Australia tightens temporary work visa rules; key changes explained

To prevent Australians and permanent residents from facing disadvantages in employment opportunities, Australia has opted to strengthen certain regulations regarding its temporary work visa, specifically the subclass 400 Short Stay Specialist visa.

The Australian government will now examine the applications for temporary work visas more thoroughly, as per reports.

By investigating applications from different angles, the Department wants to ensure that this type of visa is not being used as an unauthorized alternative to the Temporary Skill Shortage Visa – subclass 481, VisaGuide.World reports.

Moreover, under the new rules, foreigners who apply for a temporary work visa with a duration of six months will have it harder to obtain the document, the report says.

Although the six-month temporary work visa will not be discontinued, the authorities stressed that such applications will be considered only in exceptional circumstances when a worker must stay within the territory of Australia for more than three months within a 12-month period.

Australia said that these applications will be evaluated under strict rules, suggesting that only a small proportion of applicants will be able to obtain the document.

As part of its changes, the Australian authorities explained that temporary work visa holders will now be allowed to stay within the country’s territory for a maximum of three months within a year, says the Visa Guide report.

The three-month period starts counting once the visa holder enters Australia and does not permit returns and revisits over the 12-month period, the report adds.

“This means that as soon as a temporary work visa holder leaves Australia, they will not be permitted to enter the country again, even if they have not stayed for three months in the country.”

Source: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/work/australia-tightens-temporary-work-visa-rules-key-changes-explained/articleshow/113688920.cms