Employer Sponsored Visas

Skills In Demand Visa

The TSS Visa (Subclass 482) replaced the former 457 visa and allows qualified overseas workers to fill genuine short-term and medium-term skill shortages for approved Australian employers.

Australia's New Skills in Demand (SID) Visa (Subclass 482)

Australia's skilled migration landscape has undergone a significant transformation. The former Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa (subclass 482) has been replaced by the new and improved Skills in Demand (SID) visa (subclass 482). This visa is the primary pathway for skilled workers seeking to live and work in Australia, and it offers clearer, faster, and more flexible pathways to permanent residency.

The SID visa is designed to be responsive to Australia's labor market, ensuring that businesses can access the skilled talent they need while offering a fair and streamlined process for migrants.

The SID visa framework consists of three distinct streams:

1. Core Skills Stream

This stream is the main pathway for most skilled workers and has replaced the previous Short-Term and Medium-Term streams.

Occupation List: This stream is for occupations on the new Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL), which includes a wide range of jobs from trades to healthcare and engineering. The CSOL will be reviewed more frequently to ensure it reflects current labor market needs.
Duration: Visas in this stream are granted for up to four years.
Income Threshold: The salary must meet or exceed the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT), which has been indexed and is set at $76,515 as of July 1, 2025.
Work Experience: A key update for 2025 is the reduced work experience requirement. Applicants now only need one year of relevant work experience in the last five years, down from two years.
Pathway to PR: This is a major change. Holders of the Core Skills stream visa are now eligible to apply for permanent residency after two years of continuous employment with their sponsoring employer. This removes the previous distinction between Short-Term and Medium-Term lists for PR eligibility, making it a more inclusive and direct pathway.
Job Mobility: The new system allows for greater job mobility. SID visa holders can change employers more easily, with a new public register of approved sponsors to assist them.

2. Specialist Skills Stream

This stream is for highly skilled, high-earning professionals who can contribute to Australia's economic growth and innovation.

Occupation List: There is no occupation list for this stream. It is open to any occupation (excluding trades, machinery operators, drivers, and laborers).
Income Threshold: Applicants must be paid an annual salary of at least $141,210, which is indexed annually.
Processing Time: This stream is designed for fast-tracked processing, with a target of just seven days.
Work Experience: The one-year work experience requirement applies to this stream as well.

3. Labour Agreement Stream

This stream remains for workers sponsored under a specific Labour Agreement between the Australian Government and an employer. The requirements for this visa are determined by the terms of the individual agreement.

Important Update: The TSS (Subclass 482) visa is being transitioned to the new Skills in Demand (SID) visa as part of Australia’s migration strategy. Employers and workers should always check the latest updates on the Department of Home Affairs website or seek advice from a Registered Migration Agent to confirm current eligibility, obligations, and pathways.

457 Temporary Work Visa: - Temporary Work (Skilled) Visa

Note: The 457 visa is closed to new applications. It was replaced by the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS 482) visa in March 2018, which itself is now transitioning to the Skills in Demand (SID) visa under Australia’s 2024–25 Migration Strategy.

The 457 visa previously allowed overseas skilled workers to work in their nominated occupation for an approved sponsor.

From 1 July 2017, conditions included:

Up to 4 years in Australia if the occupation was on the Medium and Long-Term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL)
Up to 2 years if the occupation was on the Short-Term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL) (unless extended to 4 years under Australia’s international trade obligations)
Four-year visa periods were also available for certain occupations, such as executives, senior managers, and ICT professionals

The 457 Visa Process

The process involved three stages:

Sponsorship – the employer applied to become an approved sponsor
Nomination – the employer nominated a position for the overseas worker
Visa Application – the worker applied for the 457 visa linked to the nomination

Employer Nomination Scheme- ENS (subclass 186)

The Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) Visa (Subclass 186) is a key permanent residency pathway for highly skilled workers in Australia. This visa is the most common transition for holders of an employer-sponsored visa, such as the new Skills in Demand (SID) visa, seeking to secure their future in Australia.

The ENS visa process is divided into two stages:

Nomination: The business nominates a permanent position.
Visa: The employee applies for the permanent visa.

The nomination by an employer is reviewed by the Department of Home Affairs and must meet specific criteria.

Employer Eligibility

To successfully nominate a position for an ENS visa, the employer must satisfy the following criteria:

Be an actively and lawfully operating business in Australia.
Demonstrate a genuine need for a paid employee in that position.
Have no adverse information known to the Department of Home Affairs about the business or a related person.
Pay the employee the Australian market rate salary, with the same terms and conditions of employment as an Australian performing the same type of work.
The nominated position must be full-time and ongoing for at least two years.

There are three possible pathways for which an employee may qualify for the ENS visa:

Temporary Residence Transition Stream (TRTS): This is the most common pathway under the new Australian migration trends 2025. The applicant must have worked for the nominating employer for at least two years while holding an eligible Skills in Demand visa. The nominated position must be the same, and the applicant must not have turned 45 years of age. A skills assessment is not required for this stream.
Direct Entry Stream (DE): This pathway is for applicants who are not eligible for the TRTS. The applicant must have a positive skills assessment, a work history of at least three years in the nominated occupation, and be under 45 years of age. Competent English (IELTS 6 or equivalent) is required for this stream.
Labour Agreement Stream: This is for applicants whose nominating employer has a Labour Agreement or a Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA). The applicant must satisfy the age, English, and experience/skills requirements as specified in the agreement.

The ENS visa remains a critical permanent migration pathway and is a cornerstone of employer-sponsored visa recruitment. Contact our skilled migration agents to see if your skills align with the requirements of an Australian company and to navigate the most suitable pathway for your permanent residency.