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Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482)

Updated 22 July 2026

This is general information, not migration advice. Visa rules, fees and eligibility change often — always confirm on the Department of Home Affairs website, and speak to a registered migration agent about your own situation.

Overview

The Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) is a temporary visa that lets an employer sponsor a suitably skilled worker to fill a position they can't find a suitably skilled Australian to fill. It has three application streams with different rules - Core Skills stream, Specialist Skills stream and Labour agreement stream - plus a separate Subsequent entrant pathway for family members of an existing subclass 482 or 457 holder. In all streams you must be nominated for a skilled position by an approved sponsor, have the right skills to do the job and meet the relevant English language requirements. With the visa you can work in Australia for your sponsor, study (without government assistance), travel in and out of Australia as often as you want while the visa is valid, and, if eligible, apply for permanent residence. How long you can stay: Core Skills stream and Specialist Skills stream: 'Up to 4 years. Hong Kong passport holders may stay up to 5 years.' Labour agreement stream: 'Up to a maximum of 4 years, depending on the terms in the labour agreement. Hong Kong passport holders may stay up to 5 years.' Subsequent entrant: 'You can stay for as long as your visa is valid.' In each case you stay for the period of time your employer nominates you for, up to those maximums. To stay longer with the same employer, your employer must submit a new nomination and you must apply for a new visa; your employer may also be able to sponsor you for permanent residence through the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186).

Step by step

  1. Step 1: Step 1 - Before you apply: make sure your prospective employer has nominated you (you will need the Transaction Reference Number of the nomination application your employer lodged). Check your passport is valid, get a skills assessment if one is mandatory for your occupation (a mandatory assessment must at least have been commenced before you lodge, and you must enter its reference number in the application), organise English language tests if you need them (results can be no more than 3 years old), organise health examinations, and appoint a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person if you want help.

  2. Step 2: Step 2 - Gather your documents: identity documents, and documents covering your character, skills, work experience, health and English language proficiency. Have non-English documents translated, scan or photograph them in colour, and attach each document only once.

  3. Step 3: Step 3 - Apply for the visa online: log in or create an ImmiAccount, attach your documents, pay the application fee (we will not process your application until you pay it) and note the transaction reference number. Each family member must have their own application fee paid and documents attached.

  4. Step 4: Step 4 - After you apply: we will let you know when we have received your application. Do not arrange travel to Australia until we tell you in writing that we have granted the visa. We might ask for more information, health examinations or biometrics - but we are not obliged to ask, and can decide on the information provided.

  5. Step 5: Step 5 - Visa outcome: we let you know our decision in writing, including your visa grant number, when the visa starts and your visa conditions. You must begin your employment within 90 days of entering Australia (if you were outside Australia when granted) or of the visa grant date (if you were in Australia).

Eligibility & requirements

  • Be nominated by an approved sponsor: before you can apply, your proposed employer must lodge a nomination application for you and be an approved sponsor (or at least have applied to become a Standard business sponsor). What you can be nominated for depends on the stream - CORE SKILLS STREAM: an occupation on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL), paid the Annual Market Salary Rate (AMSR) for the occupation and no less than the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT). SPECIALIST SKILLS STREAM: an ANZSCO occupation listed in Major Groups 1, 2, 4, 5 or 6, with a nominated salary that meets the Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT). LABOUR AGREEMENT STREAM: an occupation specified under the terms of a labour agreement your employer has in effect with the Australian Government.
  • Work experience: Core Skills and Specialist Skills streams - you must have at least 1 year of relevant work experience in your nominated occupation or a related field, gained full-time, part-time or casually within the last 5 years, with part-time or casual work equivalent to at least 12 months full-time (the period does not need to be continuous). Labour agreement stream - at least 12 months relevant full-time work experience, or equivalent, within the last 5 years, unless otherwise specified in the labour agreement.
  • Have relevant skills, qualifications and employment background to perform the occupation, and have a positive skills assessment where one is mandatory (mandatory cases are set out in IMMI 18/039; the assessment must have been undertaken or commenced within the 3 years ending immediately before the visa application is made).
  • Have this level of English language: primary applicants must meet minimum standards of English language proficiency unless an exemption applies.
  • Work for your nominating employer: you must be employed in your nominated occupation and, for an Australian business sponsor, in that business or an associated entity; for an overseas business sponsor, in that business only. Some occupations are exempt. In the Labour agreement stream you must work only for your sponsor.
  • Have health insurance: you must maintain adequate health cover for the whole of your intended period of stay - it is a visa condition.
  • Meet our health requirement and our character requirement (family members aged 16 and over who apply with you must also meet the character requirement). There is no age requirement for this visa.
  • Other criteria: if applying in Australia you must hold a substantive visa or a Bridging visa A, B or C and have substantially complied with your visa conditions; you must not have contravened the 'paying for visa sponsorship' provisions in the past 3 years; you must not have unpaid debts to the Australian government; and applicants 18 and over must sign the Australian values statement.

Costs

ItemIndicative cost
Application charge - headline figure (all streams)From AUD4,015.00. Concessions apply in limited circumstances.
Application charge - main applicant and each dependant aged 18 and overAUD4,015.00
Application charge - each dependant under 18 years oldAUD1,005.00
Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) - minimum salary, Core Skills streamAUD79,423 for Nomination applications lodged on and between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027 (AUD76,515 for 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026; AUD73,150 for 7 December 2024 to 30 June 2025)
Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT) - minimum salary, Specialist Skills streamAUD146,576 for Nomination applications lodged on and between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027 (AUD141,210 for 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026; AUD135,000 for 7 December 2024 to 30 June 2025)
Cost concession for eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste applicantsCurrent fee is published on the Home Affairs page for this visa — see Key links.
Second instalment and other costs (English language tests, health checks, police certificates, biometrics)Current fee is published on the Home Affairs page for this visa — see Key links.

Key links

Contacts

Registered migration agent (MARA)
For advice about your own circumstances, use a registered migration agent or a legal service. This page is general information only.