The intent to fuel continued progress has led Australia to open its doors to skilled workers outside the country. This approach has proven to be an effective way to provide employment opportunities based on skill shortages. Therefore, if a foreign national wants to work in Australia, they could apply for the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) Visa Subclass 482.
TSS is a temporary work visa that offers a pathway for acquiring a Permanent Residency (PR) in Australia. While TSS is a short-term visa with a temporary stay duration, the PR lets you stay indefinitely.
In this post, we’ll explore the different ways in which you can go from being a temporary skilled worker to living indefinitely in Australia.
The different types of TSS visas and what they mean for the main applicant
📌 Short-Term Stream
📌 Medium-Term Stream
📌 Labour-Agreement Stream
❏ Short-Term Stream
This visa stream has been made available to skilled workers whose occupation is enlisted on the short-term skilled occupations list. The application cost for this visa is AUD $1455, and it enables the skilled worker to stay in Australia for up to 2 years. The skilled worker can stay up to 4 years if an ITO or International Trade Obligation applies to them. Skilled workers with a Hong Kong passport can stay up to 5 years.
The eligibility criteria include the following:
- You must be nominated to work in an occupation that is mentioned on the list of eligible short-term skilled occupations.
- You must have a minimum of 2 years of relevant work experience in your nominated occupation or a related field.
- You must have a relevant skills assessment if required for your occupation.
- You must work only for your sponsor or associated entity unless you are exempted.
- You must meet the standards of English language proficiency unless you are exempted from showing the same.
When you have this visa, you are entitled to the following:
- Work in Australia for the duration of your stay.
- Enroll in a study program (no government assistance).
- Travel in and out of Australia with the validity period of your visa.
- You can apply for a permanent resident visa. You and your family must fulfil all conditions and obey Australian laws.
- Once you are granted this visa, you must start working for your sponsor within 90 days after your entry into Australia and from the visa grant date.
❏ Medium-Term Stream
The medium-term stream visa subclass 482 enables employers to hire skilled workers from outside of Australia to work in Australia. It allows workers to work for up to 4 years in Australia based on the occupations that come under the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) or the Regional Occupation List (ROL). The visa application costs AUD $3035. Hong Kong passport holders can stay for up to five years on this visa.
The eligibility criteria for this visa include the following:
- You must be nominated to work in an occupation mentioned in the medium and long-term skilled occupations list.
- You must have a minimum of 2 years of relevant work experience in your nominated occupation or a related field.
- You must have a relevant skills assessment if required as per your occupation
- You are required to work only for your sponsor or associated entity unless you are exempted.
- You must meet the English language standards of proficiency unless you are exempted from showing the same.
When you have this visa, you are entitled and have responsibilities for the following:
- Work in Australia for the duration of your stay.
- Enroll in a study program (no government assistance).
- Travel in and out of Australia with the validity period of your visa.
- You can apply for a permanent resident visa.
- You and your family must fulfill all conditions and obey Australian laws.
- Once you are granted this visa, you must start working for your sponsor within 90 days after your entry into Australia and from the visa grant date.
❏ Labour Agreement Stream
The Labour Agreement stream visa subclass 482 enables employers with a labour agreement to hire skilled workers from outside of Australia to work in Australia. It allows workers to work for up to 4 years in Australia. Hong Kong passport holders can stay for up to five years on this visa. The visa application costs AUD $3035.
The eligibility criteria for this visa include the following:
- You must be nominated to work in an occupation based on the Labour Agreement.
- You must have a minimum of 2 years of relevant work experience in your nominated occupation or a related field.
- You must have a relevant skills assessment if required as per your occupation
- You are required to work only for your sponsor or associated entity unless you are exempted.
- You must meet the English language standards of proficiency unless you are exempted from showing the same.
When you have this visa, you are entitled and have responsibilities for the following:
- Work in Australia for the duration of your stay.
- Enroll in a study program (no government assistance).
- Travel in and out of Australia with the validity period of your visa.
- You can have your employer sponsor you for a permanent resident visa through the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186).
- You and your family must fulfill all conditions and obey Australian laws.
- Once you are granted this visa, you must start working for your sponsor within 90 days after your entry into Australia and from the visa grant date.
Criteria to convert a TSS into a Permanent Residence Visa
You could convert your TSS into a PR visa in the following ways:
- Employer Nomination Scheme Visa Subclass 186
- Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme Visa Subclass 187
Employer Nomination Scheme Visa Subclass 186 |
Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme Visa Subclass 187 |
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| About | Let’s skilled workers be nominated by their employer to work and live in Australia permanently. | Let’s skilled workers nominated by their employer in regional Australia live and work permanently in the country. |
| Types of Streams |
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| Eligibility | For the Direct Entry Stream:
For the Labour Agreement Stream:
For the Temporary Residence Transition Stream:
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For Direct Entry Stream* – N/A
For Temporary Residence Transition Stream:
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| Stay | You can stay permanently in Australia. | You can stay permanently in Australia. |
| Cost | AUD $4640 | AUD $4640
*Visa fees not applicable for Direct Stream Entry. |
You may be eligible for other skilled work visas which you can find out through this visa finder.
It may get confusing for skilled migrants to get the right visa for application. At Expert Education, we can provide professional advice about the visa most applicable to you.
FAQs
1. Am I eligible for permanent residency the moment my TSS is granted to me?
No, you must adhere to the conditions that make you eligible for applying PR in Australia. For instance, your employer may be able to sponsor you for a PR through:
- Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186)
- Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (Subclass 187)
2. What are the benefits of applying for permanent residency in Australia?
- You can live in Australia permanently.
- You can work for any employer in any industry.
- You can sponsor your relatives to come and live in Australia.
- You are entitled to the Australian Medicare Scheme that provides free public hospital care, free access to public bulk-billing general practitioners, and subsidies for particular medicines and healthcare services.
- You can pursue access to higher education in Australia with the opportunity to apply for student loans.