Navigating the waters of Australian immigration can be choppy at times – at best it’s confusing, at worse, downright convoluted and cryptic. When you add into the mix the recent introduction of a whole bunch of new visa rules, it’s no surprise if you’re feeling a little frustrated about the process of relocating Down Under.
But you can put your confusion to the side. Here you’ll find a detailed breakdown of the new visa rules Australia has in place for skilled workers, holiday makers and students. They’ll help you chart the right course to ensure your journey to the land of sun and sea is smooth sailing, rather than stormy.
Why are there so many migration changes?
The answer to that question is about as complex as understanding visa rules! There are a number of reasons behind it, with the Australian government aiming to:
- End ‘permanent temporariness’ (a state where long-term visa holders face uncertain, temporary status with no clear path to permanent residency)
- Address workforce shortages
- Promote regional development
- Enhance immigration integrity (i.e. reduce ‘visa hopping’)
- Streamline processes, particularly around reducing visa processing times.
Australia’s permanent migration allocation for 2024-25 has been set at 185,000 places, with 132,200 of those allocated to skilled migrants. The remaining 28% of spots are slated for the family stream, which is predominantly made up of Partner visas.
What are the key changes?
In general, there’s been:
- A healthy increase in employer-sponsored visas (from 36,825 to 44,000 this year)
- More regional visa allocations (33,000) to encourage skilled migrants to settle in less populated Aussie towns and support local economies
- Implementation of the new Skills in Demand visa
- A new Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) for temporary skilled visas that replaces the complex and outdated occupation lists
- A big shift from the Global Talent visa to the new National Innovation visa
- Adjustments to visitor, international student and temporary graduate visas (addressing visa hopping, new processing priorities, and age eligibility reductions)
- A re-commitment to family migration priority (52,000 places allocated)
Visa processing priorities have shifted a little too. Regional areas now have some of the highest processing priorities for skilled worker visas, alongside employee-sponsored visas for healthcare and teaching occupations, those applying via the new Skills in Demand Specialist Skills pathway, followed by the Core Skills pathway.
As for student visas, there’s high priority processing for higher education providers and Vocational Education and Training providers that are yet to reach 80% of their 2025 new overseas student commencements allocation.
Let’s now dig deeper into the details of the new visa rules Australia has in place and that might affect your particular situation, whether it’s for work, travel or study.
Temporary Skill Shortage visa now the Skills In Demand visa
As of December 7, 2024, the Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482) was shown the door, with the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482)(SID) ushered in. It has to be one of the most profound new visa rules Australia has instituted in the past few years.
The new four-year employer-sponsored visa SID looks pretty different to its predecessor with three clear streams or pathways:
- Specialist skills
- Core skills
- Labour agreement
The main differences are that each stream has a clearer pathway to permanent residency, and the work experience requirement has been reduced from two years to just one.
Applicants now only need at least 12 months of full-time equivalent work relevant to the nominated occupation or a related field experience within the last five years. It can be full-time, part-time, or casual employment, and non-continuous. This change should make it easier for younger professionals, part-time workers, and those returning to work after a break to qualify for the visa.
Some further key features of the SID visa include:
- The ability to change employers with a new nomination
- All full-time sponsored employment counts towards permanent residency eligibility, even when changing employers
- Up to 180 days to find a new sponsor if changing jobs
- A maximum of 365 days in total across the entire visa period to find a new sponsor, apply for a different visa, or depart Australia
- Can travel in and out of Australia
- Includes family members who can work and study
It’s important to be aware there are additional key eligibility criteria that differ across the three streams, such as salary thresholds and occupation lists. To help you out there, let’s get to a further breakdown of the pathways and associated eligibility requirements:
Specialist Skills pathway
Key features
- Up to 4 years with a pathway to permanent residency (Hong Kong passport holders may stay up to five years)
- Highly skilled, earning at least $135,000
- Must have an approved employer sponsor
- Any age (PR requirements are separate)
- Almost any occupation except trades workers, machinery operators and drivers, and labourers (does not need to be on the on CSOL but must be an ANZSCO occupation in Major Group 1, 2, 4, 5 or 6)
- Demand driven
- See full eligibility requirements
Core Skills pathway
Key features
- Up to 4 years with a pathway to permanent residency (Hong Kong passport holders may stay up to five years)
- Skilled workers with a salary threshold of $73,150 AUD
- Must have an approved employer sponsor
- Any age (PR requirements are separate)
- Occupation must be on the CSOL list
- See full eligibility requirements
Labour agreement stream (formerly known as Essential Skills pathway)
Key features
- Up to 4 years with a pathway to permanent residency (Hong Kong passport holders may stay up to five years)
- Skilled workers nominated by employers who have a Labour Agreement (an agreement between the Australian Government and employers)
- Occupations earning under $73,150 AUD
- Any age (PR requirements are separate)
- Meet English requirements for your occupation
- See full eligibility requirements
Note: This stream is still under government consultation, so things may change quickly. It’s worth keeping a close eye on the Department of Home Affairs website for any updates.
