Skills in Demand Visa (482): 2026 Guide

What is the Skills in Demand visa?

The Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) lets an Australian employer sponsor a skilled overseas worker for a job it cannot fill with a suitably skilled Australian. It replaced the old Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa on 7 December 2024, and it keeps the same subclass number, which is why you still see "482" everywhere.

It is a temporary visa, but for many people it is the first step to permanent residence. This guide is for workers weighing up a job offer and employers sponsoring for the first time. Every figure below was checked against the Department of Home Affairs website on 30 September 2026.

The three streams

Home Affairs currently lists three streams. Which one you apply under depends on the job and the salary, not on your preference.

1. Specialist Skills stream

For highly paid roles. The job must be in an occupation in ANZSCO Major Groups 1, 2, 4, 5 or 6 (ANZSCO is the official Australian list of job categories), and the salary must meet the Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT). Occupations in Major Groups 3, 7 and 8 (broadly trades workers, machinery operators and drivers, and labourers) are excluded from this stream.

Specialist Skills applications also sit second in the current processing order, after applications in priority sectors (see Steps and timeline).

2. Core Skills stream

The main route for most sponsored workers. The occupation must be on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL), and you must be paid the annual market salary rate for the role and no less than the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT). If you are unsure whether your job is on the list, our skilled occupation list guide explains how the lists work.

3. Labour Agreement stream

For workers nominated by an employer that has signed a labour agreement with the Australian Government. The terms (occupations, salary, English and so on) are set by that agreement, so the rules can differ from the other two streams.

2026-27 income thresholds

Income thresholds are indexed every year on 1 July. What matters is the date the nomination is lodged, not the visa application.

Two further salary rules sit on top of the threshold. If you will earn less than AUD250,000 a year, your employer must show it has worked out the annual market salary rate (AMSR, meaning what an Australian doing the same job at the same workplace is paid) and will not pay you less. Non-cash benefits such as a car or accommodation do not count towards the threshold.

What you need as the worker

• A nomination from an approved sponsor. You will need the nomination's Transaction Reference Number (TRN) when you apply.
• At least 1 year of relevant work experience in the nominated occupation or a closely related field. Home Affairs says this should be gained within the last 5 years. Part-time or casual work counts if it adds up to at least 12 months of full-time work, and it does not have to be continuous. Some experience from a Masters or PhD, or from a formal placement, internship or apprenticeship, can count.
• A skills assessment if your occupation requires one. Where it is mandatory, it must at least be started before you apply, or the application is invalid. It must have been done or started within the 3 years before you apply.
• English. Unless exempt, you need minimum scores taken within 3 years before you apply. For tests taken on or after 13 September 2025 this is, for example, IELTS 5.0 in each component or PTE Academic 33 listening, 36 reading, 29 writing and 24 speaking. Other accepted tests have their own scores on the Home Affairs English page. See our PTE vs IELTS score table for how the levels compare.
• Health, character and health insurance. You must hold adequate health insurance for your whole stay.

You are exempt from the English test if you hold a passport from Canada, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States, or if you have completed at least 5 years of full-time study at secondary level or higher where most classes were in English. A few narrower exemptions also exist, for example for employees of an overseas business earning at least AUD96,400.

What your employer must do

1. Become an approved sponsor (a Standard Business Sponsor), unless it already is one.
2. Test the local labour market, unless exempt, to show it could not find a suitable Australian.
3. Work out the market salary rate for the role and confirm the offer meets it and the relevant threshold.
4. Lodge the nomination and pay the nomination fee and the Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy, a training charge employers pay per sponsored worker.

Home Affairs is clear that the employer must pay all sponsorship, nomination and SAF costs. They cannot be passed on to you or your family.

Costs

Visa application charge (paid by the applicant)

The official price table also lists a Subsequent Temporary Application Charge of AUD700, which can apply to some applicants already in Australia. You will also pay for health checks, police certificates, biometrics and English tests. From 1 July 2026, a lower charge applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens.

