The last 12 months have seen significant upheaval in the
employer sponsored visa categories, including the
Subclass 457 – Temporary Work (Skilled) visa, Subclass
186 – Employer Nomination Scheme ('186 visa') and
Subclass 187 – Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme permanent
visas. On 19 March 2018, this upheaval culminated in the
introduction of the
Subclass 482 – Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) visa and
significant changes to both the 186 and 187 visa subclasses.
The Tech industry has been a vocal critic of the
government's announcement to 'abolish the 457 visa' in
April 2017 and the ensuing chaos and uncertainty that followed. The
sector argued that Australia competes globally for high-level
talent and the uncertainty around the program has damaged
Australia's reputation as an attractive destination for
high-level candidates. Similarly, for employers who operate across
borders, Australian teams compete with teams in other countries for
project allocations. The
