AustraliaEmployment

Skills in Demand 482 in Australia

The Skills in Demand visa is an Australian temporary work visa for a skilled worker sponsored by a local employer who has not found a suitable candidate among Australians. The visa brings together separate streams for occupations in mass demand, for narrowly specialised roles and for workers under labour agreements, and it also opens a route to permanent residence through the employer nomination programme.

Source: Department of Home Affairs — Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482)

Who can obtain it

The Australian Department of Home Affairs divides the visa into streams — the requirements on occupation and salary differ.

Core Skills stream

The occupation is on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL)
The salary is no lower than the annual market salary rate (AMSR) and no lower than the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT)
At least 1 year of relevant work experience in the occupation or a related field over the last 5 years
A skills assessment, if it is mandatory for the occupation
Work only for the sponsoring employer or an associated entity — for an Australian sponsor; only for the sponsor itself — for an overseas one
A minimum level of English, unless an exemption applies

Specialist Skills stream

The occupation falls into ANZSCO major groups 1, 2, 4, 5 or 6
The salary is no lower than the Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT)
At least 1 year of relevant work experience in the occupation or a related field
A skills assessment, if required for the occupation
Work only for the sponsor or an associated entity, unless an exemption applies
A minimum level of English, unless an exemption applies

Labour Agreement stream

The occupation is named in the terms of the labour agreement between the employer and the Australian government
At least 12 months of full-time relevant experience over the last 5 years, unless the agreement provides otherwise
Part-time work counts if in total it equals 12 months of full-time work
A skills assessment, if required for the occupation
Work only for the sponsor
A minimum level of English, unless an exemption applies

Subsequent entrant

The applicant is a family member of the holder of a primary subclass 457 or subclass 482 visa
Lodges the application separately from the primary visa holder
May join the main applicant after that applicant has already been granted the visa

What it costs

Visa for the main applicant (any stream)	4 015 AUD
For each accompanying family member aged 18 and over	+4 015 AUD
For each accompanying family member under 18	+1 005 AUD

Documents to gather

The department groups the documents by purpose; the specific list depends on the stream, the occupation and the applicant's personal situation.

A valid passport and documents evidencing identity
An approved nomination of the position from the sponsoring employer
Evidence of at least 1 year of relevant work experience in the nominated occupation or a related field over the last 5 years
The reference number of the skills assessment — if it is mandatory for the occupation, it has to be started before the visa application is lodged
English language test results — unless the applicant is exempt from that requirement
Results of a medical examination — usually valid for 12 months, and it is advisable to complete it in advance
A health insurance policy covering the whole period of stay applied for in Australia
Police certificates for the applicant and family members aged 16 and over — not required from countries other than Australia if the sponsor is accredited and confirms the applicant's standing by letter
Documents evidencing the relationship of accompanying family members — partner, children and stepchildren
A signed Australian Values Statement for the applicant and family members aged 18 and over

How the process runs

The department describes the process as five consecutive steps: before lodgement, gathering the documents, lodgement, waiting for the decision and the visa outcome.

1
The employer obtains approved sponsor status
Before lodging a nomination for the position, the employer has to be an approved sponsor (Standard Business Sponsor) or at least to have applied for that status.
2
The employer lodges the nomination of the position
The nomination has to match the stream: an occupation from the Core Skills Occupation List for the Core Skills stream, ANZSCO major group 1, 2, 4, 5 or 6 for the Specialist Skills stream, or the terms of the labour agreement for the Labour Agreement stream.
3
The applicant completes the pre-lodgement checks
Where necessary the applicant starts the mandatory skills assessment, sits the language test and undergoes a medical examination — the department recommends doing this in advance so as not to draw out the assessment.
4
The applicant lodges the visa application online
Documents on identity, qualifications, work experience, health and English are attached to the application. The applicant may be inside Australia or outside it, but not in immigration clearance.
5
The department assesses the application
The visa can only be decided once the employer's nomination has been approved. The department assesses applications individually and may request further documents; it is not obliged to do so and may decide on the material already lodged.
6
The department decides the visa
On approval the applicant receives a written notice with the visa number, the date it comes into effect and the conditions. Work for the sponsor has to start no later than 90 days after entering Australia — if the applicant was outside the country when the visa was granted — or 90 days from the date of grant if they were already in Australia. On a refusal the department states the reason and the right of review in writing; the lodgement charge paid is not refunded.

