Visas & immigration: Australia

Australia rebuilt its entire points-tested and employer-sponsored visa system in December 2024 — here’s what replaced what, and current thresholds.

Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) — replaced TSS in December 2024

The Temporary Skill Shortage visa was retired and replaced by the Skills in Demand (SID) visa on 7 December 2024, restructured around income rather than fixed occupation lists. It has three streams:

• Core Skills stream — the main employer-sponsorship route; requires the offered salary to meet or exceed the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) of $79,423/year (from nominations lodged 1 July 2026) or the Annual Market Salary Rate for the role, whichever is higher. Visa length up to 4 years, with a clear path to permanent residence via the subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme after 2 years.
• Specialist Skills stream — for high-earning specialists in any occupation (not tied to a skills list), requiring a salary at or above the Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT) of $146,576/year; faster processing and broader occupation eligibility in exchange for the higher salary bar.
• Labour Agreement stream — salary set by the individual labour agreement negotiated between the employer and the Australian Government (common in aged care, agriculture, and hospitality where CSIT-level wages aren’t always realistic), still subject to the underlying Annual Market Salary Rate test.

Visa application charges run around $4,015 AUD for the primary applicant plus similar amounts for a partner and roughly $1,005 per child.

National Innovation visa (subclass 858) — replaced Global Talent in December 2024

The Global Talent and Business Innovation and Investment Program (BIIP) visas were both wound down, replaced from 6 December 2024 by the National Innovation visa, which keeps the 858 subclass number. It’s a permanent, points-free, invitation-only visa for exceptionally talented individuals — researchers, entrepreneurs, and investors — in sectors of “national importance” (advanced manufacturing, defence capability, digital technology, renewables, and similar priority areas). There is no investment-for-visa pathway anymore: applicants need a nomination, a genuine track record of achievement, and evidence they’ll contribute economically. Any Global Talent EOI lodged before the switch did not carry over — those applicants had to resubmit under the new program.

Points-tested skilled visas: 189, 190, 491

The General Skilled Migration points test still sets a minimum of 65 points just to lodge an Expression of Interest (SkillSelect) — but 65 rarely gets invited. In practice, subclass 189 (permanent, no sponsorship, no state nomination) is now running at 75–85 points for many healthcare and education occupations and 95+ points for oversubscribed ICT and engineering occupations, while trade occupations can still receive invitations from the mid-60s. Subclass 190 (state/territory nominated, permanent) and subclass 491 (state or family nominated, provisional, 5 years, regional-only) both add nomination points (5 or 15 respectively) on top of the same test, making them the realistic route for applicants below the 189 cutoff — 491 holders become eligible to apply for permanent residence (subclass 191) after 3 years living and working in a regional area.

Partner visas

The onshore Partner visa (subclass 820, leading to permanent 801) carries a government application charge of $9,365 AUD for the primary applicant (as of mid-2026, reviewed every July) — a single payment covering both the temporary and permanent stages. Processing is currently running at roughly 17 months for 50% of applications and 24 months for 90%, so plan for well over a year of uncertainty; a bridging visa keeps you lawfully in Australia (with work rights) while it’s assessed.

Working Holiday visas (417/462)

The standard eligibility window is ages 18–30, but several countries now go further: UK passport holders have had an 18–35 range since 1 July 2023, and from 1 July 2026 Cyprus, Finland, Germany, and South Korea also moved to 18–35 under new bilateral arrangements. Age eligibility is now assessed at the time you lodge, not when the visa is decided, so turning 31 (or 36) mid-processing no longer disqualifies you. For UK applicants specifically, the old requirement to complete 3–6 months of “specified work” (regional farm or disaster-recovery work) to unlock a second or third-year visa was removed from 1 July 2024 — UK citizens can now get all three consecutive 12-month visas without any specified work at all, a real outlier versus most of the roughly 45-country program. Visa fees sit at $840 for a first WHV and $1,000 for a second or third.

Student visas

The Student visa (subclass 500) covers full-time enrolment in a CRICOS-registered course; the application charge is roughly $2,500 AUD for higher education courses (around $2,050 for ELICOS/non-award study), and you must show sufficient funds, Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the visa length, and genuine student intent. Standard work rights are capped at 48 hours per fortnight during term (unlimited during scheduled breaks), a limit reinstated after a pandemic-era removal.