This month has brought some major changes to Australian immigration policy, including:
- The replacement of the Global Talent Visa with the new National Innovation Visa.
- The launch of the 482 Skills in Demand Visa, replacing the 482 Temporary Skill Shortage Visa.
- The reduction from 2 years to 1 year of full-time experience to apply for a 482 visa.
- The introduction of the Core Skills Occupation List.
- 456 occupations, such as childcare worker, enrolled nurse, content creator and cook, now eligible for the 186 Direct Entry Visa.
In this blog, we’ll break down all these changes to help you understand what’s happening and explore your visa options.
The New National Innovation Visa
The new National Innovation Visa (NIV) replaced the Global Talent Visa on 6 December 2024, while retaining the same subclass 858.
The National Innovation Visa is a direct path to permanent residency for top-of-field candidates, such as global researchers, entrepreneurs, innovative investors, athletes, and creatives.
There are flexible criteria that may include:
- Achievements such as publications or awards
- Raising angel investor capital
- Receiving grants
- Being an entrepreneur
- Being within one of nine priority sectors
- Having earnings at or above the high-income threshold
- Getting a state nomination for innovative investment
As a heads up, compared to the previous Global Talent Visa, the new NIV places more focus on achievements.
The DigiTech sector has been removed. However, some DigiTech-related roles may still fit into other sectors, such as the Critical Technologies sector, which includes specializations in AI and Cyber Security. Another potential area for previous DigiTech candidates is the Financial Services and FinTech sector, which includes IT and financial services specializations.
You can complete our free NIV assessment to check your eligibility for the National Innovation visa.
New Skills in Demand Visa
The new Skills in Demand Visa (SID) was implemented on 7 December 2024, replacing the TSS 482 visa, but maintaining the same subclass 482.
The new Skills in Demand Visa (subclass 482) is an employer-sponsored visa with three different streams: the Specialist Skills, Core Skills and Labour Agreement streams.
For all three streams, you need an Australian employer to sponsor you.
Core Skills Occupation List
The Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL), with its 456 occupations, will apply to the Core Skills stream of the new Skills in Demand Visa.
Additionally, the CSOL will be used for the Direct Entry stream of the permanent Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) Visa.
Some occupations added to the Core Skills Occupation List include:
- Child Care Worker
- Beauty Therapist
- Retail Manager
- Office Manager
- Tour Guide
Occupations removed from the occupation list include several farm manager positions, Café or Restaurant Manager, Real Estate Representative, Graphic Designer and Chiropractor.
Here, you can search the full Core Skills Occupation List.
186 Direct Entry for All Occupations on the Core Skills Occupation List
The new Core Skills Occupation List will now give access to the Direct Entry 186 visa for all occupations on the list. This reflects the current government’s preference for permanent visas. They want to avoid people becoming "permanently temporary" on short-term visas, as former Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil often stated.
This is a significant change, as there are 456 occupations on the CSOL, which is many more than the previous Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills Occupation List (MLTSSOL).
Direct Entry 186 Visa Requirements
To qualify for the Direct Entry 186 visa, you need to meet the following requirements:
- Have an Australian employer sponsor
- Be paid at or above the TSMIT (Currently $73,150)
- Have a positive skills assessment for an occupation on the CSOL list
- Have competent English
- Have three years of full-time experience
Occupations now eligible for direct PR include Cook, Marketing Specialist, Retail Manager, Customer Services Manager, and Enrolled Nurse.
Please book an appointment if you need any assistance in applying for the 186 Direct Entry.
To Summarize: What Changed with Employer-Sponsored Visas?
- Access to Direct Entry 186 visa for PR for all CSOL occupations. This will decrease applicants' interest in the Skills in Demand (SID) 482 visa.
- 482 visa holders can bring their experience to the next sponsor without resetting the clock.
- 482 visa work experience is now reduced to one year in the last five years for the SID 482 visa.
- English Requirements for Skills in Demand Visa:
- IELTS with an overall score of 5
- PTE with an overall score of 36, and at least 36 in each component
- Specialist Skills stream applies to applicants in any ANZSCO occupation with a specialist skills income threshold of $135,000 or more (excluding trade workers, machinery operators, drivers, and laborers in ANZSCO Major Groups 3, 7, and 8).
What Didn’t Change?
- Employers and applicants are disappointed that proposed Skilling Australia Fund (SAF) reforms have not yet been made. As a result, the SAF fees remain unchanged.
- Applicants will still need the employer to nominate them after two years to apply for the 186 Temporary Residence Transition pathway.
Updates on the 190 and 491 Visas
Victoria:
The Victorian skilled visa nomination program has released a list prioritizing construction trade occupations for visa nomination. Occupations such as Carpenter, Joiner, Plumber, Electrician, Cabinetmaker, and Cabler are on the list.
Tasmania:
Tasmania Migration has provided some important updates: For this financial year, Tasmania received a total of 1,924 submitted Registrations of Interest (ROIs), with 1,230 applicants invited to apply for nomination.
Tasmania has 2,100 places available for the 190 visa and 760 places for the 491 visa.
If you are in Tasmania and meet all the requirements, there’s a good chance to be invited for the 190 or 491 visa.
SkillSelect Dashboard
The Department of Home Affairs has made the SkillSelect Dashboard available, allowing you to access key information such as the number of EOIs submitted for the 190 visa, 491 visa, or 189 visa and the number of people in the system with submitted EOIs and their respective points.
The system can be a bit tricky to navigate, but with some exploration, you can uncover all the available data.
The information displayed reflects data from the past two years within the system.
We recommend using a computer to access the dashboard, as it is optimized for desktop use rather than mobile devices.
Australian Parliament
In the closing days of 2024, Parliament passed more than 30 bills, but the Migration Amendment Bill, which is essential for introducing the new visa programs, was not included.
With the Senate now closed until February 2025 and a potential federal election on the horizon, these reforms are likely to face further delays.
If an election is called before Parliament reconvenes, the government will enter caretaker mode, preventing any major legislative changes until the new Parliament is established.
What Does This Mean for Immigration?
Immigration changes are likely to slow down in the first half of next year. However, with an election campaign on the way, immigration is likely to be a key area of debate.
Hopefully, the debate will respect the significant contributions that migrants have made to Australia and the value of multiculturalism.
Student Visa Caps
The proposed student visa caps did not pass. The Australian government had suggested limiting new international student enrolments to 270,000 for 2025 to alleviate the housing crisis. However, the legislation failed to pass the Senate and will not move forward as planned.
How Can These Changes Affect You?
As you can see, the past week have brought significant developments in Australian immigration policy, from the launch of new visas like the National Innovation Visa, Skills in Demand Visa and the new Core Skills Occupation List.
With all these changes, it’s important to understand how these updates might impact your visa options or migration plans.
We have already been contacted by many people wanting to move ahead with the Direct Entry 186 visa.
If you have any questions or need assistance with your visa application, feel free to book an appointment with one of our migration lawyers or registered migration agents.
