Key Takeaways of the Migration Amendment (Enhancing Sponsorship and Nomination Processes) Bill 2024
The Migration Amendment (Enhancing Sponsorship and Nomination Procedures) Bill 2024 has been introduced presenting a range of major changes to the employer sponsored visa programs.
In particular, the bill seeks to amend the Migration Act 1958 to establish the legislative framework for the introduction of the Skills in Demand visa which is set to replace the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) (subclass 482) visa.
Ethos Migration Lawyers have undertaken an analysis of the bill and have summarised the key points below:
Skills in Demand Visa Framework
- The Temporary Skill Shortage visa will be replaced with a new Skills in Demand visa, focusing on attracting exceptional talent and address Australia’s critical skill shortages.
Labour Market Testing:
- The duration for labour market testing validity to be extended from 4 months to 6 months before submitting a nomination.
Income Benchmarks
- The introduction of the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) and Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT) aims to guarantee equitable pay for employer sponsored visa holders.
- The CSIT has been set at $73,150, while the SSIT is set at $135,000.
Note: The current Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) is currently set at $73,150 which increased from $70,000 on the 1 July 2024.
Yearly Indexation:
- Yearly indexation of income thresholds will be implemented to mirror changes in Average Weekly Ordinary Time Earnings (AWOTE), ensuring equitable wages over time.
Registry of Sanctioned Business Sponsors:
- A transparent public registry of sanctioned sponsors to be established, disclosing business names, postcodes, and the occupations of nominated employees in the goal of establishing further transparency, monitoring and oversight of business sponsors.
The aim of these amendments is to enhance productivity, promote sustainable migration, guarantee fair employment conditions, and improve the transparency of Australia’s skilled migration program.
Ethos Migration Lawyers will continue to provide updates as further information becomes available, particularly in relation to the introduction of the Skills in Demand Visa in late 2024.