Temporary Activity Visa changes - 19 November 2016

Following the Skilled Migration and Temporary Activity Review undertaken by the Department of Immigration & Border Protection (DIBP) in December 2014, it has been announced that a new Temporary Activity Visa framework will come onto effect on 19 November 2016.

In summary, there would be four visa subclasses:

• Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) (subclass 400) visa;
• Temporary Work (International Relations) (subclass 403) visa;
• Training (subclass 407) visa; and
• Temporary Activity (subclass 408) visa.

These four visas would come into effect following the:

• repeal of five visas - Temporary Work (Long Stay Activity) (subclass 401); Training and Research (subclass 402); Special Program (subclass 416); Temporary Work (Entertainment) (subclass 420) and Superyacht Crew (subclass 488);
• restructuring of two existing visas - Temporary Work (Short Stay Activity) (subclass 400) and Temporary Work (International Relations) (subclass 403); and
• creation of two new visas - Temporary Activity (subclass 408) and Training (subclass 407).

The six existing sponsor classes (Long Stay Activity, Training and Research, Professional Development, Entertainment, Special Program and Superyacht Crew) would be replaced by a single Temporary Activities sponsor class.