The Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) (Subclass 482) visa is a temporary employer sponsored visa allowing genuinely skilled workers to work in Australia for their approved sponsor in their nominated occupation.
The TSS visa commenced in March 2018 and it is the main temporary work visa. The TSS program was developed with a view to introduce a more targeted approach to occupation shortages in line with the occupations included in relevant legislative instrument. There are three streams within the TSS:
- Short-Term stream: the applicant’s skills must be on the STSOL list.
- Medium-Term stream: the applicant’s skills must be on the MLTSSL list.
- Labour Agreement stream: the applicant’s skills must be on relevant labour agreement.
Obtaining a subclass 482 visa is a 3-stage process consisting of:
- Sponsorship by employer
- Nomination by employer
- Visa application by nominee
The first step to obtaining a TSS visa is sponsorship. In this stage the business applies for approval as a standard business sponsor. Worth noting that sponsorship is not required under the Labour Agreement stream.
In stage 2 nomination, the employer nominates an occupation for a prospective or existing TSS visa holder. This is an intensive and difficult stage. The rigour and specific nomination requirements, including Labour Market Testing, Genuineness of the position, Employment and Salary requirements makes it crucial for employers (sponsors) to fully understand the nomination application process. Preparing a thorough application is key to avoid refusal of the nomination.
Finally, in step 3, the candidate appointed to work in the nominated occupation applies for the visa. It is standard protocol to lodge the visa application after the nomination is approved however, there are instances when both the nomination and application are lodged concurrently.
The complexity of TSS applications should not be underestimated and seeking professional advice from a registered migration agent that specialises in business migration should always be considered.
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Read a summary of Subclass 482 visa requirements
