The Senate had passed the Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) Bill on 8 May 2018
What is the SAF Levy?
The SAF levy is a levy payable by employers nominating overseas skilled workers for any of the following visas:
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Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) (subclass 482)
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Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) (subclass 186)
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Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) (subclass 187)
The SAF levy amount is payable in full when lodging a nomination application. The amount depends on the size of the sponsoring business and the proposed period of stay of the overseas worker in Australia.
TSS 482 Visas Nomination SAF Levy
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Turnover < $10m = $1,200 each year payable at the time of nomination lodged.
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Turnover > $10m = $1,800 each year payable at the time of nomination lodged.
ENS 186 and RSMS 187 Visas Nomination SAF Levy
(Permanent Residency (PR) Nomination)
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Turnover < $10m = $3,000 one-time fee payable at the time of nomination lodged.
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Turnover > $10m = $5,000 one-time fee payable at the time of nomination lodged.
When will the SAF levy payment commence?
The SAF levy will commence on 12 August 2018. The SAF levy only applies to TSS, ENS and RSMS nomination applications lodged on or after 12 August 2018.
What about the training benchmarks?
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For ENS 186 and RSMS 187 visas, the training benchmarks will only apply to nomination applications lodged before 12 August 2018.
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As such, the training benchmarks compliance requirement before 12 August 2018 still apply and need to be met by companies even after the introduction of the TSS Visa and New National Training Fund.
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For TSS 482 visas, the sponsorship obligation regarding the training benchmarks will only apply for the 12 month period ending on or before 12 August 2018.
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Thus, the training benchmarks will no longer apply for TSS Visas from 12 August 2018.