If you’re a skilled worker who is currently in Australia on a 482 visa, you may be wondering how to renew 482 visa. The good news is that the renewal process is relatively straightforward. Generally, the sponsor has to submit a new nomination application. Following this, the nominated applicant can lodge a new 482 TSS visa.
The Temporary Skill Shortage visa or TSS visa (subclass 482) is a temporary visa that allows employers in Australia to sponsor skilled overseas workers to fill positions that they cannot fill with Australian workers.
Overview of the TSS Visa Application Process
Here’s a brief overview of the application process for this visa:
- The employer applies to be a sponsor.
- The employer becomes an approved sponsor.
- The employer nominates the applicant for a skilled occupation position.
- The applicant applies for the visa and complies with the requirements.
- Wait for the outcome of the application.
For a more comprehensive discussion of the requirements and eligibility for the 482 TSS Visa, here’s an article for your reference.
Most in-Demand Jobs on the Skilled Occupation List
Among the 600 kinds of jobs in the skilled occupation list, these are the top 10 jobs that are in demand in Australia as of August 2023:
- Registered Nurses
- Secondary School Teachers
- Software and Applications Programmers
- Electricians
- Construction Managers
- Carpenters and Joiners
- Metal Fitters and Machinists
- Plumbers
- Motor Mechanics
- University Lecturers and Tutors
If you want to know more about the visas available for these jobs and other relevant occupation or occupations listed as skilled occupations, head to the Department of Home Affairs’ website.
However, the 482 TSS visa program is not available to all professions; rather, it is exclusively intended for a few skilled professions where there is a labour shortage.
The vocations that can be nominated for the TSS visa will change as supply and demand pressures on labour fluctuate, reflecting and adapting to the shifting demands of the Australian labour market.
Furthermore, in 2023, there is an overall labour shortage in Australia in the following occupations:
- Construction managers
- Civil engineering professionals
- Early childhood teachers
- Registered nurses
- ICT (information and communications technology)
- Software and applications programmers
- Electricians
- Chefs
- Child carers
- Age and disability carers
Note: The proposed employer must pay the Australian market salary rate for the relevant occupation.
How to Renew 482 Visa?
Applicants might find that the number of times they are allowed to renew their TSS visa while they are onshore is limited in certain circumstances. This limitation on the ability to renew a 482 visa only applies to the short-term stream.
Here are the different streams for this visa:
- Short-term stream. Those seeking immigration under the 482 Visa short-term stream must fit under one of the listed occupations. It can only be renewed once from within Australia and has a two-year validity.
Furthermore, the applicant must travel abroad to reapply for the visa after four years on the TSS Visa.
- Medium-term stream. Applicants on the occupations list are eligible for the medium-term TSS visa. Moreover, the visa under this stream lasts for up to four years. Furthermore, this visa may be extended an unlimited number of times.
Note that there is a pathway to permanent residency after three years on this visa through either the ENS Temporary Transition 186 Visa or the RSMS Temporary Transition 187 Visa.
- Labour Agreement stream. Applicants who work in occupations that are not included on the TSS occupations list are eligible for a 482 Visa under the Labour Agreement stream.
These visas are only issued in rare circumstances when the Australian labour market is unable to fill the necessity. To be able to sponsor a particular occupation that isn’t on the list, an employer might file for a labour agreement.
2023 Updates on the 482 TSS Visa
If you’re planning to renew your 482 TSS visa, you must be aware of the changes concerning the visa. On July 1, 2023, a number of modifications that affect foreign nationals who want to visit and work in Australia took effect.
On the basis of an assessment of the immigration system, Australian Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil proposed policy adjustments in April.
Moreover, the amendments aim, among other things, to provide companies more flexibility in choosing highly trained foreign workers to give temporary workers more mobility in the labour market and to encourage international students to stay in the nation.
These are the changes:
- Due to the implementation of the Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement (Australia-U.K. FTA), employers applying for the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) subclass 482 visa will no longer be required to satisfy the Labour Market Testing (LMT) requirements for holders of U.K. passports as of May 31, 2023.
- On July 1, 2023, the Superannuation Guarantee (SG), which mandates companies to contribute a portion of an employee’s salary to a retirement fund, will increase from 10.5% to 11%. This requirement also applies to those with subclass 482 visas.
- For 482 nominations made starting on July 1, 2023, the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold will rise to $70 000.
- Moreover, the Australian government announced that a subclass 482 visa holder in all streams can now access the permanent resident pathway through 186 Visa Temporary Residence Transition Stream.
- The Minister announced that individuals on Temporary Skilled Shortage (subclass 482) visas will now have six months rather than 60 days to find a new employer who will sponsor them for a visa renewal.
Need Help With Your Renewal?
If you are planning to renew your 482 visa, it is important to start the process early. This will give you plenty of time to gather all of the required documentation and to ensure that your application is complete.
Furthermore, immigration lawyers at JB Solicitors can help you with the renewal of your 482 TSS visa in Australia in a number of ways. We can:
- Advise primary and secondary visa applicants on the eligibility requirements for renewal.
- Help you gather the required documentation to renew a 482 visa.
- Prepare your visa application.
- Appeal a visa refusal if your visa application is refused.
- Help you transition your temporary visa to a permanent visa and permanent residence.
Additionally, these specific services, our migration lawyers can also provide you with general advice on immigration law and procedures. This can be helpful if you are not familiar with the Australian immigration system.
Lastly, if you want to know more about how to renew 482 visa, contact us today for more information.
