Temporary Graduate Visa

Subclass 482 Skills in Demand Visa (Employer-Sponsored Work Visa)

If an Australian employer wants to sponsor you for a skilled role, the Subclass 482 Skills in Demand (SID) visa may be the appropriate pathway. The SID visa commenced on 7 December 2024 and retained the Subclass 482 number while replacing the former Temporary Skill Shortage framework. At Auslife Migration Consultants, we assist employers and visa applicants through the sponsorship, nomination and visa stages from our Melbourne and Kuala Lumpur offices.

What Is the Subclass 482 Visa?

The Subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa allows an approved Australian employer to sponsor a suitably skilled overseas worker for a nominated position. Depending on the stream and nomination, the visa can generally be granted for up to four years. It is a temporary employer-sponsored visa and may provide a pathway to permanent residence where the applicant and employer later meet the requirements of a permanent employer-sponsored visa.

The person we see most often for this visa is someone who did a degree in Australia, moved onto a Temporary Graduate visa (Subclass 485), and then landed a job offer from an employer willing to sponsor them before their 485 expires. The 482 becomes the bridge that keeps them working in Australia legally while building toward permanent residency.

The Three Streams Which One Applies to You?

The Skills in Demand visa has three streams: Core Skills, Specialist Skills and Labour Agreement. The correct stream depends on matters including the occupation, the duties of the position, the annual market salary rate, the guaranteed earnings and any applicable labour agreement.

Core Skills Stream

The Core Skills stream covers occupations on the Core Skills Occupation List. For nominations lodged from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, both the annual market salary rate and the worker’s guaranteed annual earnings must generally be at least AUD $79,423, excluding non-monetary benefits. The nominated salary must also be no less than the amount paid to an equivalent Australian worker.

Specialist Skills Stream

The Specialist Skills stream is available for eligible occupations within specified ANZSCO major groups and does not use the Core Skills Occupation List. For nominations lodged from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, the annual market salary rate and guaranteed annual earnings must generally be at least AUD $146,576. Specialist Skills eligibility is not based on salary alone, so the occupation classification and role must also be checked.

Labour Agreement Stream

Used where a formal agreement exists between an employer and the Australian Government, usually for industries or regions with specific, negotiated labour shortage arrangements. This is less common for individual applicants and more relevant to larger employers with existing agreements in place we can advise if this applies to your situation.

Subclass 482 Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for a Subclass 482 visa, you generally need:

• A genuine job offer from an approved (or approvable) Australian sponsor
• An occupation and position that meet the requirements of the relevant stream
• A salary meeting the relevant income threshold for your stream
• Relevant skills and qualifications for the nominated role
• English language evidence meeting the requirements in force at the time of application, unless an exemption applies
• Health and character requirements, as with any Australian visa

The employer must be an approved standard business sponsor or otherwise have an appropriate sponsorship arrangement. The employer will generally lodge a nomination for the position and may need to satisfy labour market testing, salary, employment and business requirements. The worker then lodges the visa application and must establish their own skills, experience, English, health and character eligibility.

How Long Does the 482 Visa Take to Process?

Processing times vary by stream, the completeness of the applications and the circumstances of the employer and worker. The Department publishes current processing-time information through its online guide. Because sponsorship, nomination and visa applications may be assessed separately, employers and workers should begin planning well before the applicant’s current visa expires.

The total timeline usually breaks down into three stages:

1. Sponsorship application, where the employer is not already an approved sponsor

1. Nomination approval — the employer nominates the specific position, adding further weeks to months depending on the stream
2. Visa application — your individual application, processed against the nomination

Where a current visa is approaching expiry, early advice is important. Lodging a sponsorship or nomination application does not itself give the worker a bridging visa; bridging-visa arrangements arise from a valid visa application lodged in Australia and depend on the applicant’s circumstances.

From 482 to Permanent Residency The Pathway

A common permanent-residence pathway is the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme through the Temporary Residence Transition stream. An applicant will usually need at least two years of eligible full-time sponsored employment in Australia during the three years immediately before applying, while holding an eligible Subclass 457 or 482 visa or associated bridging visa. The rules can allow eligible sponsored employment with more than one approved sponsor to count, so the requirement should not be described simply as two years with the same employer.

The Subclass 186 application has separate age, English, nomination, employment and other requirements. A skills assessment is not generally required for the Temporary Residence Transition stream, but the Department may request evidence that the applicant has the skills and qualifications required for the nominated occupation. English requirements must be met at the time of the Subclass 186 application unless an exemption applies.

Our Process What Happens After You Contact Us

1. Free initial eligibility check — we look at your occupation, salary offer, and current visa status to confirm which stream you fit and whether your employer needs to apply for sponsor approval first.
2. Employer sponsorship review — if your employer isn’t an approved sponsor yet, we advise on what that process involves and the realistic timeline.
3. Nomination preparation — we help prepare the nomination application, matching your role correctly against the CSOL or confirming Specialist Skills eligibility.
4. Visa application and lodgement — once nomination is confirmed, we prepare and lodge your individual 482 application with the required evidence.
5. Post-lodgement support and PR planning — we stay engaged after lodgement to handle any Department requests, and if PR is the end goal, we start mapping the Subclass 186 pathway well before your two-year mark arrives.

Why Work With an Immigration Lawyer in Melbourne for Your 482 Visa

The 482 process commonly involves an employer sponsorship framework, a nomination for the position and the worker’s visa application. Errors in the occupation classification, salary calculation, labour market testing or supporting evidence can affect both the employer and the applicant. An Immigration Lawyer can advise both sides on how the separate requirements fit together.

Core Skills and Specialist Skills are not simply interchangeable fast and slow versions of the same application. The correct stream depends on the occupation classification, salary and legal criteria. We assess the position before lodgement rather than recommending a stream solely because one may appear faster.

Why Families and Workers Choose Auslife

• Operating since 2007, with our Melbourne office open since 2008
• 2,160+ families and individuals guided through their Australian migration journey
• Led by an Australian Immigration Lawyer who is also a qualified solicitor in Malaysia
• Two offices Kuala Lumpur and Melbourne supporting clients whether they’re applying from overseas or already working in Australia
• Multilingual team, fluent in English, Malay, Mandarin, Cantonese, Tamil, and Indonesian

We do not guarantee visa outcomes. What we provide is a realistic assessment of the proposed position, stream, salary and evidence before the employer and applicant commit to the process.

Book Your Free Eligibility Assessment

If you’ve had a job offer and aren’t sure which stream you fall into, or your 485 visa is approaching expiry and you need to move quickly, book a free eligibility check with our Melbourne team.