The Government has announced new legislation that will enable some temporary skilled green card holders to qualify for permanent residency (PR) in Australia in response to the current working conditions and the massive effect that COVID-19 will have on the Australian job market.
Applications submitted in accordance with the following employer-sponsored programmes are affected by this new legislation:
Visa for Employer Nomination Scheme, Subclass 186
Subclass 187 Visas, Regional Sponsored Migrant Programme
For skilled employees, permanent residency visas fall under subclasses 186 and 187. To qualify for these visas, a professional must be recommended by an acceptable Australian employer. The "Direct Entry," "Temporary Residence Transition," or "Labour Agreement" streams are only a few of the permanent residency options available to candidates under these visa programmes.
Prior to the introduction of this new legislation, a candidate was required to have been the recipient of a Subcategory 482 (Temporary Skill Shortage) card in the Standard size stream to be entitled to nomination under the TRT stream. Furthermore, the law granted permanent residency to certain Subclass 457 (Temporary Work Skilled) green card holders and short-term Subclass 482 visa holders. More skilled employees with subclass 457 or subclass 482 visas in the summary streams may now be designated and apply for a TRT visa thanks to new legislation.
Additional bridging visas could also be nominated.
Prior to the introduction of this new legislation, a candidate was required to have been the recipient of a Subcategory 482 (Temporary Skill Deficiency) card in the Standard size stream to be entitled to sponsorship under the TRT stream. Additionally, the law gave certain Subclass 457 (Temporary Residence Skilled) green card holders and short-term Subclass 482 visa holders access to permanent residency. More skilled employees with subclass 457 or subclass 482 visas in the summary streams may now be designated and seek a TRT visa thanks to new legislation.
Additional bridging visas could also be nominated.
Access to PR
Starting on July 1, 2022, those who are eligible for permanent residency via the TRT visa stream include those who are:
- Existing holders of category 482 (TSS) Those with short-term visas who worked for an approved Australian employer and stayed in Australia for at least a year between 1 February 2020 and 14 December 2021 are eligible to apply for permanent residence.
- A person who, as of April 18, 2017, either had a valid subclass 457 visa or had sought for one.
