For Australian companies, hiring overseas employees has become easier. In March 2018, Australia introduced the Temporary Skill Shortage subclass 482 visa, commonly referred to as the TSS visa. This visa is replacing the Temporary Work (Skilled) visa, subclass 457.
The TSS visa aims to address skills shortages in the Australian job market while ensuring the protection of local jobs, wages, and working conditions.
In this article, we provide a short guide to understanding the different aspects of the TSS visa. We cover its three primary streams and requirements for sponsors and applicants.
Streams and Visa Settings
The TSS visa includes three main streams: short-term, medium-term, and labor agreement.
Each stream offers specific visa settings tailored to meet the diverse needs of employers and workers.
Short-term Stream:
- Visa fee starting from $1,455
- Allows a stay of up to 2 years (or up to 4 years under specific conditions)
- Occupations must be on the skilled occupation list
- Permits the application for only one subsequent short-term stream visa
Medium-term Stream:
- Visa fee starting from $3,035
- Permits a stay of up to 4 years
- Occupations must be on either the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) or the Regional Occupation List (ROL)
Labor Agreement Stream:
- Visa fee starting from $3,035
- Allows a stay of up to 4 years
- Requires nomination by an employer with a pre-established labor agreement
Hiring Overseas Employees Under a TSS Visa: Requirements for Employers
To attain approved sponsor status for the TSS visa, employers must meet specific criteria:
- Nominate the foreigner for an eligible occupation
- Conduct a labor market test and short proof of the inability to find a suitable worker on the local market
- Adhere to salary requirements (the salary should be at least the annual market salary rate (AMSR) for the nominated position)
- Have a genuine position available
- Provide the worker with a written contract of employment
- Engage in a fair, non-discriminatory, responsible recruitment process
- Ensure employment conditions that are equivalent to Australian workers
- Have a pre-established labor agreement (for the labor agreement stream)
TSS Visa: What Are the Requirements for Workers?
Companies can hire overseas employees under a TSS visa if the workers meet the following requirements:
- Hold an appropriate visa and comply with its conditions (for candidates applying in Australia)
- Be nominated by an approved sponsor
- Be employed in the nominated position and work for the sponsor
- Have skills and qualifications that meet the requirements for the position
- Have at least 2 years of professional experience that is relevant to the position
- Hold adequate health insurance
- Have a positive skills assessment
- Meet specific health requirements
- Meet specific character requirements
- Have a genuine intention to reside in Australia under the TSS visa conditions
- Have not offered a benefit for visa sponsorship
- Meet the minimum standards of English language proficiency
- Agree to sign an Australian values statement
- Not having a previous visa or visa application canceled or refused
- Do now owe the Australian government money
- Work under a labor agreement (for candidates applying for the labor agreement stream)
Please note that there is no age requirement for this visa type.
Understanding the Process of Hiring Foreign Workers in Australia
For Australian businesses looking to hire overseas employees, we’ve meticulously curated a full guide that offers valuable insights into the process.
We invite you to explore this resource to gain a better understanding of the requirements you must meet as an employer.
Hiring Overseas Employees in Australia with VideoWorkers
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