adminAustralia replaced its old Temporary Skill Shortage visa in December 2024 with the Skills in Demand visa. It kept the same subclass number, 482, but the rules are friendlier to workers: less experience is needed, changing employers is easier, and every stream has a route to permanent residence.
If you have a skilled occupation and an Australian employer is willing to sponsor you, this is the visa you are most likely to use. Here is how it works in 2026, including the income thresholds that changed on 1 July.
The three streams
| Stream | Who it is for | Minimum salary (from 1 July 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Specialist Skills | High earners in almost any occupation, except trades, machinery operators, drivers and labourers | A$146,717 |
| Core Skills | Workers in an occupation on the Core Skills Occupation List | A$79,499 |
| Labour Agreement | Workers hired under a special agreement between an employer or industry and the government | Set by the agreement |
Most applicants use the Core Skills stream. Its occupation list has more than 450 occupations across health, engineering, IT, construction, education, hospitality management and the trades. The salary thresholds are indexed every July, so they rise each year.
Meeting the threshold is not enough on its own. The employer must also pay you at least the market rate, which is what an Australian worker would earn for the same job in the same location. Whichever figure is higher applies.
Requirements for the worker
- A nominated occupation that fits the stream you are applying under
- At least one year of relevant full-time work experience in the occupation or a closely related field. The old visa asked for two years
- English language ability. The usual benchmark is around IELTS 5.0 in each component or the equivalent in another accepted test. Passport holders of a few English-speaking countries are exempt. Some occupations need a higher score for professional registration
- A skills assessment if your occupation and passport country require one. This mainly affects trade occupations
- Health and character checks, including police certificates
- Adequate health insurance for your whole stay, covered in more detail below
How sponsorship works: three applications
- Sponsorship. The business applies to become a standard business sponsor, unless it already is one. Approval lasts five years.
- Nomination. The employer nominates you for a specific position, shows the role is genuine, shows the salary meets the threshold and market rate, and in most cases shows it advertised the job in Australia first.
- Visa. You lodge your own visa application online through ImmiAccount, with your documents, English result and health checks.
The government aims to process Specialist Skills applications in about a week and Core Skills applications in around three weeks, but real timing depends on how complete the application is and on health and character checks.
Who pays for what
This is where many overseas applicants are cheated, so it is worth knowing the rules.
- The employer must pay the sponsorship fee, the nomination fee and the Skilling Australians Fund levy. The levy is A$1,200 per year of the visa for small businesses and A$1,800 per year for larger ones. It is unlawful for the employer to pass these costs on to you
- The visa application charge can be paid by you or the employer. It rose on 1 July 2026 and is now a little over A$4,000 for the main applicant, with further charges for each family member. Use the pricing estimator on the Home Affairs website for the exact figure
- You normally pay for your English test, skills assessment, medical examination, police certificates and health insurance, unless the employer agrees otherwise
Asking for or receiving payment in return for sponsorship is an offence in Australia, for both the person who pays and the person who receives. Any “agent” selling a sponsored job for a fee is offering something illegal, and visas obtained that way can be cancelled.
How long you can stay and changing employers
The visa can be granted for up to four years. Your partner and dependent children can be included, and your partner has full work rights.
If your job ends, you have up to 180 days at a time to find a new sponsor, apply for a different visa or leave Australia, with a maximum of 365 days in total across the life of the visa. You may work for other employers during that period. Under the old rules workers had only 60 days, which left many people stuck with bad employers. The longer window gives you real bargaining power.
The route to permanent residence
After two years of full-time work on the visa in your nominated occupation, you can be nominated for permanent residence through the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) Temporary Residence Transition stream. Time with any approved sponsor counts, so changing employers does not reset the clock. The same income thresholds apply to the permanent visa.
Permanent residents can live and work in Australia without restriction, enrol in Medicare and later apply for citizenship if they meet the residence requirement.
Health insurance: condition 8501
Subclass 482 visas carry condition 8501, which requires you to maintain adequate health insurance for as long as you hold the visa. Most workers buy Overseas Visitors Health Cover from an Australian insurer and upload the certificate with the visa application. Citizens of countries that have a reciprocal health care agreement with Australia, such as the United Kingdom and Ireland, can rely on Medicare instead. Most African and Asian countries do not have such an agreement, so plan for the cost of private cover for every family member.
Where to find sponsoring employers
- SEEK and Indeed Australia. Search your occupation with terms such as “sponsorship available” or “482”
- Workforce Australia, the government job board
- State health departments such as NSW Health and Queensland Health, which recruit overseas nurses, doctors and allied health staff directly
- Regional employers. Businesses outside Sydney and Melbourne find it harder to recruit and are often more open to sponsoring
- Professional registration bodies. For regulated work such as nursing, teaching or engineering, starting your registration early makes you far easier to hire
No sponsor? Points-tested alternatives
Australia also has skilled visas that do not need an employer: the Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189), the Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) and the Skilled Work Regional visa (subclass 491). You submit an expression of interest in SkillSelect and are ranked on points for age, English, qualifications and experience. Competition is strong, but it is worth checking your points before you assume sponsorship is your only option.
Related guides
- Health Insurance for Working Abroad: What the UK, Germany, Canada, Australia and the USA Require in 2026
- Canada Express Entry in 2026: Categories, Proof of Funds, Fees and How to Qualify Without a Job Offer
- How to Open a Bank Account and Build Credit After Moving Abroad for Work
Official sources
- Department of Home Affairs: Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482)
- Skilled occupation lists
- Visa pricing estimator
Figures were checked in October 2026. Thresholds are indexed every 1 July and charges change, so confirm current amounts on the Home Affairs website before you apply. This article is general information and not migration advice.
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