What if I have an existing Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa?
No need to panic. Your TSS visa is still valid until it expires. If you want to, you can then apply for the new SID visa after that.
The launch of the National Innovation visa (NIV)
December 7, 2024 was a pretty big day in Australian immigration with the launch of another newbie visa, this time the National Innovation visa (NIV).
The NIV (subclass 858) replaces the Global Talent visa and the Business Innovation and Investment visa. It’s designed to attract exceptionally talented individuals with world-leading skills.
To be eligible, you need to have an internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement in either your profession, a sport, the arts, or academia and research. You must also have a nominator with ‘a national reputation in your area’ who is in Australia or New Zealand.
Some examples might be a prominent thought leader and author of an influential book, renowned for their contributions to knowledge and innovation in their field. Or it might be an academic professional with notable publications in prestigious journals and high citation counts, perhaps someone who’s received significant awards for their contributions to medical science or climate change research.
As this is obviously quite an exclusive group, it comes as no surprise that you must be invited by the government to apply for the NIV.
Key features of the NIV
You can:
- Stay in Australia permanently
- Be any age
- Have no occupation restrictions
- Sponsor relatives to come to Australia
- Travel to and from Australia for 5 years
- Apply for Australian citizenship, if eligible
You can review the full eligibility requirements at the Aussie government website.
What if I have an existing Global Talent visa or Business Innovation and Investment visa?
The government will continue to process on-hand Global Talent visa applications. They also say they will support existing visa holders through the transition process.
Changes to visas for international students
2024 saw a number of significant changes to international student visas.
There was the replacement of the Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) requirement with the new Genuine Student Test (GST) for student visa applications. It came about as a way to ensure those applying genuinely intend to study in Australia, rather than returning home after completing their studies. It also assesses their potential contributions to the country.
It’s now a pretty comprehensive evaluation, testing factors such as your:
- English proficiency
- academic background
- financial capacity, purpose of study
- reason for choosing a specific course
- links to Australia
- may also involve an interview with a visa officer
The Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 458) was streamlined from four streams into three to simplify the system. They are now:
- Post-Vocational Education Work (formerly Temporary Graduate Work stream)
- Post-Higher Education Work (formerly Post Study Work stream)
- Second Post-Higher Education Work (formerly Second Post-Study Work stream).
The age eligibility was reduced from 50 to 35 years for most applicants, but masters (research) and doctoral degree (PhD) graduates can still apply up to age 50.
The length of stay has been reduced in some streams, for instance, those in the Post-Higher Education Work stream can stay up to two years (bachelor’s degree, honours and masters), with those studying master’s degree by research or a PhD, up to three years.
The English language requirement also increased from 6.0 to 6.5 IELTS6.
Importantly, ‘visa hopping’ has been addressed. Now all temporary graduate (and visitor and maritime crew) visa holders can’t apply for student visas while in Australia.
Lastly, international students in Australia now need to provide a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) when submitting their application for a new (or extending) student visa. It replaces the previously accepted Letter of Offer for onshore applications.
Working Holiday visa and Visitor visa changes
Australia is a popular place for a working holiday – you can see it in the throngs of backpackers trekking their way up and down the coast, or the hordes of young skilled professionals combining the excitement of international work experience with the wonders of surf, sea and sand.
To cope with this enormous demand, Australia has now introduced a new ballot system for Working Holiday visas (subclass 462). It happened in October last year and is for applicants from high-demand countries – China, India and Vietnam.
With capped numbers (China 5000, India 1000, Vietnam 1500) and based on a lottery system, it works by asking applicants to register online during a specific period (this was October last year for the 2024-25 program year). Random selections then occur from mid-October last year through to the end of April this year, with the lucky winners notified by email and asked to proceed with their visa application.
The ballot only applies to first-time Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa applicants from the mentioned countries. Second and third visa applications are not affected.
In a concerted attempt to stem ‘visa hopping’, Aussie pollies ruled in July last year that
Visitor visa (sc 600) holders can’t apply for Student (Sc 500) visas while onshore.
Stay ahead as you prepare for your move to Australia
Whether you’re a skilled professional seeking new opportunities, a student aiming to further your education, or a traveller hoping to explore the natural wonders Down Under, understanding the ins and outs of the new visa rules Australia has in place is crucial. It’s an important first step in ensuring you have the best chances of securing that all-important visa, be it to work, travel, study or live.
Aside from reading this article, it’s also a smart move to keep your eye on both the Aussie government’s Department of Home Affairs immigration website, and their associated news and media section. Things in the migration space are never static and can move at breakneck speed. For example, you wouldn’t want to miss the next ballot date announcement for Working Holiday visas.
Another vital part in preparing for your journey is money, specifically the most efficient way of managing your finances. Here at Remitly, our money transfer services are designed to help migrants like you send and receive funds seamlessly, ensuring you have the financial support you need while living and working in Australia.
