Australia | Skills in Demand visa commencement date announced

The Australian government announced the new Skills in Demand visa will replace the Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) visa on Dec. 7.

Key Points:

• In the announcement, officials also released the new Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) that will apply to the Core Skills stream within the new Skills in Demand visa.
• The new CSOL supports the rollout of the Skills in Demand visa and represents a single consolidated list that provides access to employer-sponsored skilled migration across 456 occupations. It is shaped by labor market analysis and stakeholder consultations by Jobs and Skills Australia.
• The new CSOL will also apply to the Direct Entry stream of the permanent Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) visa and fulfill the government’s commitment to replace occupation lists in the temporary skilled visa program that are considered complex, out of date and inflexible.

Additional Information: As BAL originally reported, the Australian government’s migration strategy announced in December 2023 outlined key actions and new policy commitments to overhaul the Australian migration system, including the creation of a new specialist Skills in Demand visa that would become Australia’s main temporary skilled work visa.

Further details are expected to be announced shortly, but the new Skills in Demand visa will replace the Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) visa with new structural changes. These changes are expected to include three new visa streams, including a Specialist Skills stream, Core Skills stream and Essential Skills stream. The new visa system may also better target high-priority and in-critical-demand occupations, simplify application processes and provide clearer pathways to permanent residency.

BAL Analysis: Further clarification from the Australian government is expected shortly regarding the exact changes and when they will take effect. BAL will continue to monitor developments and will provide more information as it becomes available.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

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