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Temporary Work Skilled Visa (subclass 482)

Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482)

Features

This visa, referred to as the TSS visa, enables employers to address labour shortages by bringing in genuinely skilled workers where they cannot source an appropriately skilled Australian. It facilitates targeted use of overseas workers to address temporary skill shortages, while ensuring that Australian workers get priority. TSS visa holders can work in Australia in their nominated occupation for their approved sponsor under one of three streams:

  • the Short-Term stream
  • the Medium-Term stream
  • the Labour Agreement stream.

Eligibility

You must have the skills to fill a position nominated by an approved business for an approved occupation.

Length of stay

One to four years – depending on your nominated occupation, the visa stream, and your circumstances. Please check the link Short Term and Medium Term List Skill Occupation List  to find out under which List your occupation falls in.

Short-term stream

This stream is available if your employer wishes to sponsor you (as an overseas skilled worker) on a temporary basis only in occupations listed on the Short-term Skilled Occupation list (STSOL) for a TSS visa – see lists of eligible skilled occupations on STSOL. It can be used to fill positions for a maximum of:

  • two years or
  • four years if an International Trade Obligation (ITO) applies.

Medium-term stream

This stream is available if your employer wishes to sponsor you (as an overseas skilled worker) for periods of up to four years in occupations listed on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) or the Regional Occupation List (ROL) for a TSS visa see lists of eligible skilled occupations.

Labour agreement stream

This stream is available if your employer wishes to sponsor you (as an overseas worker) and has entered into a labour agreement with the Department.

Who could get this visa

    You might be able to get this visa, as an overseas worker, if you:

  • have been nominated for a position by an approved sponsor and that nomination has been approved –
  • meet any required skills and qualifications requirements including completing any skills assessments required
  • meet English language requirements
  • if in Australia, hold a substantive visa, a subclass 010 (Bridging A) visa, a subclass 020 (Bridging B) visa or a Subclass 030 (Bridging C) visa
  • have substantially complied with any conditions that apply or applied to your last visa
  • meet health and character requirements
  • meet the requirements of the stream in which you apply.

Approved sponsor

Before you can apply for a TSS visa, your proposed employer will need to lodge a nomination application for you. They will only be able to do this if they are an approved sponsor or have at least lodged an application to become a standard business sponsor. Further information below is provided for employers on the sponsorship and nomination processes.

Age

There is no age requirement for this visa.

English language

You must provide evidence that you meet the English language requirements.

Skills, qualifications and experience

You must provide evidence that you have the necessary skills, qualifications and employment background to perform the nominated occupation.

Health

You must meet the health requirement. The results of your health examinations are generally valid for 12 months. This applies to all members of your family unit included in your application.

Important: You should organise your health examinations upfront before lodging a visa application to reduce processing times.

Character

You must meet certain character requirements. You must provide a police certificate from each country you have lived in for 12 months or more during the past 10 years after you turned 16 years of age. This applies to you and all members of your family unit listed in your application.

Important: if you are sponsored by an accredited sponsor, you are not required to obtain police certificates from countries other than Australia provided you attach a reference from your accredited sponsor confirming that you are of good character and that you have not been convicted of any criminal offences. You must still, however, provide any required Australian police clearances where applicable or when requested to do so.

Short-term stream

You might be able to get a visa under this stream if, in addition to the above general requirements, you:
  • have worked in your nominated occupation, or a related field, for at least two years
  • are a genuine applicant for entry and stay as a short term visa holder (known as a ‘Genuine Temporary Entrant’ (GTE))
  • will be working directly for your sponsor or for an associated entity of your sponsor, unless the nominated occupation is exempt from this requirement.

 

Medium-term stream

You might be able to get a visa under this stream if, in addition to the above general requirements, you:
  • have worked in your nominated occupation, or a related field, for at least two years
  • will be working directly for your sponsor or for an associated entity of your sponsor, unless the nominated occupation is exempt from this requirement.

Labour agreement stream

You might be able to get a visa under this stream if, in addition to the above general requirements, you:
  • are nominated in an occupation included in a labour agreement which your employer has entered into with the Department
  • have worked in your nominated occupation, or a related field, for at least two years (unless this is not required under the labour agreement).

About the visa

The TSS visa is for skilled workers who want to work in Australia temporarily. This visa involves a three-step process:

Step 1: a sponsorship application by the employer

Step 2: a nomination application for a skilled position by the employer

Step 3: a visa application by the proposed employee

The three steps above must be completed in order. You do not, however, have to wait for each application to be approved to move onto the next step.

What you can do

This visa allows you to travel to and from Australia for the duration of your visa and:

  • if you are the primary visa holder, to work in Australia for an approved sponsor in your nominated occupation
  • if you are a family member, to work and study in Australia.

Location

You can generally be in or outside Australia when you apply. However, you cannot apply for another Short-term stream in Australia as the primary visa applicant if all of the below apply:

  • you have held more than one Short-term stream TSS visa
  • you were in Australia when the application for your most recent TSS visa was made
  • this requirement would not be inconsistent with an ITO.

If you are in Australia, you must hold a substantive visa, a subclass 010 (Bridging A) visa, a subclass 020 (Bridging B) visa or a Subclass 030 (Bridging C) visa.

Applicants holding a substantive visa with a no further stay condition might still be able to lodge an application in Australia for this visa in certain circumstances

You are able to make a valid (online) application for one of the visas listed below without formally requesting a waiver of your 8503 condition if you have a genuine intention to apply for a:

  • General Skilled Migration visa
  • Subclass 132 (Business Talent) visa
  • Subclass 186 (Employee Nomination Scheme) visa
  • Subclass 187 (Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme) visa
  • Subclass 188 (Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional)) visa
  • Subclass 482 (Temporary Skill Shortage) visa

This is permitted under Regulation 2.05.

 

For the visa applicant (that is, the nominee) the costs are:

  • short-term stream applicants: from AUD1150
  • medium-term and labour agreement stream applicants: from AUD2400.

Note: your employer is required to pay for any costs associated with the sponsorship and nomination applications. These costs must not be passed onto you.

Additional family members

There is also a fee for additional family members who are coming to Australia with you.

Other costs

You might have to pay other costs, such as the costs of health assessments, police certificates, or any other certificates or tests. You are responsible for making the necessary arrangements.

This information is for employers who want to sponsor a skilled worker from outside (or inside) Australia for a TSS visa.

Sponsorship process

Unless you are already an approved standard business sponsor or have executed a labour agreement with the Department, the first step to sponsoring an overseas worker for a TSS visa will be to apply to become a standard business sponsor.

Cost

AUD420

Existing approved sponsors or applicants to be an approved sponsor can nominate an overseas worker for a particular position in their organisation.

Nomination process

For information on the nomination process, who can nominate, and who can be nominated.

Cost

AUD330

You must provide all relevant documents and pay the nomination fee when you apply.

 

How long the nomination lasts

Your nomination is generally valid for up to 12 months from the nomination approval date, or until the earliest of the following occurs:

  • the day on which the applicant you identified in the nomination application is granted a TSS visa
  • the day we receive your written notification to withdraw your nomination application
  • 3 months after the ceasing date of your standard business sponsorship unless a new sponsorship application was lodged before that ceasing date and it remains unfinalised
  • the day on which your approval as a sponsor is cancelled
  • the day on which your labour agreement ceases.

Your nomination must be in effect when a decision is made on the nominee’s TSS visa application.