Timelines and rights

Work

You work for the sponsoring employer in the nominated occupation.

Who you can bring with you

The rules depend on whether the applicant has previously held a subclass 457 or subclass 482 visa.

The partner, minor children and stepchildren of the applicant or the partner — if the applicant has not previously held a subclass 457 or subclass 482 visa

They are included in the application as secondary applicants; the dependent children and stepchildren of those children also count.

A spouse or de facto partner and their unmarried children or stepchildren under 23, or older where there is a disability — if the applicant already holds a subclass 457 or subclass 482 visa and is applying for a further visa in that line

The range of accompanying persons is narrower: only those already named as family members in the previously granted subclass 457 or 482 visa are included, or a new partner and their children on similar terms.

Family members not included in the application at lodgement

They can lodge a separate subsequent entrant application — while the main application is still being assessed or after the main applicant has been granted the visa.

Renewal and the grace period

The visa itself is temporary: to continue working for the same employer once it expires, the employer lodges a new nomination and the applicant a new visa application. The route to permanent residence is the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186), Temporary Residence Transition stream: you have to hold a subclass 457 or 482 visa or an eligible bridging visa, normally to have worked full-time for the sponsoring employer for at least 2 years, and the employer has to lodge a nomination for the permanent visa. The subclass 186 visa costs from AUD 6,140.00 for the main applicant.

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

The visa is temporary, but it opens a route to permanent residence through the Temporary Residence Transition stream of the subclass 186 visa.

Frequently asked questions about Skills in Demand 482

What does the Skills in Demand visa cost for the applicant and their family?

The visa costs from AUD 4,015.00 for the main applicant and for each accompanying family member aged 18 and over. For each family member under 18 the department charges AUD 1,005.00. In certain cases concessions on the cost apply.

What is the minimum work experience needed for this visa?

For the Core Skills and Specialist Skills streams at least 1 year of relevant work experience in the nominated occupation or a related field over the last 5 years is needed. For the Labour Agreement stream — normally at least 12 months of full-time work over the last 5 years, unless the labour agreement itself sets a different requirement.

What salary threshold applies to a nomination under the Core Skills and Specialist Skills streams?

For nominations lodged from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027 the Core Skills Income Threshold is AUD 79,423 and the Specialist Skills Income Threshold is AUD 146,576. The thresholds are indexed annually on 1 July against AWOTE average weekly earnings data.

Does this visa give a right to permanent residence in Australia?

Yes, through the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186), Temporary Residence Transition stream. You have to hold a subclass 457 or 482 visa or an eligible bridging visa and, as a rule, to have worked full-time for the sponsoring employer for at least 2 years; the employer lodges the nomination for the permanent visa.

Can you change employer while staying on this visa?

No. A condition of the visa is to work only in the nominated occupation for the sponsoring employer (for an Australian sponsor the law also allows work in an associated entity; for an overseas sponsor — only for the sponsor itself, apart from certain exceptions). To change employer, the new sponsor lodges a nomination and the applicant lodges a new visa application.

How much time is there to start work for the sponsor after the visa is granted?

90 days. The count runs from the day of entry into Australia if the applicant was outside the country when the visa was granted, or from the date of grant if the applicant was already in Australia.

Which family members can join the applicant?

If the applicant has not previously held a subclass 457 or 482 visa, the application can include the partner, the minor children and stepchildren of the applicant or the partner, and their dependants. If the applicant already holds a subclass 457 or 482 visa and is applying for a further visa, the range of accompanying persons is narrower — as a rule it is a spouse or de facto partner and their children under 23, or older where there is a disability.

Other ways to move to Australia

Every route in one list — migration programmes: Australia.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.