Australia’s skilled visa program will change on December 7, 2024. The key changes will include a new Skills in Demand (SID) visa and a modernized skilled occupation list called the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL).

The Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa has replaced the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa. The SID permits most visa holders to remain in Australia for up to four years. It provides a streamlined approach for both migrants and firms who require more trained personnel to expand their enterprises.

Skills in Demand visa holders have a clear pathway to permanent residence. This will give certainty to both migrants and employers.

The Skills in Demand visa has 3 streams:

Core Skills stream: Most SID visa holders will use this stream to meet targeted workforce needs.

Specialist Skills stream: This stream will help drive innovation and job creation.

Labour Agreement stream: This stream will be replaced by an Essential Skills stream which is under development.

With a SID visa, you:

Have a pathway to permanent residence as any work with an approved employer counts towards permanent residence.

Benefit from a work experience requirement that is one year less than the TSS. SID applicants must have one year of work experience in their nominated occupation or related field.

Have the same English language requirement as the TSS medium-term stream.

The Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) replaces multiple existing skilled occupation lists that were previously used for the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS visa). The CSOL has more than 450 occupations in sectors such as construction, cyber security, agriculture and health.

Effectively, on December 7 2024, Australia introduced a new Skills in Demand (SID) visa which has replaced the Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) visa.

All TSS nominations and visa applications lodged before the implementation of the SID visa will be processed using the requirements in force at the time the application was lodged.

If your employer has lodged a TSS nomination and you have not lodged your associated TSS visa application before 7 December 2024, if the nomination is approved it will be deemed a SID nomination and you can lodge an associated application for a SID visa.

The list is based on labour market analysis and stakeholder consultations by Jobs and Skills Australia​. It will only apply to the SID Core Skills stream and Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) visa (Direct Entry stream) that lets skilled workers, who are nominated by an employer, live and work in Australia permanently.​​​​

SID visa Specialist Skills stream recognises that highly skilled migrants who are in any occupation on the ANZSCO 2022 except ANZSCO Major Group levels 3, 7 and 8 and earning at least the Specialist Skills Income Threshold of AUD135,000 and no less than Australian workers in the same occupation are eligible.

SID visa Core Skills stream is for applicants who meet general eligibility requirements and have an occupation on the CSOL that has been identified as being in shortage. They will be paid a salary at or above the new Core Skills Income Threshold of AUD73,150.