Update: After months of incremental changes, the Australian government has announced that the Temporary Skill Shortage visa (Subclass 482) will officially replace the Temporary Work Skilled visa (Subclass 457) on Sunday, March 18, 2018. Any standard business sponsorship (SBS), 457 position nomination, and 457 visa applications filed before March 18 will be processed under the current rules.
What is changing this weekend:
– New Name
– Additional relevant work experience requirement of two years
– Increased visa fees
– Stricter health requirements
In addition, changes to the 457 that have been implemented over the past year are being integrated into the TSS/482. These previously implemented changes include:
– Limits to the duration of stay for some occupations and the creation of the Short-Term and Medium and Long-Term Occupations lists
– English language requirements
– Police clearance requirements
More changes still being discussed: Parliament is still considering a Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy (to replace current training benchmarks) and new labor market testing requirements. For now, existing training benchmark requirements for both temporary and permanent visas will continue to apply to the TSS/482 visa, at least initially. It is also not yet clear whether 457 visa holders may change their occupation without needing to file a new TSS/482 visa application.