Stay sharp with our updates on changes to skilled visas such as Subclass 457 Visas and 187 Visas over the next coming months.
New Health Insurance Requirements for Subclass 457 Visa Applicants
- Subclass 457 visa applicants will no longer be required to provide evidence of their health insurance from 18 November 2017. Details will instead be confirmed via an online form.
- A new visa condition (8602) has been added to legislation. From 18 November, 457 visa holders and applicants must not have an outstanding public health debt. Condition 8602 will apply to most skilled and business visas and breach of this condition could result in delays in visa processing or visa cancellation.
Upcoming 457 and 187 Visa Changes – Dec 2017 / Jan 2018
- Subject to legislation passing, the Immigration Department will require Tax File Numbers for those on an employer sponsored visa to ensure visa holders are paid their nominated salary.
- We expect that from 1 December 2017, the Singapore-Australia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) will commence, allowing Singaporeans to be exempted from labour market testing under the 457 Visa program.
- The Government’s review of the Skilled Occupation Lists in January 2018 is likely to result in further changes to the occupations deemed eligible for a 457 visa. See which occupations are being considered for removal and addition to the Short Term Skilled Occupation List In January.
- While there may be upcoming changes to the STSOL,The Department has confirmed there are no proposed changes to the Medium to Long Term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) at this time. The MLTSSL states which occupations are eligible for a permanent residence pathway.
Upcoming 457 Visa Changes – March 2018
- The Medium to Long Term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) will begin to apply to the Direct Entry Stream for 187 Visas (RSMS). The Department has indicated some additional occupations will be made available to the Direct Entry stream to support regional areas.
- Employees seeking to transition to permanent residence from a 457 visa will require 3 years of residency rather than 2 years, unless they held a 457 visa on 18 April 2017 and other eligibility requirements are met. Read here for more.
- Employers nominating a worker for the Employer Nominated Scheme or Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) will need to make a contribution to the Skilling Australians Fund. The contribution will be:
- Payable in full at the time the worker is nominated
- $3,000 for small businesses (annual turnover less than $10 million) and $5,000 for other businesses.
- Minimum market salary rates and the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold must be met.
- The Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) Visa will replace the 457 Visa program in March 2018.
Business Migration | Strategic Thinking
Interstaff will keep you updated on any further migration developments as they arise. If you have any questions about the above updates, please contact myself or the Interstaff team on 08 9221 3388 or visas@interstaff.com
Source: Sheila Woods, Registered Migration Agent MARN: 0533879
