Skills in Demand November 2024: What Changed, What's Next

Look, if you have been planning a 482 visa application, stop. The rules changed on 7 December 2024. The Temporary Skill Shortage visa is gone. Replaced by the Skills in Demand visa.

This is not a minor tweak. This is a complete restructure of how Australia brings in skilled workers.

Here is what you need to know.

Three Pathways, Three Sets of Rules

The old system had one visa with different occupation lists. The new system has three distinct pathways under the Skills in Demand visa:

Specialist Skills Pathway

This is for high earners. You need a salary of at least $135,000 per year. No occupation list required. If you earn above that threshold, you qualify regardless of your profession.

Four year visa. Direct pathway to permanent residency.

Core Skills Pathway

This is where most skilled workers will land. Your occupation must be on the new Core Skills Occupation List. Minimum salary is $73,150, indexed annually.

Four year visa. Pathway to permanent residency available.

Essential Skills Pathway

Not active yet. This one targets lower paid workers in aged care, disability, and hospitality. Expected to launch mid-2025 with union-negotiated conditions.

The Occupation Lists Changed Completely

Forget everything you knew about MLTSSL, STSOL, and ROL. Gone. All of them.

The new Core Skills Occupation List is shorter and more targeted. Jobs Australia has reviewed 456 occupations and categorised them:

• 225 occupations are "Confident On List"

• 91 occupations are under consultation

• 140 occupations are "Confident Off List"

If your occupation is in that third category, your employer sponsorship options just got very limited.

New Flexibilities That Actually Help

Not all the changes are restrictive. Some make life easier:

• 180 days to find a new sponsor if you lose your job (up from 60)

• Concurrent study now permitted

• Same employer can sponsor you for different roles

• Labour market testing reduced from 4 months to 28 days

That 180 day flexibility is significant. I have seen skilled workers scramble to find new sponsors within 60 days. That pressure led to bad decisions. This gives you breathing room.

What This Means For Your Application

If you lodged before 7 December 2024, your application will be assessed under the old rules. If you lodge now, you are in the new system.

Here is what you need to check:

• Is your occupation on the new Core Skills Occupation List?

• Does your salary meet the new thresholds?

• Does your employer understand the new nomination requirements?

If the answer to any of these is "I don't know", you have work to do.

Do Not Assume Your Old Plan Still Works

I have been practising immigration law for over 15 years. Every major policy change catches people out. They assume the old rules still apply. They lodge applications that were valid last month but are not valid today.

Do not let that be you.

If you want to understand exactly how these changes affect your situation, book a consultation. We will check your occupation status, review your salary against the new thresholds, and work out which pathway gives you the best outcome.

The rules changed. Make sure you are not playing by the old ones.