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482 VISA (TEMPORARY SKILL SHORTAGE VISA) TSS
Employer Sponsored Visas (TSS) Subclass 482
TSS visa enables employers to address labour shortages by hiring skilled workers where they cannot find an appropriately skilled Australian. It facilitates employment of foreign workers to address temporary skill shortages, while ensuring that Australian workers get priority. TSS visa holders can work in Australia in their nominated occupation and may have a pathway to permanent residency.
Employer-Sponsored Visa Options
Temporary Work Skilled (Subclass 482)
A Business can sponsor someone for this visa if they cannot find an Australian citizen or permanent resident to do the skilled work. The business must be a Standard Business Sponsor (SBS) or an Overseas Business Sponsor (OBS) to sponsor a client under the TSS visa.
There are three (3) streams to the TSS visa:
- The Short-Term stream
- The Medium-Term stream
- The Labour Agreement stream
You can select the stream that applies to you by referring to the Consolidated Skilled Occupations list. If your occupation make you eligible under the short-term stream then maximum time period that your TSS visa will be approved for is two (2) years. If your occupation makes you eligible under the medium-term stream, then the maximum time period that your TSS visa will be approved for is four (4) years.
Target Market
- Established businesses in Australia
- Established business overseas seeking to enter Australia
- Employees with job offers from companies
Visa applicant requirements
- You have an occupation on the Consolidated Skilled Occupations list
- You have been nominated for a job position by an Australian employer that wants to recruit you to work for them
- You have the relevant skills and qualifications for your occupation
- You have at least two (2) years of work experience in your occupation
- You have vocational English language ability
- You can satisfy DHA requirements for good character and health
- If you are in Australia, you have a substantive visa, or a bridging visa A, B, or C and you have complied with your visa condition.
Note: There is no age requirement for the TSS visa.
Company requirements
- Actively and lawfully operating in Australia or
- Actively and lawfully operating overseas but requiring the visa applicant to establish an Australian business or fulfill contractual obligations
Position requirements
- A genuine, full time position
- In the sponsor’s business (or that of an associated entity)
- A salary in line with market rates
- Subject to Labour Market Testing (LMT)
- On the relevant occupation listsEmplyer
The three-step application process is
Business sponsorship approval
A sponsorship application by the employer (the employer needs to be a lawful, active, operating business and meet local labor and employment practices).
Position nomination
The second part of the application process is the nomination application. This is regarding the position to be filled, salary details, efforts to hire Australian workers and the ‘genuineness’ of the position. The business must also be viable to sponsor from overseas.
Visa application
A visa application by the nominated employee. The visa applicant must demonstrate that they meet the skills required for their occupation as well as health and character requirements.
Subclass 482 Temporary Skill Shortage Visa
Frequently Asked Question
- Occupation on MLTSSL
- Renewable onshore and unlimited times
- Pathway to permanent residency (after 3 years)
- IELTS 5 (no skill below 5) or equivalent, unless exempt
- 2 years of relevant work experience required and meet ANZSCO requirements
- No age limit
- Meet health and character requirements
- Employer tests the Australian labour market before an application to sponsor (LMT)
- Employer must pay the Australian Market Salary Rate (AMSR)
- Occupation on STSOL
- Renewable once onshore (2+2 max in total onshore) + more offshore
- IELTS overall 5 (no skill below 4.5) or equivalent, unless exempt
- NO permanent residency pathway unless regional
- Show intention of temporary stay (GTE requirement)
- 2 years of relevant work experience required and meet ANZSCO requirements
- No age limit
- Meet health and character requirements
- Employer tests the Australian labour market before an application to sponsor (LMT)
- Employer must pay the Australian Market Salary Rate (AMSR)
- Occupation on the Regional Occupations list (ROL)
- Employer must be in a designated regional area
- Renewable onshore and unlimited times
- Pathway to permanent residency (after 3 years)
- IELTS 5 (no skill below 5) or equivalent, unless exempt
- 2 years of relevant work experience required and meet ANZSCO requirements
- No age limit
- Meet health and character requirements
- Employer tests the Australian labour market before an application to sponsor (LMT)
- Employer must pay the Australian Market Salary Rate (AMSR)
In some cases, the 482 visa can lead to permanent residency in Australia. Medium-stream 482 visa holders are eligible to apply for permanent residency after three years of employment with their sponsor employee.
