482 – Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa

The 482 or Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa is the Australian Government’s primary employer sponsored work visa, replacing the existing 457 visa.

While largely an exercise in political re-branding, the 482 has introduced a number of additional hurdles posed to make sponsoring visa holders more challenging (and expensive) for both visa applicants and employers.

One significant change includes a new Labour Market Testing (advertising) requirement that applies to all new nomination applications. From 18 March 2018, it is now a requirement that all employers wanting to sponsor international candidates in any occupation will be required to have placed a minimum of 2 advertisements on advertising mediums with national reach. In addition, a minimum advertising period of 28 days applies per advertisement, both of which must have been placed in the previous 4 months. This is set to make the LMT requirement significantly more burdensome on employers looking to engage international workers, not to mention the distortion and misleading effect this will have on prospective candidates, through the market flooding of advertisements for roles that have already been filled solely to meet an immigration check box.

Another critical change with the 482 visa is the introduction of a minimum 2 year work experience requirement for all visa applicants. It is no longer possible to rely on qualifications alone to meet the skill requirement. This is likely to have a significant impact on the graduate student market, especially where candidates are unable to obtain the minimum work experience through their studies.

To avoid critical and costly errors in not meeting Labour Market Testing specifications, visa skill requirements for your occupation, and other important nomination and visa criteria, we recommend seeking advice from a registered migration agent.

To speak with a migration agent about sponsoring an international candidate, or making a 482 visa application as an individual, please contact MAPS on 1300 899 734.