This work visa enables skilled professionals to fill critical roles within Australian industries experiencing workforce gaps. The SID visa operates through three distinct streams accommodating different skill levels and employment circumstances, offering improved clarity, enhanced salary benchmarks, and greater flexibility compared to predecessor programs.
1 Visa Streams and Requirements
Specialist Skills Stream: A new addition catering to highly skilled professionals in occupations listed in ANZSCO Major Groups 1, 2, 4, 5, or 6, excluding trade workers, machinery operators, and laborers. Applicants must meet the specialist skills income threshold of AUD $135,000 or higher. This stream recognizes significant economic contributions of highly skilled migrants, enabling employers to fill critical gaps efficiently through fast-tracked streamlined processing.
Core Skills Stream: Designed for roles listed on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL), targeting skilled workers meeting the core skills income threshold of AUD $73,150. This consolidated list includes 456 occupations, expanded to provide 189 additional occupations with direct permanent residency pathways through the Temporary Residence Transition stream for subclass 186 applications.
Labour Agreement Stream: Retains existing settings from the TSS visa, providing continuity for applicants under employer-specific agreements with the Australian Government. Occupations and criteria are customized to individual Labour Agreements, addressing unique industry needs and workforce requirements.
2 Key Improvements Over TSS Visa
Work Experience Requirements: The SID visa requires more flexible 12 months of work experience within the past 5 years, compared to the TSS requirement of 2 years, ensuring recent and relevant professional experience in nominated occupations.
English Language Standards: Unified requirements across streams requiring IELTS overall score of 5.0 with minimum 5.0 in each band, compared to TSS varying standards of 4.5 minimum bands for short-term streams.
Stay Duration: Both core and specialist streams now permit stays up to 4 years, offering consistency and longer-term stability compared to TSS short-term stream's 2-year maximum duration.
Visa Fees: Uniform fee structure of AUD $3,115 applies across all streams, simplifying cost calculations compared to TSS varied fees of $1,495 for short-term and $3,115 for medium-term streams.
Genuine Entrant Assessment: The SID visa removes the Genuine Temporary Entrant test, instead focusing on applicants' genuine intentions to perform nominated roles and position authenticity, streamlining assessment processes while maintaining program integrity.
3 Occupation Lists and Pathways
The Core Skills Occupation List consolidates eligible occupations into a single streamlined list, improving clarity for applicants and employers. While the CSOL includes 456 occupations representing a reduction of 125 occupations from previous TSS lists, it significantly expands permanent residency opportunities by adding 189 occupations to direct permanent residence pathways.
The CSOL features 16 new or updated occupations aligned with current ANZSCO classification changes, ensuring relevance to Australia's contemporary labor market needs and economic priorities. This consolidated approach simplifies occupation verification while maintaining comprehensive coverage of skilled professions experiencing workforce shortages.
4 Transition and Professional Support
TSS to SID Transition: Existing TSS visa holders retain valid visa status until expiration. Applications submitted before December 7, 2024, undergo assessment under TSS framework rules. All applications lodged after December 7, 2024, fall under Skills in Demand visa requirements and processing standards.
Professional Migration Assistance: Navigating migration processes presents significant complexity. Registered Migration Agents provide professional application management, staying current with latest migration laws, policies, and regulatory changes. Agents assess individual circumstances determining eligibility, provide tailored advice for specific visa types, identify potential application issues proactively, save time managing nomination and application processes, and maximize approval prospects through expert guidance.
Professional support proves particularly valuable given evolving criteria including income thresholds, occupation list updates, English language requirements, and documentation standards. Expert assistance ensures applications meet all requirements while avoiding common pitfalls causing delays or refusals.
Your Success Partner
AI Global provides comprehensive support for Skills in Demand visa applicants throughout the assessment, sponsorship, and application process. From determining eligibility under new SID frameworks and securing employer nomination through to documentation preparation and lodgement, our experienced team ensures you receive expert guidance tailored to your circumstances.
Contact us today to explore your options for the Skills in Demand visa and begin your journey toward skilled employment in Australia under this modernized framework offering enhanced pathways and improved conditions.