Finding the right employee is hard. Holding onto them, even harder.

If you’re an employer who has found a skilled employee from overseas, or an overseas passport holder who has found a skilled role in Australia, the TSS visa might be right for you.

What is a TSS Visa?

The TSS visa allows employers to sponsor visa applicants to work in Australia for maximum periods ranging from 2 to 4 years, depending on the applicant’s occupation.

The program is designed to address documented skills shortages, and as such only certain roles can be nominated from approved occupation lists.

In certain circumstances, TSS visa holders can transition to permanent residency.

The road to a TSS visa is a complicated and bumpy one. So strap yourself in, as we guide you through every part of the process.

Who is the TSS Visa For?

The TSS visa might be right for you if you are:

What's the Difference Between the Different TSS Visa Streams?

There are three main streams of eligibility for the TSS visa. These are:

A Note on the Global Talent Scheme (GTS)

This is not something that will apply to every situation, but you should know about the Global Talent Scheme (GTS). This is a pilot scheme under the TSS program. This scheme is designed to allow Australian employers to bring highly-skilled experienced staff to Australia when they meet certain requirements.

The idea behind the visa is to encourage the ‘best and brightest’ to come to Australia, and to allow roles to be nominated that may not meet standard TSS visa requirements.

There are two streams of the GTS:

Mapping the TSS Visa Process

For each stream of TSS visa there are three steps. It is important that each step is done in the correct order.

The TSS Sponsorship Application

This application is about the sponsoring business/entity. This step does not need to be completed for each visa – once it has been approved, the sponsorship is in place for 5 to 6 years.

The employer needs to have lodged a Sponsorship application, or been approved as a TSS Sponsor, before you can prepare and lodge the Nomination and Visa application.

We have prepared detailed information on our TSS Sponsorship Application Guide for businesses intending to apply to be a Sponsor.

The TSS Nomination

This part of the application is about the salary being offered to the nominee, and the role being filled.

The Nomination application has to have been lodged or approved prior to the Visa application being lodged.

We have prepared detailed information on our TSS Nomination Application Guide for businesses wanting to nominate someone for the TSS Visa.

The TSS Visa Application 

What Will the TSS Visa Cost?

A breakdown of costs associated with employer based Australian visa applications, including the TSS visa, can be found on our fees for Australian Employer Sponsored visa applications page. These are Immigration fees only and not fees associated with using an immigration lawyer, which vary from case to case according to your circumstances.

There are a few things to note about fees:

Immigration fees for visa applications are substantial. The ramifications of a negative outcome are enormous, so it’s really important your application is done right, the first time!