Simplifying Your Skill In Demand Visa (Subclass 482) Process
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Skills in Demand Visa (Subclass 482)
Skills in Demand Visa Australia or subclass 482, also known as the Skills in Demand Visa, is a short-term visa that lets employers employ skilled workers (overseas or onshore) when they cannot find a suitable skilled Australian to fill the position. The Skills in Demand Visa (SID) Australia is designed to address temporary skill shortages in the Australian labor market.
Subclass 482 visa holders can only work in eligible skilled occupations. The 482 visa program has three stages: Sponsorship, Nomination, and Visa Application.
- Sponsorship: Employer is approved as standard business sponsor
- Nomination: The Employer nominates an occupation for applicant
- Visa Application: Applicant apply for subclass 482 visa
The four subclass 482 streams
Four different ways into the subclass 482 — each with its own salary threshold and experience test. Tap a stream below to see exactly what it asks for.
Core Skills stream
Pathway to permanent residence via subclass 186 (TRT stream).
- Nominated by an approved sponsor
- Occupation on the relevant skill list, minimum salary $79,423/year (the Core Skills Income Threshold from 1 July 2026)
- Relevant skills, qualifications and employment background for the role — a skills assessment is mandatory for some occupations
- At least 1 year full-time experience in the nominated occupation
- Meets English, health and character requirements
Specialist Skills stream
Also offers a pathway to permanent residence via subclass 186 (TRT stream).
- Nominated by an approved sponsor
- Minimum salary $146,576/year (the Specialist Skills Income Threshold from 1 July 2026)
- Relevant skills, qualifications and employment background — skills assessment mandatory for some occupations
- At least 1 year full-time experience in the nominated occupation within the last 5 years
- Meets English, health and character requirements
Labour agreement stream
- The nominated occupation must be part of the relevant labour agreement
- 1 year experience in the nominated occupation, unless otherwise agreed under the labour agreement
- Meets English requirements
- Nominated by the employer
- Meets health, character and any other legislated requirements
Subsequent Entrant stream
For family members of subclass 457 and Skills in Demand (SID) visa holders who are applying independently to join the main visa holder in Australia.
- Applies independently of the main 457 or SID visa holder
- Intends to join the main visa holder already in Australia
Skills In Demand Visa (Subclass 482) provides an avenue for employers in Australia to address temporary skill shortages by hiring skilled workers from overseas or onshore. It offers different streams to cater to various occupation categories and provides opportunities for both short-term employment and potential pathways to permanent residency in certain cases.
The Indeedvisa migration team, South Perth
What the sponsoring employer must do
Most of the subclass 482 process sits with the business, not the applicant. Three approvals run in sequence — sponsorship, nomination, then the visa — and the first two are the employer’s responsibility.
Labour market testing
For the Core Skills and Labour Agreement streams you must advertise the role before nominating. Two separate advertisements, each running for at least 28 consecutive days, placed within the 12 months before nomination, each stating the position, skills required, location, salary and your business name. General classifieds and social media posts are not accepted.
Costs the employer cannot pass on
The nomination charge and the Skilling Australians Fund levy are legally the employer’s cost. The levy is calculated on your annual turnover and the nomination period and is paid upfront. Recovering either from the worker breaches the Migration Act, with civil penalties, sponsorship bars and repayment orders as consequences.
Salary and the occupation list
The nominated occupation must appear on the Core Skills Occupation List, and you must pay both the applicable income threshold and the annual market salary rate for the role, whichever is higher. The threshold that applies is fixed by the date you lodge the nomination, not the date it is decided. Government figures change each July, so confirm current amounts before you budget a salary.
From the 482 to permanent residence
The subclass 482 is a temporary visa, but for most holders it is a step rather than a destination. After a qualifying period working for your sponsor in the nominated occupation, the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) Temporary Residence Transition stream is the usual route to permanent residence. Core Skills and Specialist Skills stream holders both have access to it. Time counted towards that period must be worked for the sponsoring employer in the occupation you were nominated for, so a change of role or employer can reset the clock.