Employer costs

• Standard business sponsorship: AUD420
• Nomination for a Skills in Demand visa: AUD330
• SAF levy: AUD1,200 per year of the nomination (or part year) for businesses with turnover under AUD10 million, or AUD1,800 per year for larger businesses. Home Affairs gives the example of a larger business nominating a worker for 4 years: AUD7,200.

Steps and timeline

1. Check your occupation, salary and stream with your employer.
2. Book an in-person English test (online at-home tests are not accepted) and start any mandatory skills assessment.
3. Your employer applies to become a sponsor (if needed) and lodges the nomination.
4. You lodge the visa application in ImmiAccount using the nomination's TRN, with identity, work experience, English and skills documents.
5. Complete health checks and police certificates. Home Affairs recommends arranging health checks before you lodge to avoid delays.

There is no fixed processing time. Since 19 September 2026, 482 applications have been processed under Ministerial Direction 121, in this order: applications linked to construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing, resources, law enforcement or defence; then the Specialist Skills stream; then applicants who were in Australia when they applied; then single applicants outside Australia; then everyone else. Check the Home Affairs processing time guide for current figures.

Living on the visa

• Length: up to 4 years, or up to 5 years for Hong Kong passport holders.
• Start work quickly: within 90 days of arriving (if granted outside Australia) or of the grant date (if you were already in Australia).
• Work only for your sponsor (or an associated entity) in the nominated occupation, unless you are exempt. Changing employer means a new nomination.
• If you lose your job: you have up to 180 days to find a new sponsor or make arrangements to leave.
• Family: your partner and dependent children can be included, and can live, study and work in Australia.

Path to permanent residence

The usual next step is the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) Temporary Residence Transition stream. It generally needs 2 years of full-time work in the 3 years before you apply, while on a 457 or 482 visa, for the employer that last sponsored you, plus competent English and meeting the age rules. We compare the two main 186 routes in Employer Nomination 186: TRT vs Direct Entry.

You can also keep points-tested options open, such as the 189 and 190 visas. Our guide to getting Australian PR and points test guide cover those routes.

Common mistakes

• Using last year's threshold. A nomination lodged on or after 1 July 2026 must meet AUD79,423 (Core) or AUD146,576 (Specialist), not the 2025-26 figures.
• Lodging before a mandatory skills assessment has started. The application will be invalid and not processed.
• Taking an at-home English test. Online, remote-proctored tests are not accepted.
• Paying your employer's costs. Sponsorship, nomination and SAF costs must be paid by the employer.
• Letting the 180-day clock run. If your job ends, start looking for a new sponsor immediately.
• Counting unrelated work. Experience must be in the nominated occupation or at the same skill level in a closely related field.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an Essential Skills stream of the 482 visa?

Not as an open stream. As of 30 September 2026, the Home Affairs page lists three streams: Specialist Skills, Core Skills and Labour Agreement. If you see an Essential Skills stream mentioned elsewhere, check the official page before relying on it.

What is the Core Skills Income Threshold for 2026-27?

AUD79,423 for nominations lodged between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027. Your pay must also be at least the annual market salary rate (what an Australian doing the same job is paid) if you earn under AUD250,000.

How much work experience do I need for a 482 visa?

At least 1 year of relevant work experience in your nominated occupation or a closely related field, gained in the last 5 years. Part-time or casual work counts if it adds up to at least 12 months of full-time work.

How long can I stay on a Skills in Demand visa?

Up to 4 years, or up to 5 years if you hold a Hong Kong passport.

Can the 482 visa lead to permanent residence?

Yes. After working for your sponsor, you may be able to apply for the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) Temporary Residence Transition stream, which usually needs 2 years of full-time sponsored work in the 3 years before you apply.

What happens if I lose my job on a 482 visa?

Home Affairs says you have up to 180 days to find a new sponsoring employer or make arrangements to leave Australia.

Sources

• Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) – Home Affairs
• Core Skills stream – Home Affairs
• Specialist Skills stream – Home Affairs
• English proficiency (subclass 482) – Home Affairs
• Salary requirements to nominate a worker – Home Affairs
• Cost of sponsoring – Home Affairs
• Current visa pricing – Home Affairs
• Skilled visa processing priorities – Home Affairs

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