve skills for a job or an area of study in Australia.
Basic requirements
Sponsors must be one of the following types of organisations:
- an organisation lawfully operating in Australia
- government agency
- foreign government agency
- religious institution
Other Requirements
Up to 2 years
- Generally trainees must be at least 18 years old at the time the Department decides on the visa application
- Sponsors must meet the obligations of a Temporary activity sponsor.
Temporary Activity Visa
This temporary visa lets people do specific types of work on a short-term, temporary basis.
Basic requirements
Sponsors must:
- Meet certain requirements, depending on the activity type
The Subclass 408 visa covers different types of activities, or streams:
Special program
Generally between 3 and 12 months
Sponsors must:
- be an Australian non-profit organisation or government agency. Other Australian organisations may be eligible to sponsor under the youth exchange category.
- be able to meet supporter or sponsor obligations
Applicants must:
- have an invitation to participate in an approved special program
- be supported or sponsored depending on your circumstances
- apply online
Religious work
Up to 2 years
Sponsors must:
- be a religious institution with charity status
- be able to meet supporter or sponsor obligations
Applicants must:
- have an agreement to work full time for a religious institution in Australia
- be supported or sponsored depending on your circumstances
- apply online
Research activities
Stay
Up to 2 years
Sponsors must:
- be an Australian non-profit organisation or government agency. Other Australian organisations may be eligible to sponsor under the youth exchange category.
- be able to meet supporter or sponsor obligations
Applicants must:
- have a sponsor or supporter depending on your circumstances
- be invited to observe or take part in research at an Australian research or tertiary institution
- apply online
Community-based activities, including sporting events
Stay
Generally between 3 and 12 months
Sponsors must:
- be an individual or be an organisation operating lawfully in Australia
- be able to meet supporter or sponsor obligations
Applicants must:
- be invited to take part in the event
- apply online
- have a sponsor or supporter
High level sporting activities
Up to 2 years
This stream lets applicants play, coach, instruct or adjudicate for an Australian team, or do high level sports training with a sporting organisation.
Sponsors must:
- be an Australian organisation or government agency, or a foreign government agency lawfully operating in Australia, that administers or promotes sport or sporting events
- be able to meet supporter or sponsor obligations
Applicants must:
- have a sponsor or supporter
- have a contract and a letter of support from a peak sporting body
- not work outside your specified sporting activities
Entertainment activities
Stay
Up to 2 years
This stream lets applicants work in the entertainment industry on film, television or live productions as a performer, production or support staff.
Sponsors must:
- be able to meet sponsor obligations
Applicants must:
- have a contract or other proof of your engagement
- have access to enough money to support yourself and any dependents who travel with you during your stay in Australia
- apply online
Superyacht crew
Stay
Up to 12 months
Sponsors must:
- be the owner, operator or captain of a superyacht
- be able to meet your sponsorship obligations
Applicants must:
- have a contract to work as a superyacht crew member
- a letter from the owner of the superyacht confirming the person's employment as a member of the crew of the vessel
- have a supporter or a sponsor, depending on your circumstances
Exchange arrangements
Up to 2 years
This stream lets people come to Australia as part of a staff exchange with an Australian organisation.
Sponsors must:
- have an staff exchange agreement in place with an organisation in Australia
- be able to meet your sponsorship obligations
Applicants must:
- have the skills and experience to exchange jobs with an Australian citizen or permanent resident
- have a sponsor or a supporter
- apply online
Domestic work for executives
Stay
Up to 2 years
This stream lets people come to Australia to do full-time domestic work in the household of certain senior foreign executives.
Sponsors must:
- be a foreign organisation or agency operating in Australia
- be able to meet your supporter or sponsor obligations
Applicants must:
- be 18 years old or older
- be invited to work in the household
- be experienced in domestic work
- be supported or sponsored
Skills in Demand Visa
This temporary visa lets an employer sponsor a skilled worker to fill a position they can’t find a suitably skilled Australian to fill. On this visa, applicants can live, work and study in Australia. They can also travel freely to and from Australia.
NOTE: The Skills in Demand Visa replaced the Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) Visa on 7 December 2024. All TSS nominations and visa applications lodged prior to this date will be processed using the requirements in force at the time the application was lodged.
Basic requirements
The employer must:
- be or have applied to be a Standard Business Sponsor
- have nominated the visa applicant for an occupation on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL)
- have carried out labour market testing
- Pay at least the annual market salary rate (if the nominee will be paid an annual salary of less than AUD250,000), ensuring that it is no less than the relevant income threshold
- meet sponsorship obligations
The Subclass 482 visa has three different streams
Specialist Skills stream
Up to 4 years
Must be listed as an Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) occupation, excluding occupations listed in Major Groups 3, 7 or 8, where the nominated salary for the position meets the Specialist Skills Income Threshold
Temporary Graduate Visa
This temporary visa allows international students to live, study and work after they have finished studies.
