From 19 April 2017 Australian Government announced major changes to the the temporary and permanent employer sponsored visas which will be introduced gradually starting immediately until March 2018.
The immediate change introduced by government is the change to the approved occupation lists with 216 occupations removed from the list and conditions introduced to 59 other occupations.
457 visa will be abolished from March 2018 and replaced by new Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa. This visa will have 2 streams:
Short-Term TSS Stream – occupations eligible under this stream will be listed on the Short-Term Skilled Occupations LIst (STSOL), with the maximum visa period of 2 years with one renewal allowed , so the maximum period of 4 years. This stream will have no pathway to permanent residency.
Medium-Term TSS Stream – occupations eligible under this stream will be listed on the Medium and Long-Term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL), with the maximum visa period of 4 years. Visa holders will qualify for permanent residency after 3 years.