408 Temporary Activity Visa – Covid-19 Stream is designed to allow foreign workers stay and work in Australia as means to contribute to economy in the post pandemic period.
482 Temporary Skill Shortage Visa – Short Term Stream is designed to allow businesses nominate foreign nationals to work for them as means to tackle the work force shortage in certain occupations in Australia.
The Department of Home Affairs has recently been approving 408 Temporary Activity Visa – Covid-19 Stream applications for up to 2 years. This is a significant difference as most of the cases have been approved for 1 year in the past.
This fact makes the so called Covid Visa very similar to the TSS in the short-term stream visa as it provides the same validity length.
Let’s compare some of the features these visas have and determine which one would be more convenient, depending on each applicant’s situation:
| Feature | 408 Temporary Activity Visa – Covid-19 Stream | TSS in the Short Term Stream |
| Travel Validity | 2 years | 2 years |
| Visa application charge | NIL | AUD $1,330 |
| Other associated charges | NIL | SAF Levy – $1,200 (per year) when sponsoring business earns less than 10M or $1,800 (per year) when going |
| Work experience required | As per ANZSCO | At least 2 years plus qualifications or 3 years of experience |
| Skill Assessment | Not required | Required for some nationals of certain countries applying |
| Nomination | Not required | A business must nominate the position and occupation |
| Stages | Just 1 – the visa application | 3 stages:SBSNominationVisa application |
| Sponsorship requirement | Letter of support from an employer | Contract of employment |
| Occupation | Any occupation | Must be on the official skilled occupation list |
| Processing times | From 3 to 21 days (based on our experience) | 60 to 90 days (based on our experience) |
| Pathway towards Permanent Residency | Does not provide pathway to PR however, applicants may use work experience for another visa | Does not generally provide pathway to PR. It only does for those who stayed in Australia for at least 1 year within the period of 01 February 2021 to 14 December 2022 under the TRT stream. |
| Work limitations | No work limitations. Visa holders can change employers or even occupation | Visa holders are tied to an employer and cannot work on a different occupation |
| Can apply for a subsequent visa | Yes | Yes |
Summary
408 Temporary Activity Visa – Covid-19 Stream appears to be a much easier and particularly cheaper option for those seeking to stay in Australia temporarily. It provides the opportunity to gain precious years of experience for those aspiring to comply with the work experience requirements for a further Skilled Visa.
482 TSS visa has a much longer list of requirements that must be met, not only from the visa applicant but also for the nominating business. Also, it has a visa application charge and other costs associated, bringing the total to around AUD $4,500 to AUD $5,700 in government fees only.
When considering the two visas, it is more convenient to opt for the 408 Temporary Activity Visa – Covid-19 Stream in circumstances where the applicant is not eligible to apply for a future 186 Visa on the Temporary Residence Transition Stream, which is a Permanent Visa. This is because the only cohort of people eligible for the TRT Permanent Visa are those who stayed in Australia on the concession period of 01 February 2021 to 14 December 2022.
We invite you to have a consultation with Crystal Migration if you want to know more about these two visa options and help you create a pathway for Permanent Visa tailored to your specific circumstances.
The Australian Government has confirmed that the 408 visa (Endorsed Event – COVID-19 Pandemic ) will be abolished with the date to be announced in the near future. This will not impact current applicants, however, we encourage you to apply under this pathway whilst it continues to be available.