Basic requirements
Applicants must:
- be under 50 years of age
- hold an eligible visa
- have a recent qualification in a CRICOS-registered course
The Subclass 485 visa has two different streams:
Graduate work stream
Purpose
For international students who have recently graduated with skills and qualifications that are relevant to specific occupations in Australia needs
Usually up to 18 months
Applicants must:
- be under 50 years of age
- have a qualification relevant to an occupation on the skilled occupation list
- be assessed as having skills suitable for an occupation on the skilled occupation list
Check your eligibility here.
Post-study work stream
Purpose
For international students who have recently graduated with a degree from an Australian institution
Usually between 2 and 4 years, depending qualifications
Applicants must:
- be under 50 years of age
- hold an eligible visa and meet the English proficiency requirement
- have a recent degree in a CRICOS-registered course
Check your eligibility here.
Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa
This temporary visa lets skilled workers, who are nominated by a State or Territory government or sponsored by an eligible family member, to live and work in regional Australia. It will commence from 16 November 2019.
Basic requirements
This visa requires people to work for 3 years in regional Australia before they can apply for permanent residency. ‘Regional Australia’ includes all of Australia except for Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.
The Subclass 491 visa has two different streams:
State/Territory sponsored stream
Up to 5 years
Sponsor must be a State/Territory Government
- A points test applies
- Must not have turned 45 at time of application
- Must have skilled occupation on an applicable list and have a valid, suitable skills assessment
- Primary applicant must have competent English at time of application
- Must declare genuine intention to live, work and study in designated regional area
- Must meet various health and character requirements
Family member sponsored stream
Up to 5 years
- Sponsor must be a family member who is over 18 and is an Australian Citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen
- Sponsor must be usually resident in a designated regional area
- Sponsor must be related to the primary applicant or their spouse or defacto partner
- Family member is defined as parent, child or step-child, brother, sister, adoptive brother, adoptive sister, stepbrother or stepsister; or an aunt, uncle, adoptive aunt, adoptive uncle, stepaunt or stepuncle; or a nephew, niece, adoptive nephew, adoptive niece, stepnephew or stepniece; or a grandparent; or a first cousin.
- A points test applies
- Must not have turned 45 at time of application
- Must have skilled occupation on an applicable list and have a valid, suitable skills assessment
- Primary applicant must have competent English at time of application
- Must declare genuine intention to live, work and study in designated regional area
- Must meet various health and character requirements
Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) Visa
This is a temporary visa that allows skilled workers, who are sponsored by an employer, to live and work in regional Australia. It will commence from 16 November 2019.
Basic requirements
This visa requires people to work for 3 years in regional Australia before they can apply for permanent residency. ‘Regional Australia’ includes all of Australia except for Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.
If a visa holder ceases employment with their sponsor, they will be given 90 days to find another employer.
The Subclass 494 visa has two different streams:
Employer Sponsored Stream
Up to 5 years
Position
- Must be genuine, full time and likely to exist for five years
- Annual market salary rate (AMSR) must not be less than the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT, currently $53,900)
- Terms and conditions must be no less favourable than for Australian employees
Employer obligations
- Skilling Australian Fund charges: $3000 for businesses with turnover of less than $10 million, or $5000 for others
- If nominating an existing Subclass 494 visa holder, the Skilling Australian Fund charge is reduced on a pro rata basis, depending on the number of whole years that have elapsed since the visa was granted
- The new sponsor is expected to assume the sponsorship obligations for family members who already hold a Subclass 494
Worker requirements
- Must not have turned 45 at time of application
- Must have a skilled occupation on an applicable list and have valid, suitable skills assessment
- Must have been employed in the nominated occupation for at least 3 years on a full-time basis and at level of skill required for the occupation
- Must have competent English
Labour Agreement Stream
Up to 5 years
Position/Employer obligations
Employers can source skilled workers in accordance with a labour agreement with the Commonwealth government.
Worker requirements
- Must not have turned 45 at time of application
- May be required to demonstrate they have the necessary skills to perform tasks of nominated occupation
- Must have work experience as specified in the labour agreement
- Must have English language skills suitable to perform the nominated occupation
contact us
51 Albion Street,
Surry Hills,
Sydney NSW 2010
AUSTRALIA
Monday to Friday
9am - 5:30pm
(or flexible by appointment)
Abacus Visa Pty Ltd. ACN: 147099303
Abacus Visa & Migration Services Pty Ltd. ABN: 58169966036
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