482 visa requirements at a glance
The subclass 482, Skills in Demand (SID) Visa formerly known as the Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) Visa is a temporary visa. It allows employers to sponsor skilled workers to address skills shortages where suitably skilled Australian workers can’t be sourced.
The subclass 482 visa has three streams:
Specialist Skills Stream
The specialist skills stream is for highly skilled professionals who are nominated to work in an occupation on the Australian New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) publication with a base salary of AUD$141,210 or more. It excludes occupations in ANZSCO major groups 3, 7 and 8.
Holders of this visa can stay in Australia for up to four years (five years for Hong Kong passport holders).
To be eligible for the subclass 482 specialist skills stream, applicants must:
- Be nominated to work in an Australian New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) occupation listed in major groups 1,2,4,5 or 6 with a salary that meets the Specialist Skills Income Threshold
- Have at least one year of relevant work experience in the nominated occupation or a related field
- Have a relevant skills assessment, if required
- Work only for their sponsor or associated entity, unless an exemption applies
- Meet minimum standards of English language proficiency, unless an exemption applies
Core Skills Stream
The core skills stream is for applicants who hold an occupation on the Core Skilled Occupation List (CSOL)
Holders of this visa can stay in Australia for up to four years (five years for Hong Kong passport holders).
To be eligible for the subclass 482 core skills stream, applicants must:
- Be nominated to work in an occupation on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL)
- Be paid the Annual Market Salary Rate (AMSR) for the occupation and no less than the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT)
- Have at least one year of relevant work experience in their nominated occupation or a related field
- Have a relevant skills assessment, if required for their occupation
- Work only for their sponsor or associated entity, unless an exemption applies
- Meet minimum standards of English language proficiency, unless an exemption applies
Labour Agreement Stream
The labour agreement stream is for skilled workers nominated by employers who have a labour agreement.
Holders of this visa can live and work in Australia for up to a maximum of four years (five years for Hong Kong passport holders).
To be eligible for the subclass 482 labour agreement stream, applicants must:
- Be nominated to work in a specified occupation under the terms of a labour agreement
- Have gained at least 12 months of relevant full-time work experience or equivalent within the last five years, unless otherwise stated in the labour agreement (work carried out on a part-time or casual basis must be the equivalent of at least 12 months of full-time work)
- Have a relevant skills assessment, if required for their occupation
- Work only for their sponsor
- Meet minimum standards of English language proficiency, unless an exemption applies
Costs and government fees
The fee to apply for any of the streams under the subclass 482 is AUD$3,210. A fee of AUD$805 applies for each dependant under 18 years of age.
Additional fees apply for English language testing, health checks, police certificates and biometrics. The costs associated with these checks and tests vary from country to country.
Visa fee charges are subject to change. It is recommended that you speak with a registered migration agent or consult the Department of Home Affairs website for specific fee information.
Processing Times
Processing times for a subclass 482 can vary. Applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis and can be impacted by the following circumstances:
- Whether a complete application was lodged with all necessary supporting documentation
- How quickly applicants respond to requests for additional information
- How long it takes to perform the required checks on the supporting information provided
- How long it takes to receive additional information from external agencies particularly in relation to health, character and national security requirements
Once an application is lodged, applicants can get an indication of processing times using the visa processing time guide tool.
Document checklist: what to prepare early
As part of the application process, applicants must supply the following documentation:
Identity documents
- The pages of the applicant’s current passport which show the photo, personal details and passport issue and expiry dates
Proof of change of name (if applicable)
- Marriage or divorce certificate
- Change of name documents from the Australian Registry of Births, Death and Marriages or a relevant overseas authority
- Documents that show the other name the applicant was known by
- Deed poll certificate
- Statutory declaration, if the differences are small
Skills and occupation documents (the applicant’s occupation will determine which of the following documents are required)
- A skills assessment or proof that the applicant has arranged to obtain one
- A copy of relevant qualification certificates (professional and educational)
- A copy of any required registration / licensing
- Previous employment reference
- A curriculum vitae or resume
- Previous employment references
English language proficiency documents
Evidence of adequate health insurance
Character documents
- Australian police certificate (required if the applicant has spent a total of 12 months or more in Australia in the last 10 years since turning 16 years of age)
- An overseas police certificate from every country the applicant has spent a total of 12 months or more since turning 16 years of age, including their home country
- Military service records or discharge papers, if the applicant served in the armed forces of any country
Partner documents
- Identity documents
- Character documents
- Documents about other relationships, if applicable
- Current marriage certificate or enough documents to prove a de-facto relationship (joint bank account statements, billing accounts in joint names, joint leases or mortgages etc)
Dependant documents, if under 18 years of age
- The pages of their current passport which shows their photo, personal details and passport issue and expiry dates (children under five years of age can be added to the visa application without a passport)
- Copies of birth certificates or family book showing the names of both parents of the dependants
- Copies of adoption papers, if applicable
- Character documents, if applicable
- Parental responsibility documents (consent for the child to come to Australia from anyone who has a legal right to decide where the child lives and is not coming to Australia)
Dependant documents, if over 18 years of age
- Identity documents
- Documents relating to their relationships, if applicable
- Character documents
- Proof of dependency
- a completed Form 47a Details of a child or other dependent family member aged 18 years or over (307KB PDF)
- proof of the relationship with the dependent such as a birth certificate or adoption papers
- proof that the dependant has been financially dependent on the primary visa applicant
Step-by-step: how to apply
Step 1: Before applying
- Be nominated by the prospective employer
- Have a valid passport
- Get a skills assessment
- Organise English language testing
- Organise health examinations
- Obtain professional help with the visa application by a registered migration agent or legal practitioner
Step 2: Gather documents
Gather all documents relating to identity, skills and experience, English language proficiency, health insurance and character. Identity and character and proof of relationship documents are also required for partners and dependents.
