In a positive development, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs Andrew Giles announced upcoming changes that will give Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) (Subclass 482) visa holders more time to find a new sponsorship where they are no longer employed by their original sponsor.

Currently, TSS visa holders only have 60 days from the date they finish working to either:

• Find another employer to nominate them;
• apply and be granted a different visa; or
• leave Australia.

The proposed change means TSS visa holders will have six months instead of 60 days to be without an employer. During this period, they will also have work rights.

The change is one of several measures being implemented by the Australian government to address migrant worker exploitation. The extended timeframe is meant to allow people more flexibility to be able to leave an exploitative employer, rather than be bound by visa conditions.

Key takeaway

No date for the introduction of these changes has been given. We will update our readers on any new developments. However, it is a positive signal that if implemented, would greatly benefit TSS visa holders by offering more opportunities to find another employer and report exploitative practices.

The Minister's full speech can be found here.