SID replaced TSS; New occupation list revealed

Written By Ruoxi Yin

Key points:

  1. Skills In Demand (SID) visa replaced Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa as the new subclass 482 on 7 December 2024.

  2. New Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) introduced, applicable to the Core Skills stream of the SID visa and the Direct Entry stream of the Employer Nominated Scheme (subclass 186) visa.

CSOL - the new occupation list

  1. The new CSOL can be found here: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/Documents/core-sol.pdf

SID visa - three streams

  1. Specialist Skills stream - for positions with annual earnings above $135,000. All ANZSCO occupations are eligible except trade workers, machinery operators and drivers, and labourers (Major Groups 3, 7, and 8).

  2. Core Skills stream - most closely resembles the previous TSS. Occupation must be on the new CSOL, with annual earnings above $73,150.

  3. Labour Agreement stream - no change to this stream at this point. This will be replaced by the Essential Skills stream which is still currently under development.

SID visa - work experience reduction

  1. Minimum work experience requirement has been reduced from 2 years to 1 year, however this 1 year must be within the 5 years before the visa application is lodged.

  2. Work experience can be full-time, part-time, or casual but must be equivalent to 1-year full-time. 

  3. Applicants must still satisfy specific qualification and experience requirements for their occupation as set out in ANZSCO.

SID visa - other changes

  1. SID visa in all streams can now be granted for up to 4 years.

  2. Salary thresholds for both the Specialist Skills stream and the Core Skills stream will be indexed annually on 1 July.

  3. Increase in Visa Application Charge (VAC) and English language requirements to align with previous medium-term stream of the TSS visa.

Sponsorship obligations

  1. Continue from TSS to SID.

  2. Obligations to ensure sponsored persons works in their nominated occupation now ends when employment ends.

186 visa

  1. SID visa holders in all streams now have a pathway to PR under the Temporary Residence Transition stream of the 186 visa (186TRT).

  2. All full-time work in the nominated occupation will now count toward the required 2 years for 186TRT, instead of needing to be with the same employer (as per previous requirements).

  3. CSOL is now the applicable occupation list for the Direct Entry stream of the 186 visa (186DE).

  4. Employer no longer needs to nominate secondary visa applicants for 186 visas.

Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) Levy and Labour Market Testing (LMT)

  1. No changes yet.

Other updates

  1. Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) changed to Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA) on 6 December 2024. However, varying versions of ANZSCO continue to apply to different migration programs.

  2. National Innovation visa (NIV) replaced Global Talent visa on 6 December 2024.

Disclaimer:

This newsletter is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered formal migration advice. For specific guidance or assistance regarding migration matters, please contact us at contact@pixelmigration.com.au to book a consultation.

Ruoxi Yin