457 Visa Changes – Update

Over the past 18 months, there has been a lot of concern about the potential changes to the 457 visas, but there have been very few practical changes  The 457-skilled working visa will be replaced by the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa from March 2018. Having said that there are a few technical changes to the visa which was the 457.

We chatted to our migration agents about any changes which will be coming into effect or already implemented:

Will GPs remain on the Skilled Occupation list?

• The Australian government continues to support the skills shortage in the medical profession by recognising General Medical Practitioners as a highly skilled occupation needed in Australia. The occupation remains on the Medium to Long Term Skill Shortage list as per the most recent occupation list that has been released 17 January 2018
• It is not expected that the occupation instruments will be changed for another 12 months but it is not possible to predict the future schedule of changes

Same-sex marriage

• Effective 9 December 2017, those who are in a same-sex marriage can apply for a visa as their partner’s ‘spouse’, rather than as their ‘de facto partner’

What is the new TSS visa?

The Government is introducing the TSS visa in early March 2018 to ensure businesses can access the critical skills they need to grow, where no skilled Australian worker is available. GPs are currently able to access:

• Medium-term stream – Occupations included on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) are able to apply for a visa up to four years, with eligibility to apply for permanent residence after three years. The major change is that this visa will be slightly more expensive than the previous 457 visas

This is the highest level of visa available which means that GPs are still understood to be in the highest demand in Australia. We will keep you informed about the changing landscape.

This information has been provided by Registered Migration Agents. Our chosen partners are Carman & Associates who are based in Australia and QuickVisas who are based in the UK.