Australia makes temporary work visa rules stricter: What are the changes?

Australia has tightened rules for the subclass 400 visa, limiting stays to three months within a year. Only a small number of applicants will qualify now.

Australia introduced stricter rules for its temporary work visa- the subclass 400 Short Stay Specialist visa. Through the changes, the government is aiming to ensure that local workers are not disadvantaged. The subclass 400 visa is designed for short-term and highly specialised work.

Australia work visa: New regulations for Australia's subclass 400 visa restrict stays to three months in a year, enhancing scrutiny on applications. This measure intends to ensure local workers are not disadvantaged and prevent misuse as an alternative to the subclass 482 visa.

It can be granted for up to six months depending on circumstances but the new policy limits stays to three months within a 12-month period. The processing fee for the visa subclass 400 starts from AU$415 (approximately ₹23,869)

What are the changes to Australia's subclass 400 visa?

Australia's Department of Home Affairs will now carefully scrutinise subclass 400 visa applications to prevent this visa from being used as an alternative to the subclass 482 Temporary Skill Shortage Visa.

"Only a small proportion of applicants will be able to obtain the visa under these stricter rules.” The changes aim to prevent the misuse of short-term visas for work that should fall under the subclass 482 visa," Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP (BAL), a global immigration law firm, noted.

Additionally, now subclass 400 visa holders will only be allowed to stay in Australia for up to three months within a 12-month period. If they leave before completing the full three months, they will not be allowed to return during the same 12-month period.

Moreover, the option to submit multiple visa applications over the course of a year has been removed. This means that visa holders will only be able to stay for the duration of the visa initially granted.