482 Visa Requirements in Australia

To get a 482 visa in Australia, an approved sponsor must nominate you for a role that fits one of three Skills in Demand streams and pays at least the relevant income threshold. You then need at least one year of full-time (or equivalent) relevant work experience in the last five years, English results, a skills assessment where required, health insurance, and clean health and character checks.

By Hugo Leal, Registered Migration Agent (MARN 2217825), at Concord Visa. This article is general information about Australian migration law as at October 2026. It isn't advice for your situation and doesn't promise any outcome; your options depend on your own facts.

What is the 482 visa in Australia now?

The Skills in Demand visa replaced the Temporary Skill Shortage visa on 7 December 2024. The subclass number stayed at 482, which is why so much outdated advice still circulates under the same name. In my experience, the people who get caught out are working from pre-2024 checklists: the old occupation lists and the short-term and medium-term streams no longer exist.

The rules sit in the Migration Regulations: one set of criteria for the worker's visa, another for the employer's nomination, and a separate set of ongoing obligations for the sponsor. The visa can be granted for up to four years (five for Hong Kong passport holders), and each stream offers a pathway to permanent residence.

Which 482 stream applies to the role?

My first two questions on any 482 are salary and occupation, because together they decide the stream: the Specialist Skills stream turns on salary, the Core Skills stream turns on the occupation list, and a role that meets neither has no stream at all. The thresholds below are from the Home Affairs salary requirements page and apply to nominations lodged from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027.

The Specialist Skills stream has no occupation list, but the occupation must fall within ANZSCO Major Group 1, 2, 4, 5 or 6, so trades, machinery operators, drivers and labourers are excluded. The salary must be at least AUD146,576. The Core Skills stream covers most sponsored roles: the occupation must be on the Core Skills Occupation List and the salary must be at least AUD79,423 (up from AUD76,515 in 2025–26). The Labour Agreement stream is for employers with a negotiated agreement, whose terms can depart from the standard settings.

In both standard streams the salary must also match the annual market salary rate for the role. Thresholds are indexed each 1 July, so I'd re-check them before every nomination rather than relying on last year's figure.

The three streams side by side, for nominations lodged from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027:

What does the worker need to show?

The worker's side is usually the more predictable half. You need an approved nomination, at least one year of full-time (or equivalent) relevant work experience in the last five years, English test results no more than three years old (unless exempt), a skills assessment if your occupation or passport requires one, adequate health insurance, and you must meet the health and character requirements. Partners and dependent children can be included as secondary applicants and must meet health and character requirements too.

Where I see avoidable delay is sequencing. Police certificates, medicals and skills assessments started after the nomination is lodged are the usual reasons a file sits waiting.

What does the employer have to do, and where do employers go wrong?

The employer must be an approved standard business sponsor (or a party to a labour agreement), lodge a nomination that meets the nomination criteria, test the labour market unless exempt, and pay the Skilling Australians Fund levy.

The most common problem I see is a nomination that doesn't reflect the real job. The occupation code, duties and salary in the nomination have to line up with the position description and the employment contract, and the sponsor is then obliged to keep the worker in that nominated occupation. If the role drifts after grant, the sponsor is exposed.

Two rules deserve particular care. A sponsor cannot recover sponsorship and nomination costs, including the levy, from the worker. Separately, it is an offence to ask for or receive a benefit in return for sponsoring someone. Both can lead to sanctions, so the employer should budget for these costs and not ask the worker to contribute to them. The visa application charge itself is the one cost that either party may pay.

How long does a 482 take, and what does it cost?

Processing times depend on the stream, and the gap is large. As at October 2026, Home Affairs reports that half of Specialist Skills applications are decided within 37 days and 90% within 78 days, while Core Skills applications take four months for half and nine months for 90%. The reason is Ministerial Direction 121, in force since 19 September 2026, which sets the order in which 482 applications are picked up: priority sectors such as health, teaching and construction trades first, then the Specialist Skills stream, then other applications lodged in Australia, then applications lodged from overseas, then everything else. A Specialist Skills applicant sits near the front of the queue wherever they are. A Core Skills applicant outside a priority sector who is overseas sits behind every onshore applicant, which is where the nine-month figure comes from. For an overseas hire this is often the deciding factor between the two streams: if the salary can reach the Specialist Skills threshold and the occupation is in an eligible group, the stream choice can cut the wait from most of a year to a few weeks. Priority sets the order, not a guaranteed time, so check the current figures on the Home Affairs website before planning a start date. A complete file on day one is the part you control.

The cost is a set of separate government charges: the sponsorship fee, the nomination fee and the SAF levy (all employer costs), and the visa application charge for each applicant (the one cost that either party may pay). Add skills assessment, English test, medical and police certificate costs. Check current amounts on the Home Affairs website before budgeting.

What happens if the job ends?

If employment ends, the worker generally has up to 180 days to find a new sponsor, be granted another visa or leave Australia. The sponsor must notify Home Affairs of certain events, including the end of employment, within 28 days. A new employer needs its own approved nomination before the worker starts.

How does a 482 lead to permanent residence?

Most 482 holders who stay long term move to the subclass 186 Temporary Residence Transition stream after two years of full-time sponsored work. Our 482 to 186 guide sets out the steps and the timing.

FAQ: 482 visa requirements in Australia

What is the minimum salary for a 482 visa in 2026?

For nominations lodged between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027, the Core Skills Income Threshold is AUD79,423 and the Specialist Skills Income Threshold is AUD146,576. The salary must also meet the market rate for the role. Thresholds are indexed every 1 July.

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

You need at least one year of full-time (or equivalent) relevant work experience in the nominated occupation or a related field, within the last five years. This was reduced from two years when the Skills in Demand visa replaced the TSS visa in December 2024.

Can my employer make me pay the 482 sponsorship costs?

No. Sponsors cannot recover sponsorship and nomination costs, including the Skilling Australians Fund levy, from the visa holder, and asking for a benefit in return for sponsorship is an offence. The visa application charge for the worker's own application is the one cost that either party may pay.

How long can I stay on a 482 visa?

The 482 can be granted for up to four years, or up to five years for Hong Kong passport holders. Every stream has a pathway to permanent residence, most commonly through the subclass 186 visa.

How long does a 482 visa take to process?

It depends on the stream. As at 30 October 2026, half of Specialist Skills applications are decided within 37 days and 90% within 78 days. Core Skills applications take about four months for half and nine months for 90%, and overseas applicants sit at the back of that queue. Processing priority is set by Ministerial Direction 121, and the published times change monthly.

What happens to my 482 if I lose my job?

You generally have up to 180 days to find a new sponsor, be granted another visa or leave Australia. A new employer must have an approved nomination before you start working for them.

Speak with a registered migration agent

At Concord, our in-house registered migration agent in Australia helps with the 482 visa, the employer's nomination and standard business sponsorship. Employers: book an intro call and we will map the role to a stream before any government fee is paid. Individuals: book a paid consultation to review your own situation.

Book a paid consultation with a registered migration agent