When the 482 is not the right visa
The 482 only works if the occupation appears on the Core Skills Occupation List and the applicant meets the age, English and experience requirements. If any of those fail, the nomination will not succeed no matter how genuine the vacancy is. Western Australian employers in that position often have an alternative through a DAMA labour agreement, which relaxes several of those criteria.
If you are sponsoring under the 482, or holding an offer and trying to work out whether you qualify, our registered migration agents in Perth can confirm the stream, the threshold and the timeline before you commit to the cost. Book a consultation.
How It Works
Our 482 Visa Process, Start to Grant
- Free eligibility check – we confirm the occupation is on the right skills list, check the income threshold against the offered salary, and identify the correct stream (Core Skills, Specialist Skills or Labour Agreement).
- Sponsorship & nomination – we prepare and lodge the employer’s Standard Business Sponsorship and occupation nomination, including labour market testing evidence where the stream requires it.
- Visa lodgement – we compile and lodge the applicant’s visa application together with skills assessment, English test results and supporting evidence.
- Grant & PR pathway planning – once the visa is granted, we map the route to permanent residence through the subclass 186 Temporary Residence Transition stream.
Why IndeedVisa
A Registered Migration Agent Who Handles Your 482 Personally
- MARN 1806082 — every case is reviewed by a registered migration agent, not left to a case officer or paralegal.
- 500+ visa applications lodged, including 482, 494, 186 and DAMA labour agreements.
- We work both sides of the desk — the employer’s sponsorship and nomination, and the applicant’s visa application — so nothing falls between the two.
- Based in South Perth and WA-focused, with direct DAMA expertise for occupations the standard 482 list doesn’t cover.
MARN 1806082
Registered migration agent
500+
Visa applications lodged
7+ years
Australian migration practice
South Perth
WA based, WA focused
FAQs –
The Subclass 482 visa allows skilled workers to live and work in Australia when an approved employer cannot find a suitable local candidate. It has Short-Term, Medium-Term, and Labour Agreement streams based on occupation and business need. Indeedvisa helps employers and applicants understand which stream applies and ensures a smooth, compliant visa process.
You must be nominated by an approved sponsor, have the required skills, qualifications, and work experience for the role, and meet English language, health, and character requirements. Indeedvisa reviews your profile against eligibility criteria and occupation lists to ensure you’re applying under the right stream with complete documentation.
Yes, if you are on the Medium-Term stream, you may be eligible for permanent residency through the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme after 2–3 years of work with your sponsor. Indeedvisa provides future-focused advice to plan your pathway from temporary status to permanent residency without disruptions.
In most cases, a skills assessment is not required for 482 visa applicants. However, for certain occupations and passport holders, it is mandatory. Indeedvisa checks if your occupation and nationality require a skills assessment and can assist with preparing the necessary documents or sourcing a recognised skills assessor if needed.
Most applicants must show competent English, usually by taking IELTS (score of 5.0 overall with no band below 4.5) or equivalent tests. Some applicants may be exempt due to nationality or prior education. Indeedvisa helps you understand what evidence is accepted and offers options if you need to meet English criteria urgently.
It depends on the nominated occupation. Some occupations on the Core Skills Occupation List carry a mandatory skills assessment; others don’t. We check this against your specific occupation before you commit to the nomination, since a mandatory assessment can add months to the timeline.
Subclass 482 holders can generally undertake short-term or part-time study without needing a separate student visa, provided it doesn’t interfere with the work you were sponsored for. There is no blanket study condition on most 482 visas, but we confirm your specific visa conditions before you enrol in anything.
Processing time depends on the stream, how complete the nomination evidence is, and whether a skills assessment is still outstanding. Core Skills stream applications lodged with all evidence ready are typically processed faster than Labour Agreement stream cases. We give clients a realistic timeline once the sponsorship and nomination are lodged.
Any Australian business that becomes an approved Standard Business Sponsor can nominate under the 482, provided the role is genuine, meets the relevant income threshold, and the occupation appears on the applicable occupation list. We handle the sponsorship approval for employers who have not sponsored before.
You need a new approved sponsor and a new nomination before you start with the new employer — the 482 is tied to the sponsoring business and the nominated occupation. Time already worked toward permanent residence under the previous sponsor may not carry over if the occupation or employer changes, so we review this before you resign.