Prepare for major changes to the 482 visa and take action now!

The Australian Government is set to replace the 482 visa with the new Skills in Demand visa by late this year, according to the Migration Strategy that was released on 11 December 2023. While the exact date and full set of changes are yet to be confirmed, it is crucial for sponsors and visa applicants to prepare now. 

We highly recommend submitting nomination and visa applications before mid-November to avoid being impacted by the changes. Applications lodged before the new visa introduction should still be assessed based on the current criteria. 

Key changes 

As part of the transition to the new Skills in Demand visa, the Government has been rolling out several updates over the past few months and has announced further changes set for mid-November. Here are some of the most significant: 

• New Skills in Demand Visa: the 482 visa will be replaced by a new 3-tier system, with different criteria based on occupation and salary. The new visa will offer a 4-year temporary skilled worker pathway to support Australia’s workforce. To find out more information about this new visa, read our fact sheet here.  
  
  
• Reduced work experience requirement: starting on 23 November 2024, the work experience requirement for visa applicants will be reduced from 2 years to 1 year of full-time work experience in their occupation or a related field​, as announced in the Federal Budget on 14 May.  
  
  
• Flexibility for casual employment: casual employment now counts toward the work experience requirement, offering more flexibility to applicants. While full-time experience is still preferred, it is no longer mandatory, providing applicants with more options to meet the requirements. 
  
• Extended time for employment gaps: visa holders have up to 180 days at a time, or a cumulative maximum of 365 days throughout the visa period, to secure a new sponsor, apply for a different visa, or arrange their departure from Australia. During this period, visa holders can work for other employers, including in occupations not listed in their original sponsorship nomination, to support themselves financially. 
  
  
• Removal of 5-year time limit for work experience: work experience no longer needs to have been gained within the past 5 years, allowing applicants to include a wider range of their career history​. The Department’s policy has been updated to reflect this change.  

What to expect with the transition to the new Skills in Demand visa 

We expect (but cannot guarantee) that: 

• Subclass 482 nomination and visa applications lodged before the introduction of the new visa are to be protected by the changes (and assessed based on the criteria at the time of application). 
  
  
• The Department of Home Affairs will allow businesses to use existing Standard Business Sponsorship (SBS) approvals to nominate workers under the new program 
   
• A similar set of nomination and visa application criteria to apply to the Core Skills Pathway of the new visa (as it currently exists under the subclass 482).    

What should sponsors and applicants do? 

• Lodge applications before mid-November: we highly recommend submitting nomination and visa applications before mid-November to avoid being impacted by the changes. Applications lodged before the new visa introduction should still be assessed based on the current criteria​. 
  
  
• Test the Labour Market: the time to advertise for the roles is running out, so if you intend to sponsor a foreign worker, please advertise as soon as possible. You may wish to contact us for assistance as the advertising requirements are very specific. 
   
• Attention high-risk occupations: for workers in high-risk occupations (e.g., Café or Restaurant Manager) who are transferring to new sponsors, it is critical to renew their visas now. This ensures they can accumulate 2 years of full-time work experience with the current sponsor, qualifying for the visa subclass 186 Temporary Residence Transition stream before potential occupation removals from the skilled occupation list. 

For further information about these changes, please get in touch with our expert team at aisupport@absoluteimmigration.com to arrange an online consultation.