482 Visa: Skills in Demand Visa Guide 2026

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EMK Global

Benefits of the Skills in Demand visa

Live and work full time in Australia for up to 4 years for your approved sponsor (up to 5 years for Hong Kong passport holders)
Include eligible family members in your application – your partner and dependent children can live, work and study in Australia
Study in Australia (without government assistance) and travel in and out of Australia as many times as you like while the visa is valid
A clear pathway to permanent residence: holders in every stream can apply for the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) – Temporary Residence Transition stream after 2 years of employment while holding the visa
More flexibility to change jobs: if you stop working for your sponsor, you have up to 180 days at a time (365 days in total) to find a new sponsor, apply for another visa or depart, and you may work for other employers during that time

Requirements by stream

Core Skills stream:
- Your nominated occupation is on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL)
- Your salary is at least the annual market salary rate and the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) of AUD 79,423 (nominations lodged from 1 July 2026)
- At least 1 year of relevant full-time work experience (or part-time equivalent) in the last 5 years
- A skills assessment, if required for your occupation or passport
- English: generally IELTS 5.0 in each component (or equivalent), unless exempt
Specialist Skills stream:
- No occupation list: occupations in ANZSCO Major Groups 1, 2, 4, 5 or 6 (trades workers, machinery operators/drivers and labourers are excluded)
- Your salary is at least the annual market salary rate and the Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT) of AUD 146,576 (nominations lodged from 1 July 2026)
- At least 1 year of relevant work experience in the last 5 years
- English, skills, health and character requirements as for the Core Skills stream
Labour Agreement stream:
- Your employer has a labour agreement with the Australian Government that covers your occupation
- Salary, work experience and English requirements follow the terms of that labour agreement
All streams:
- Your employer must be an approved sponsor and lodge a nomination for your position (the employer pays the nomination fee and Skilling Australians Fund levy)
- You must meet health and character requirements

Visa Application Charge

Main applicant: from AUD 4,015 (Core Skills, Specialist Skills and Labour Agreement streams)
Additional charges apply for each family member included in your application
Your employer separately pays the nomination fee and the Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy – by law, these sponsorship costs cannot be passed on to you
Visa charges are usually indexed on 1 July each year. Check the Home Affairs visa pricing page before lodging

Last Updated: 26 October 2026

Processing Time

Processing times are set by the Department of Home Affairs and change regularly
Your employer’s sponsorship and nomination are assessed separately from your visa application, so the total timeframe depends on all three steps
Complete, decision-ready applications are generally processed faster – missing documents are the most common cause of delays
Check current timeframes with the Home Affairs processing time guide, or ask us for an estimate for your case
You can track your application at any time in ImmiAccount

Last Updated: 26 October 2026

Your Obligations

8607: Work only in your nominated occupation for your sponsor (or an associated entity), unless exempt
If you stop working for your sponsor, you have up to 180 days at a time (365 days in total) to find a new sponsor, apply for another visa or leave Australia
8501: Maintain adequate health insurance while in Australia
Comply with all other conditions listed on your visa grant notice

Last Updated: 26 October 2026

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How to apply for the 482 visa

Step 1: Book an eligibility assessment with our registered migration agent (MARN 2217759)
Step 2: Your employer applies to become an approved Standard Business Sponsor (if not already approved)
Step 3: Your employer lodges a nomination for your position, confirming the salary meets the relevant income threshold and market rate
Step 4: Obtain a skills assessment (if required) and your English test results
Step 5: Gather your documents: identity, qualifications, employment references and English results
Step 6: Lodge your visa application in ImmiAccount (with or after the nomination) and pay the visa charge
Step 7: Provide biometrics, health examinations and police certificates when requested
Step 8: Receive your decision, then plan your pathway to permanent residence through subclass 186

Not sure which 482 stream fits your job? Talk to our registered migration agent.

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Frequently Asked Questions

If you don’t find an answer to your question below, feel free to get in touch with one of our agents, they will be more than happy to share their wisdom.

General information only, not legal advice. Figures checked on 26 October 2026 against Department of Home Affairs sources.

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Can I change employers on a 482 visa?

Yes. Your new employer must be an approved sponsor and lodge a new nomination for you, and you should not start the new sponsored role until that nomination is approved. If you stop working for your current sponsor, you have up to 180 days at a time (365 days in total over the life of the visa) to find a new sponsor, apply for a different visa or leave Australia, and you can work for other employers during that period.

What does this visa allow you to do?

The Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) is a temporary visa that lets you live in Australia and work full time for your sponsoring employer in your nominated occupation for up to 4 years. You can study and travel in and out of Australia while the visa is valid. Eligible family members included in your application can live, work and study in Australia.

What happened to the TSS short-term and medium-term streams?

On 7 December 2024 the Skills in Demand visa replaced the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa, keeping the subclass number 482. The short-term and medium-term streams, and the STSOL and MLTSSL lists, no longer apply to new applications. They were replaced by the Core Skills stream (using the Core Skills Occupation List) and the Specialist Skills stream. Applications lodged before 7 December 2024 continue to be processed under the rules in force when they were lodged.

Can a 482 visa holder apply for permanent residency?

Yes. The 482 is a temporary visa, but holders in every stream can apply for permanent residence through the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) Temporary Residence Transition stream after 2 years of employment while holding the visa, if their employer nominates them. Depending on your circumstances, other options may include the subclass 190, 491 or 494 visas. Book a consultation and we will map out the best pathway for you.