TSS Visa - Temporary Skill Shortage (Australia)
The former name for Australia's employer-sponsored temporary work visa program (now Subclass 482), which allows Australian employers to hire overseas workers for occupations they can't fill domestically, with visa streams lasting two to four years depending on the occupation and skill level.
- What Is the TSS Visa (Temporary Skill Shortage)?
- TSS Visa Streams Explained
- Employer Sponsorship Obligations
- TSS Visa Application Process
- TSMIT and Salary Requirements
- Recent Reforms and Changes (2023-2025)
- TSS Visa Statistics [2024-2025]
- Common Employer Mistakes with TSS Sponsorship
- Frequently Asked Questions About the TSS Visa
What Is the TSS Visa (Temporary Skill Shortage)?
Key Takeaways
- ✓The TSS visa is the common name for Australia's Subclass 482 employer-sponsored temporary work visa, introduced in March 2018 to replace the former 457 visa program.
- ✓It allows Australian businesses to sponsor overseas workers for genuine skill shortages when they can't find qualified local candidates.
- ✓Three streams exist: short-term (up to 2 years), medium-term (up to 4 years with a pathway to permanent residency), and labour agreement (negotiated terms).
- ✓Employers must meet labour market testing requirements, pay at least the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT), and demonstrate a genuine need for the role.
- ✓The program has undergone significant reforms since 2022, with the TSMIT rising from AUD 53,900 to AUD 73,150 and occupation lists being regularly updated.
The TSS visa is how Australian employers bring in overseas talent when the local labour market can't fill a role. It isn't a general work permit. It's tied to a specific employer, a specific position, and a specific occupation on one of the government's approved skill lists. If the occupation isn't on the list, there's no visa. The program replaced the old 457 visa in 2018 after years of political debate about temporary migration. The rebrand wasn't just cosmetic. Tighter salary thresholds, stricter labour market testing, and mandatory skills assessments came with it. For HR teams, the TSS visa creates a structured but slow pathway to filling skill gaps. You'll need to prove the role is genuine, show you've tried to hire locally, and commit to paying above the TSMIT threshold. The process typically takes 1 to 3 months from nomination to grant, though complex cases run longer. One thing that catches employers off guard: the TSS visa ties the worker to you as the sponsor. If they want to change employers, the new employer must lodge a fresh nomination. If you terminate them, they have 60 days to find a new sponsor or leave Australia.
TSS Visa Streams Explained
Each stream serves a different purpose and comes with different conditions. The stream you need depends entirely on which occupation list your role falls under.
| Feature | Short-Term Stream | Medium-Term Stream | Labour Agreement Stream |
|---|---|---|---|
| Occupation List | Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL) | Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) | Negotiated with the Department |
| Maximum Stay | Up to 2 years (renewable once) | Up to 4 years | Varies by agreement |
| Permanent Residency Pathway | No direct pathway | Yes, via Subclass 186 (ENS) after 2-3 years | Depends on agreement terms |
| Onshore Renewal | One renewal allowed | No limit on renewals | Per agreement terms |
| Labour Market Testing | Required | Required | Required |
| Skills Assessment | May be required | Required for most occupations | Per agreement terms |
| GTE Requirement | Yes (Genuine Temporary Entrant) | Removed in late 2023 | N/A |
Employer Sponsorship Obligations
Sponsoring a TSS visa holder isn't a one-time paperwork exercise. Australian law imposes ongoing obligations on sponsors that last for the entire duration of the visa.
Before sponsorship
The employer must first become an approved Standard Business Sponsor (SBS). This involves demonstrating the business is lawfully operating in Australia, has no adverse information (criminal records, compliance breaches), and can meet its sponsorship obligations. SBS approval lasts for 5 years. The employer then lodges a nomination for the specific position, including evidence of the role's salary, duties, and location. Labour market testing evidence (job ads run within the past 4 months on specified platforms) must be attached.
Ongoing obligations
Once the worker arrives, sponsors must ensure the visa holder is employed in the nominated occupation and paid at least the TSMIT or the annual market salary rate, whichever is higher. Sponsors can't recover visa costs from the worker and must notify the Department of Home Affairs within 28 days of certain events: the worker stops working, the business details change, or the worker's role materially changes. Non-compliance can result in sanctions, including being barred from sponsoring future workers.
Record keeping
Sponsors must maintain records of the visa holder's employment for 2 years after the sponsorship ends. These records include payslips, timesheets, employment contracts, and evidence that terms and conditions match what was promised in the nomination. The Department conducts random and targeted audits. During a monitoring visit, officers can enter premises, inspect records, and interview staff. Getting caught underpaying a visa holder or having them perform different duties than what was nominated carries serious consequences.
