Australia is desperately looking for skilled labour, and with the large numbers of South Africans considering emigrating, temporary skill shortage visas are proving to be an attractive option to many.
Sam Hopwood, Australian migration agent for Sable International, says that the current skills shortage in Australia is attracting significant interest from some of the top South Africans in their fields, ranging from medicine to education, ICT, engineering and the arts.
He noted that some of the more unusual skills on the jobs list include:
- Horse riding instructors
- Landscape gardeners
- Acupuncturists
- Naturopaths
- Pig farmers
“A new list of skills in demand in Australia was issued recently for the Temporary Skills Shortage (482) Visa, and it temporarily allows an employer to sponsor a suitably skilled worker to fill a position in their Australian business,” he said.
“This visa lets you establish your business in Australia and provides a pathway from temporary to permanent residence. In addition to the overseas business sponsorship, you will also need to apply for a Temporary Skilled Shortage (TSS) visa (subclass 482).
“The visa applicant must be nominated to work in an occupation on the medium and long-term skills list. Depending on the occupation they might need a degree or 5 years of experience and have at least 2 years relevant work experience in your nominated occupation or a related field.”
Hopwood added that the visa allows you to work in Australia for up to four years, and if eligible, you can apply for permanent residence.
“To make the transition from a temporary residence visa to a permanent residence visa, your Australian-based company must first obtain a standard business sponsorship (SBS).
“You can apply for an SBS once your company is up and running in Australia,” he said.
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