Skills in Demand Delayed: Strategic Moves for Your Future

Look, I know many of you were watching the calendar, waiting for the Skills in Demand visa to launch in late 2024. It did not happen. The Senate ran out of time, and now we are looking at February 2025 at the earliest.

Let me explain what this actually means for your plans.

Why the Delay Happened

The Senate had too much on its plate in the final sitting week of 2024. The Skills in Demand bill simply did not make the cut. Parliament does not sit again until February 2025.

Here is the complication: a Federal election is expected in early 2025. When that happens, legislative priorities get reshuffled. There is no guarantee this bill moves quickly, even in February.

What Employers Need to Know Right Now

If you have skilled workers you need to sponsor, you cannot wait for legislation that may be delayed for months. The TSS visa (Subclass 482) is your pathway. It is operating. It works.

One thing to note: the government had flagged reducing the TSS work experience requirement from two years to one year. That change has not happened. You still need workers with two years of relevant experience.

I have seen businesses lose good candidates because they kept waiting for "better" rules. Do not be one of them.

What Skilled Workers Should Do

Are you holding off on a sponsorship opportunity because you thought the new visa would be simpler or faster? Stop waiting.

The TSS visa pathway to permanent residency still works. The rules you can act on today are more valuable than rules that might exist in six months.

If an employer is ready to sponsor you now, that is the opportunity in front of you. Take it.

What Should You Do Next?

For employers: sponsor under the current TSS system. Your workforce needs will not wait for Parliament.

For workers: if you have a sponsorship offer, move forward. You can always benefit from future changes once they actually become law.

Not sure where you stand under the current rules? Book a consultation and let us map out your options. Waiting for uncertain legislation is not a strategy.