NOTIFICATION PURSUANT TO ARTICLE III:3 OF THE
GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TRADE IN SERVICES

The following notification, dated 25 February 2025, from the delegation of Australia, is being circulated to Members of the Council for Trade in Services.

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1  MEMBER NOTIFYING:

Australia

2  NOTIFICATION UNDER:

Article III:3 of the General Agreement on Trade in Services

3  DATE OF ENTRY INTO FORCE:

7 December 2024

3.1  Duration:

Indefinite

4  AGENCY RESPONSIBLE FOR ENFORCEMENT OF THE MEASURE:

Department of Home Affairs

5  DESCRIPTION OF THE MEASURE:

On 7 December 2024, the Australian Government replaced the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa with the new Skills in Demand (SID) (subclass 482) visa.

The SID visa is one of the primary visas through which Australia implements its international trade obligations on the movement of natural persons, including those under the General Agreement on Trade in Services.

The SID visa facilitates the entry of overseas skilled workers to address the skilled workforce needs of businesses in Australia. Subject to eligibility requirements, SID visa holders can work in Australia for an approved sponsor under the relevant stream:

·_              The Core Skills stream will be available to applicants who meet the general eligibility criteria and whose occupation is on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL).

·_              The Specialist Skills stream recognises highly skilled workers who bring significant economic benefits to Australia.

Additional reforms include initiatives directed at streamlining pathways for skilled migrants, promoting worker mobility while offering a simple process for employers to access overseas skilled workers, such as:

·_              stay up to 4 years across all streams,

·_              full mobility for employees on SID visa rather than single employer sponsorship,

·_              reduced work experience requirements to one year for all visa applicants.

6  MEMBERS SPECIFICALLY AFFECTED, IF ANY:

None

7  TEXTS AVAILABLE FROM:

Department of Home Affairs

Telephone: 131 881 (in Australia) +61 2 6196 0196 (outside Australia) or visit https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-support/contact-us/telephone

Postal: PO Box 25 Belconnen ACT 2616

Web: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/

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