TSS Visa Application Process
The TSS visa application is a three-stage process. Each stage has its own processing time, and all three must be approved before the worker can start.
Stage 1: Standard Business Sponsorship (SBS)
If the employer doesn't already hold an active SBS, they apply first. Processing takes 1 to 4 weeks for straightforward applications. The employer provides ABN details, financial statements, and a training benchmark declaration showing they invest in training Australian workers (either through an industry training fund or direct expenditure of at least 2% of payroll).
Stage 2: Nomination
The employer nominates the specific position. This stage requires the most evidence: a detailed position description, salary details, labour market testing records (typically 2 job ads run for at least 4 weeks on national platforms), and proof the salary meets or exceeds the TSMIT. Processing runs 1 to 4 weeks. The nomination fee is AUD 330.
Stage 3: Visa application
The worker applies for the visa itself, providing identity documents, skills assessment results (if required), English language test scores (IELTS 5.0 overall or equivalent), health examinations, police clearances, and evidence of relevant qualifications and work experience. Processing takes 2 to 12 weeks depending on case complexity. The base visa application charge is AUD 1,455 for the primary applicant, with additional charges for family members.
TSMIT and Salary Requirements
The Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) is the minimum salary floor for TSS visa holders. It's separate from the market salary rate and both must be met.
Current TSMIT
As of July 2024, the TSMIT is AUD 73,150. This was a significant jump from the previous threshold of AUD 53,900, which had been frozen since 2013. The increase was designed to ensure temporary visa holders aren't undercut on pay and that the program targets genuinely skilled roles rather than lower-paid positions.
Market salary rate
In addition to the TSMIT, employers must pay the annual market salary rate (AMSR) for the role. The AMSR is what an Australian worker in the same role, location, and industry would earn. If the AMSR is AUD 95,000 but the TSMIT is AUD 73,150, the employer must pay AUD 95,000. The TSMIT is a floor, not a ceiling. Evidence for AMSR includes salary survey data, comparable roles in the business, and industry benchmarks. Underpaying a TSS visa holder relative to the AMSR is a sponsorship obligation breach.
Recent Reforms and Changes (2023-2025)
The TSS/Subclass 482 program has gone through rapid changes since the 2023 Migration Review. HR teams sponsoring workers need to stay current because the rules shift frequently.
- TSMIT increased to AUD 73,150 from AUD 53,900 in July 2024, the first increase in over a decade.
- The Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) requirement was removed for medium-term stream applicants in late 2023, meaning workers no longer need to prove they'll leave Australia when the visa expires.
- A new Skills in Demand visa (Subclass 482 replacement) was announced in the 2024-25 Migration Strategy, consolidating employer-sponsored temporary visas into a simpler framework.
- Labour market testing requirements were retained despite industry lobbying for their removal, though the government simplified acceptable advertising platforms.
- The Core Skills occupation list replaced the old STSOL/MLTSSL structure starting in late 2024, grouping occupations by skill level and strategic priority.
- Workplace mobility provisions were expanded, giving TSS holders 180 days (up from 60) to find new sponsorship if their employment ends.
TSS Visa Statistics [2024-2025]
Data showing the scale and trends of Australia's temporary skilled migration program.
Common Employer Mistakes with TSS Sponsorship
These errors come up repeatedly in compliance audits and can result in sanctions or bars on future sponsorship.
Stale labour market testing
Job ads must have been published within the 4 months before the nomination is lodged. Running ads 6 months before lodgement won't count. The ads must also appear on platforms the Department considers appropriate for the occupation, and they must include salary details. Generic 'we're always hiring' posts don't satisfy the requirement.
Wrong occupation code
Every nominated role must match an ANZSCO (Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations) code on the relevant occupation list. Picking the wrong code, even if it's close, means the nomination gets refused. A 'Digital Marketing Manager' and a 'Marketing Specialist' are different ANZSCO codes with different list placements. Get the code right before you start.
Underpaying relative to market rate
Meeting the TSMIT isn't enough. The Department checks whether the offered salary matches what an Australian worker would earn in the same role. If comparable roles in your company or industry pay AUD 90,000 and you're offering the visa holder AUD 73,500, the nomination will likely be refused or flagged for further assessment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the TSS visa the same as the 482 visa?
Can a TSS visa holder change employers?
Does the TSS visa lead to permanent residency?
What happens if the sponsored worker quits?
How long does the entire TSS process take?
Can an employer sponsor someone already in Australia on a different visa?
Written by Adithyan RK