With the imminent implementation of the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa, revealed to be a Class GK, Subclass 482 visa in the roadshows the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) have been running this month, ImmiAccount and other online services will be down from 8 pm on 2 March until 9 am on 3 March. ImmiAccount is the online platform that businesses and individuals use to lodge visa, citizenship, and related applications.

While there will be redesigns to the layout, functionality, and a simplification of correspondence, one gets the sense that the TSS visa is being prepared.

Related to these reforms, the Skilling Australia Fund Bill has hit a snag as it has yet to be passed by the Senate, and the Senate is not due to sit next until 19 March 2018. The bill amends the Migration Act with the framework for the Skilling Australia Fund Levy, which will apply to TSS and permanent employer sponsored nomination, effectively replacing the training benchmarks. The bill also carries with it legislation governing changes to labour market testing.

Does this mean the TSS visa, supposed to be introduced in March, will not be introduced until this bill becomes law? Mostly likely not, however, it is expected the TSS visa will not begin on 1 March 2018, based on the experience that an ImmiAccount shutdown is required before people can begin applying. Furthermore, the regulations for this visa have not been registered yet, though that has not prevented surprises before.

So, it is still anyone’s guess…