Australia’s skilled migration system is evolving to address workforce shortages in critical sectors. As thousands of skilled workers await visa approval, the government is also preparing to transition to the new Skills in Demand visa. Here's what you need to know about the most in-demand professions and the upcoming changes to Australia's skilled visa pathways.

Australia is implementing significant updates to the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa (Subclass 482) and introducing a new occupation classification system, the Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA). These changes, set to take effect on November 24 and December 6, 2024, respectively, aim to improve skilled migration processes and address workforce needs more effectively. Here’s what you need to know about these updates and how they may affect both skilled migrants and employers in Australia.

Education Minister Jason Clare proposed that new international student commencements will be capped at 270,000 across Australian higher education and vocational providers for the 2025 calendar year.

Previously, only holders of a Subclass 482 visa in the Medium-term stream had access to permanent residency through the Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) streams of the Subclass 186 and Subclass 187 visas. However, with the new regulations, all 482 and 457 visa holders, regardless of their stream, will now be eligible for permanent residency through the TRT stream.

Despite the Albanese government's recent overhaul of the immigration system, which will see nearly 10,000 additional skilled workers nationwide, Queensland is set to experience a reduction in its allocated number of skilled migrants for the 2024-2025 financial year.

Starting July 1, 2024, the Australian Government implemented substantial changes to its immigration policies, impacting various visa programs and conditions. Key areas affected include business sponsorships, skilled migration, and temporary visa holders. These policy shifts aim to streamline processes, attract highly skilled individuals, and ensure Australia remains a competitive destination for global talent.

Beginning on July 1, 2024, the Australian Government will implement substantial changes to visa conditions 8107, 8607, and 8608 under its Migration Strategy. These reforms aim to tackle worker exploitation and boost productivity by enhancing labor market mobility for temporary migrants.

• Biggest updates from the 2024 Federal Budget

• Working Holiday Visa lottery

• 482 visa employment requirement changes

Currently, CSOL is still under review and a scoring system guide will decide on the occupations that shall be included or excluded from the list. To give you a clear picture of the current draft, we sorted out the occupations that will surely be on the list, occupations that will be off the list, and occupations under consultation.

As the Skills in Demand Visa will be replacing the current TSS 482 visa, many people might ask, will this new visa program be better than the current 482 visa?

In recent years, Australia has been grappling with a persistent skills shortage across various industries, posing significant challenges to economic growth and development. To address this pressing issue, there has been a growing call to lower the cost of higher education, thereby ensuring accessibility and affordability for all Australians.

The 482 visa is a Temporary Visa program that grants skilled migrants entry into Australia and engage in their designated occupation under an approved sponsor for a duration of up to four years. Over the past few months, this visa program has undergone numerous changes that certainly affects the application process.

The Australian Training Visa (subclass 407) is a temporary visa that allows you to participate in workplace-based training to enhance your skills in your current occupation, area of tertiary study, field of expertise, or in a professional development capacity.

The year 2024 is considered to be a transitional phase to a more sustainable migration system. The new strategy is focused on effectively tackling challenges within the migration structure, especially the issues about long-term temporary visa holders. To give you a clearer overview, we list down the top immigration changes this year 2024.

In a bid to bolster international opportunities and facilitate smoother transitions for various visa categories, recent updates in visa policies have brought forth significant changes.

Skilled migrants who were employed in Australia amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, but were prevented from applying for permanent residency due to a stealthy alteration in visa regulations, will now be granted permission to remain.

Due to an anticipated increase in demand, the need for full-time care workers in Australia is expected to double.

As we see huge changes in how skilled visas are being processed, applications for teachers and healthcare professionals have now been placed in top priority. We see applications being evaluated in as fast as three days.