Step 3: Apply for the visa
The visa can be lodged online by logging in or creating an ImmiAccount. Lodge the application attaching all the required documentation. The application fee is payable at this time. Applications will not be processed until the fee is paid.
Step 4: Post application
Once the visa application is lodged, the Department of Home Affairs will advise when they have received the visa application and documents. While they can’t give status updates, they may request more information to support the application.
Visa applicants must:
- Have a health examination if they haven’t done so prior to applying for the visa and the Department requests it
- Must not arrange travel to Australia until their visa is granted
- Provide biometrics if requested
- Provide more information if requested
- Stay lawful
- Advise the Department as soon as possible if a mistake was made on the application
- Advise the Department of any changes such as contact details, changes to relationship status, birth of a child etc
Step 5: Visa Outcome
Applicants will be advised of the visa outcome in writing. It will outline the visa grant number, the date the visa starts and the visa conditions.
If the visa was refused, applicants will be advised in writing with the reason why and whether they have a right to a review of the decision.
After grant: visa conditions and family members
Once the visa is granted it is the responsibility of the applicant and their family to meet all visa conditions and obey Australian laws.
The visa holder can only work for the business that sponsored them and must commence work within 90 days after:
- entry to Australia if the visa was granted while the applicant was offshore
- the visa grant date if the applicant is in Australia
In the event that the visa holder becomes unemployed, they have up to 180 days to find a new employer or make arrangements to leave Australia.
While holding this visa, holders must inform the Department of Home Affairs of any changes including:
- Changes to contact details or passport
- Changes relating to their employer
- Changes to their employment status including promotions and changes in hours
- Changes to relationship status
- The birth of a child
If family members wish to join the subclass 482 visa holder, they can apply for this own visa as a subsequent entrant.
Professional help
The subclass 482 (SID) visa provides flexibility and increased opportunities for employers to sponsor overseas talent quickly and efficiently. It is just one of many work visas available to foreign workers. A list of work visas can be found on the Visa Solutions Australia website.
To learn more about the subclass 482 visa or any other aspect of migration, contact the team of experienced registered migration agents at Visa Solutions Australia. Book a consultation.
Disclaimer: Information is general guidance and not legal advice. Check the current Australian Government rules or consult with a registered migrant agent.
FAQs
1. What are the minimum 482 visa requirements for applicants and employers?
Employers must:
- Be an approved business sponsor
- Demonstrate a genuine need for the position
- Conduct labour market testing to ensure there is no local talent that can fill the position
- Meet salary requirements
- Contribute to the Skilling Australians Fund
Applicants must:
- Be nominated by an approved business sponsor
- Have at least one year of relevant, full-time work experience in the nominated occupation or related field
- Meet minimum English language requirements
- Meet health and character requirements
- Have no outstanding debt to the Australian Government
2. Do I need a skills assessment for a 482 visa and who is exempt?
Applicants of a 482 visa will be required to undertake a mandatory skills assessment. Even if a skills assessment is not mandatory, the Department of Home Affairs may still request one.
Applicants with certain occupations are exempt from having a skills assessment. To view a full list of exempt occupations visit the Department of Home Affairs website.
3. How much English do I need for the 482 visa and which tests are accepted?
Applicants of the subclass 482 visa must be able to demonstrate a competent level of English language proficiency.
4. Is there an age limit for the 482 visa?
There is no age restriction for the subclass 482 visa.
5. How is the one year of work experience for a subclass 482 visa calculated?
The one year of work experience is based on 12 months of full-time work. Work carried out on a part-time or casual basis must be the equivalent of 12 months full-time work. The work experience should have been gained in the last five years.
6. Do I need health insurance for a 482 visa and what is condition 8501?
Applicants of a subclass 482 visa are required to have health insurance. Condition 8501 is the visa condition that requires applicants to have and maintain adequate health insurance for the duration of their stay in Australia.
7. What is TSMIT and how does it impact my Subclass 482 nomination salary?
TSMIT is short for Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold. This applied to the previous Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) Visa and was the minimum annual earning threshold that employers had to guarantee when sponsoring overseas workers. The Skills in Demand visa which replaced the TSS visa has its own salary thresholds for each of the streams, the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) and the Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT). When nominated for a subclass 482 visa, employers must pay you the rate reflect in the CSIT or SSIT or the Annual Market Salary Rate.
8. Can I change employers on a 482 visa and how long do I have to find a new sponsor?
You can change employers while on a subclass 482 visa. You have up to 180 days to find a new sponsor. If you change employers, you must notify the Department of Home Affairs of the change.