- Employers who are already approved standard business sponsors for subclass 457 will be able to sponsor skilled overseas workers under the TSS visa program.
- Secondary visa applicants (of 457 visa holders) are able to lodge a subsequent dependent TSS application and if they meet requirements, will be granted a TSS 482 visa linked to their family’s subclass 457 visa/nomination application. The validity period of the TSS visa will match the expiry date of the subclass 457 primary visa holder. Spouses/partners and children included in the TSS visa application will have unrestricted work and study rights.
- Subclass 457 visa holders whose visa is not expiring but wish to change employer do not need to apply for a new TSS visa, but need their new employer to lodge a TSS 482 nomination application and link it to your 457 visa. You will need to apply for a new TSS visa before your 457 visa expires to continue working.
- Subclass 457 visa holders who wish to change occupation or need a new visa (for example: with longer validity), they will, however, need to lodge a new TSS visa application referencing a new TSS nomination application.
- If you are granted a 457 visa after 18 April 2017 off the MLTSSL list, it can be granted for 4 years. You will be able to be apply for a permanent 186/187 visa after 3 years on a 457 visa if that company decides to nominate you.
- If you already hold a 457 visa in a STSOL occupation, you can apply for a two year TSS visa and a further two year TSS visa onshore.
- Can I apply for 186 Transition after applying being on a 2 year TSS 482 Visa: if you are not grandfathered you would need to be on the MLTSSL list and you would need a further one year TSS visa to be eligible to apply for a permanent 186/187 RSMS visa under that occupation with the same company.
- I am over 50 years of age, can I still apply for this visa? Yes, there is no age limit for this visa type.
Some consequences of this:
- Occupations such as cook and restaurant manager are on the STSOL list. While you can still be sponsored for 2 years by a restaurant on the 457 visa and gain another 2 year extension, you can no longer apply for a permanent visa unless it is added to the MLTSSL list or being in a designated regional area and on the TSS ROL list.
- Retail manager is still available in regional areas for the 187 visa at the moment but it is not on the 482 visa Medium to Long Term list.
- Most student graduates will not be eligible for temporary or permanent company sponsorship as they require at least 2 years full-time work experience. Structured, formal training and work experience on a Student visa may count towards the 2 year work experience requirement.
TSS visa applicants are required to have worked in the nominated occupation, or a related field, for at least two years to be eligible for a TSS visa. This means if you have recently graduated with a relevant Bachelor’s degree from an Australian university you would generally not qualify for the TSS visa unless you have completed another qualification overseas and have 2 years of experience after that qualification. TSS visa applicants must also meet the ANZSCO Skill Level requirement of your occupation.
Generally, you should have gained your experience on a full-time basis within the last 5 years. The period does not need to be continuous. We might consider equivalent part-time work. We do not consider casual work.
Other ways you may be able to demonstrate your work experience could include where you have gained your experience:
- as part of a Masters and/or PhD – for relevant occupations, such as medical and research occupations
- while studying through a formal arrangement such as a clinical or industry placement, internship or apprenticeship
If the formal arrangement as specified above was:
- part of a CRICOS registered course, the study must have been relevant to the nominated occupation. For example, medical practitioners could count experience gained through internships or their final year of medical training, including periods of clinical placements.
- not part of a CRICOS registered course, the study must have been undertaken at the skill level of the relevant occupation
Who we help
- Tourists
- Students
- Skilled workers
- Families
- Company Sponsors
- Partners
- Appeals