‘Skills in Demand’ (SID) Visa (Subclass 482) and Dairy Industry Labour Agreement (DILA)

19-December-2024

The introduction of the Skills in Demand (SID) visa (Subclass 482), effective from 7 December 2024, brings significant changes to Australia’s skilled migration framework.

While the ‘Temporary Skill Shortage’ (TSS) visa is being replaced, the Dairy Industry Labour Agreement (DILA) remains the best option for the dairy industry, with no substantial changes to its framework identified at present.

Key differences between the TSS Visa program that is being replaced and the new SID Visa program are outlined in the table below:

Area	TSS visa program (previous program)	SID visa program (new program)
Visa Streams and eligibility	Offered Short-Term and Medium-Term streams linked to specific occupation lists	Introduces three new streams: Specialist Skills Stream: For high-income earners ($135,000+) across most ANZSCO occupations (excluding Major Groups 3, 7, and 8). Core Skills Stream: For roles listed on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) with a minimum income of $73,150. Labour Agreement Stream:** Retains customised agreements such as DILA to address industry-specific needs.
Occupation List Flexibility	Strictly adhered to Short-Term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL) and Medium and Long-Term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL).	Specialist Skills Stream: Open to most ANZSCO occupations (excluding Major Groups 3, 7, and 8) for high-income earners. Core Skills Stream: Focuses on CSOL**-listed occupations critical to economic needs
Income Thresholds	$73,150 under Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT)	Specialist Skills Stream: $135,000. Core Skills Stream: $73,150
Work Experience Requirements	Minimum of two years of relevant experience	Reduced to one year of full-time (or equivalent part-time/casual) experience within the past five years
Labour Market Testing	Requirements for advertising positions locally before sponsoring overseas workers	Requirements for advertising positions locally before sponsoring overseas workers remain unchanged
Pathway to Permanent Residency (PR)	Required two years with the same employer for Standard Business Sponsorship (SBS) occupations or three years for DILA occupations. Changing employers restarted the work experience “clock.”	Time with multiple employers counts toward PR eligibility for SBS occupations. Duration requirements (e.g., three years for DILA) remain unchanged, changing employers restarts the work experience “clock.”
Visa Validity and Flexibility	Two to four years, with a 180-day grace period to find new employment after ceasing work	Valid for up to four years across all streams, maintaining the 180-day grace period for employment transitions

** the Core Skills Occupation list (CSOL) specifies the occupations which provide access to temporary skilled migration for the SID visa in the Core Skills Stream. Dairy Cattle Farmer (high level management role) is the only occupation on the list which is relevant for general work on a dairy farm.

Further announcements by the federal government in relation to the Skills in Demand visa program and its impact on the Australian Dairy industry will be updated accordingly.