Improved access to permanent residency for TSS visa holders

Australia is in the process of making valuable changes to its immigration laws one of which is to improve access to permanent residency for skilled migrant workers who chose to remain in Australia during the pandemic.

According to analysis from the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA),

Australia has lost more than 600,000 people since mid-2020.

Therefore, Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) subclass 482 visa holders who had been in Australia for at least one year between 1 February 2020 and 14 December 2021 can apply for permanent residence through the Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream of the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) subclass 186 visa even if their occupation is on the short-term stream list.

In addition to short-term stream TSS visa holders, the Government advised that this pathway is also available to medium-term stream TSS visa holders with an occupation on the Regional Occupation List, which has a varied range of occupations from farming to medical personnel, pilots and numerous managerial positions.

Applicants must also meet all other nomination and visa requirements for the TRT stream of the ENS visa.

This pathway is currently available for two years from 1 July 2022 when applying under the concessions under LIN 22/038. It would be a decision for the Australian Government to close the pathway on 1 July 2024 or continue making it available to visa applicants.