Visa Update: What You Need to Know Before July 1st, 2024
Be Prepared – A reminder of the visa changes for 1st July 2024
As we enter into the last week of June, below is a reminder of the changes taking effect from the 1st July 2024 specific to the employer sponsored visa categories – Subclass 482, 494 and 186 visa. Please read the below updates so you are prepared for the changes.
Timeline of Changes - 1st July
- Fee Increases
- TSMIT Increase
- Change to 482 and 494 visa conditions
- Age Concession will end 30th June 2024
November 2024
- Reduction of work experience requirement for Subclass 482 visa
Implementation late 2024
- Develop new Skills in Demand Visa
- Develop a specialist skills pathway to drive innovation & job creation
- Develop a core skills pathway to meet targeted workforce needs
Fee Increases
The Government lodgement fees for most subclasses of visa will increase on the 1st July. The fees are expected to increase by around 2 % to 3 %. We will share the new fees as they become available.
Increase to the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT)
From 1st July 2024, the TSMIT will increase from $70,000 to $73,150.
New nomination applications (Subclass 482, 494 and Subclass 186) lodged from the 1st July 2024 will need to meet the new TSMIT of $73,150 or the annual market salary rate, whichever is higher.
This change will not affect existing visa holders and nominations lodged before the 1st July 2024.
Change to the 482 and 494 visa conditions
As part of the continued visa overhaul, the Department has announced that the following visa conditions will change for visa holders of the subclass 482 and 494 visas on 1st July: Conditions: 8107, 8608 and 8607.
These conditions currently state that you must only work for your sponsoring employer in your nominated occupation and if you cease employment it cannot be for more than 60 days.
These visa holders (subclass 482 and 494) will now have 180 days at a time or 365 days in total across the entire visa grant period, to find a new employer to sponsor them, trial with a new employer before a nomination transfer/visa application, lodge another type of visa or leave the country.
As well as granting the visa holder more time to find a new employer, the Department will also allow the visa holder to work for other employers and work in occupations not listed on their most recent nomination approval.
Sponsoring employers are still required to make the cessation notification to the Department within 28 days. This obligation has not changed.
These conditions apply to existing visa holders as well as new.
Age Concession Cessation
As part of the Governments plan to allow temporary visa holders a pathway to PR, the age concession was available to those who:
From 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2024, are eligible legacy subclass 457 visa holders who can access the TRT stream. To be eligible the visa holder must:
- have held a subclass 457 visa on or after 18 April 2017
- have been in Australia between 1 February 2020 and 14 December 2021 for at least one year
- meet all other nomination and visa requirements
This allowed visa holders over the age of 45 years to apply for a Subclass 186 visa under the TRT pathway. This pathway closes on the 30th June 2024 to this visa cohort.
To apply for a subclass 186 using the current age concession in place you must:
- Have worked for your sponsoring employer for two years while holding the subclass 482 visa, and;
While earning the Fair Work High Income Threshold (FWHIT) for those two years.
Changes to be implemented late 2024
To be eligible for a subclass 482 visa, the visa holder must have at least two years of full time work experience in the last five years post qualification.
The Department announced that from 23 November 2024, a reduction to the work experience requirement for the TSS subclass 482 visa from two years of experience to one year.
This change is most welcomed especially for those visa holders whose visas are expiring at the end of the year and where they are still short that two years required for the 482 visa.
The Government is also working to develop a new skills in demand visa which will replace the subclass 482 visa. This visa will have a three tiered approach focusing on a new specialist pathway to attract highly skilled workers; a core skills pathway to meet targeted workforce needs and those who work in our community such as aged care workers, child care workers, manufacturing and hospitality.
Consultations are currently underway for the core skills pathway with review of the occupation lists.
Labour market testing is also being reviewed, with the first changes that happened last year where the need to advertise on Workforce Australia was removed. The Government will look to make the LMT less complicated and implement a four to six month validity late 2024.
Currently the requirement is that the sponsor has advertised in two locations, for a period of 28 days, where the adverts are no older than four months prior to nomination lodgement.
We welcome these LMT changes.
Takeaways
This is going to be a year of change with the Government undertaking thorough research on the labour market as it starts to form the policy settings for the new Skills in Demand Visa.
Please ensure you are ready and are reviewing your current temporary visa holder employees.
If you need immigration advice or assistance please always reach out to our Mapien team, we are here to help.