Australia launches new ‘skills in demand’ visa replacing temporary skills shortage visa

Australia on Saturday replaced the Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) visa with the Skills in Demand (SID) visa.

The SID visa holders, including Indians, can work in Australia for up to four years, with a five-year option for Hong Kong passport holders.

As per Australia’s Department of Home Affairs, one can also travel to and from Australia as many times as you want while the visa is valid. Eligible one may also apply for permanent residency based on employment criteria.

For the visa, one must be nominated to work in an occupation on the Core Skills Occupational List (CSOL).

They must also have at least 1 year of relevant work experience in your nominated occupation or a related field.

One must have a relevant skills assessment if applicable to their occupation, work exclusively for their sponsor or their associated entity unless exempt, and demonstrate minimum English language proficiency unless an exemption applies.

As per the Home Affairs website, the cost of the visa starts from AUD 3,115.00 (₹1,70,166.34).

According to reports, the Indian community is the second-largest overseas group in Australia, after the United Kingdom. With over 976,000 Indians living in Australia as of 2024.

Official figures show that in 2022, more than 1,00,000 Indian students were studying in Australian institutions. By September 2023, this number had risen to 1.22 lakhs.