Subclass 482

The 482 Skills in Demand Visa: Fill the Role You Can't Fill Locally.

When you can't find the skills you need in Australia, the 482 lets you sponsor a worker from overseas to do the job. It's the workhorse of employer sponsorship - and for many roles, it can lead to permanent residence.

Employer-sponsoredCore and Specialist streamsCan lead to permanent residence

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What the 482 Is

Speed now, permanence later - that mix is why most employers reach for it.

The 482 is the main temporary visa for sponsoring an overseas worker into a skilled role. It replaced the old TSS visa, so if you've heard people talk about that, this is the same program under its current name.

It lets an approved business bring in a worker to fill a genuine position that can't readily be filled from the local market. For the worker, it means living and working in Australia for your business for a few years. For you, it means getting the skills you need now, with the option of keeping that person permanently later.

Think about permanent residence from the start. After your worker has been with you for a qualifying period, they may be able to move to permanent residence through the 186. Planning for that early makes the whole journey smoother - and it helps you keep good people.

The Two Main Streams

Which stream depends on the occupation and salary.

Core Skills

The Main Pathway

The main route for most sponsored roles. The occupation needs to be on the relevant skilled occupation list, and the salary must meet the government's core income threshold.

Specialist Skills

For Higher-Earning Roles

For specialised roles above a higher income threshold. Designed to move quickly for in-demand talent, with a broader range of occupations. Often the faster route for genuinely specialist workers on strong salaries.

The occupation lists, income thresholds and stream rules are set by the government and reviewed over time. The figures that matter are whatever is current when you apply - we confirm where your role sits before you lodge.

How It Runs

Validity, timing and where it leads.

The 482 is a single, temporary pathway: an approved employer sponsors a worker into a skilled role for a set period, with the option to move to permanent residence later through the 186. Here is how the moving parts generally fit together. The ranges below are indicative and depend on your occupation, stream and how complete the case is when it is lodged.

What	Core Skills stream	Specialist Skills stream
Visa type	Temporary, employer-sponsored	Temporary, employer-sponsored
Typical validity	Generally granted for up to around 2 years per grant, depending on your case	Generally granted for up to around 2 years per grant, depending on your case
Indicative processing	Typically around 6 to 8 weeks once a decision-ready application is lodged	Often quicker for genuinely specialist roles on strong salaries, though still case-dependent
Occupation	Must sit on the relevant skilled occupation list for the stream	Broader range of occupations, paired with a higher income threshold
Path to PR	Can lead to permanent residence through the 186 after a qualifying period	Can lead to permanent residence through the 186 after a qualifying period

Fees depend on your circumstances. The 482 carries government charges as well as our professional fee, and government charges sit separately from what we charge you. The total varies with the stream, the number of people on the application and your business setup, so we set our fee out in writing before you commit. See how we quote.

What You'll Need

Five things need to line up.

Your business approved as a sponsorUsually through Standard Business Sponsorship. If you're not approved yet, this is step one.
A genuine, skilled position in an eligible occupationThe role has to be real and ongoing - and the occupation has to be on the right list for the stream you're using.
A salary meeting the market rate and income thresholdYou need to pay the worker at market rates and above the relevant threshold. This is where a lot of nominations trip up.
Labour market testingEvidence that you tried to fill the role locally first, where required. What you need to show depends on the occupation and stream.
A worker with the right skills, experience and EnglishThe worker needs to meet the requirements for the occupation and the stream, with the right qualifications and English level.

Common Questions

Your 482 questions.

My business isn't an approved sponsor yet. What do I do first?

Standard Business Sponsorship is the first step. It's the approval that lets you sponsor and nominate workers. We can run the sponsorship application and the nomination at the same time in many cases, which speeds things up. See how SBS works.

Can the 482 lead to permanent residence?

Yes. After your worker has been with you on a 482 for the qualifying period, they can apply for permanent residence through the 186 Employer Nomination Scheme via the Temporary Residence Transition stream. Planning for that pathway from the start makes the move to PR a lot smoother.

What is labour market testing and do I need it?

Labour market testing is evidence that you tried to recruit locally before going overseas. What you need to show - and whether it's required at all - depends on the occupation and circumstances. We tell you exactly what applies to your role before you start the process.

What's the difference between the Core Skills and Specialist Skills streams?

Both sit under the one 482, but they target different roles. Core Skills is the main route: the occupation has to be on the relevant skilled occupation list and the salary has to meet the government's core income threshold. Specialist Skills is for higher-earning roles above a higher income threshold, with a broader range of occupations, and it's generally built to move faster for genuinely specialist talent. Which one suits depends on the occupation and the salary on offer, and we confirm where your role sits before you lodge.

How long is the 482 valid for, and can it be renewed?

As a guide, the 482 is generally granted for up to around two years at a time per stream, though the exact period depends on your case and the settings current when you apply. It can typically be applied for again where the role and the requirements still stack up. For many employers the bigger plan is to move the worker to permanent residence through the 186 rather than keep renewing, so it's worth mapping that out early.

What if I want to move to the 186 before the 482 expires?

That's a common and sensible plan. Once your worker has been with you for the qualifying period, they may be able to move to permanent residence through the 186 Employer Nomination Scheme via the Temporary Residence Transition stream. Timing matters: the 482 generally needs to stay valid through the transition, so you don't want to leave the 186 to the last minute. We map the timing against the visa's expiry so there's no gap.

How long does the 482 take to process?

As a guide only, a decision-ready Core Skills application generally takes around six to eight weeks once it's lodged, and Specialist Skills cases are often quicker for strong, genuinely specialist roles. These are indicative ranges, not a promise: actual times shift with departmental workloads, the occupation and how complete the case is. If you still need to become an approved sponsor first, allow time for that step as well.

What can my worker do on a 482 once it's granted?

The 482 lets your worker live in Australia and work for your business in the nominated occupation for the period of the grant, and bring eligible family members who can usually work and study. The visa is tied to the sponsoring employer and the nominated role, so a change of employer or position needs to be handled properly. Exact conditions depend on the grant, and we walk you and your worker through what applies to your case.

What will the 482 cost?

There are government charges for the 482, and those sit separately from our professional fee. The total depends on your circumstances - the stream, how many people are on the application and your business setup - so we don't quote a flat price. We set our fee out in writing before you commit, and you can read how we quote on our fees page.

Related Help

Where to from here.

First stepStandard Business SponsorshipBecome an approved sponsor before nominating.Go permanentEmployer Nomination Scheme 186The permanent visa after the required 482 period.WA regional494 Regional SponsoredPerth counts as regional - strong option for WA employers.

Written and reviewed by Brian Chan, Registered Migration Agent (MARN 2217857)

Visa Store Australia, Perth · Last reviewed June 2026 · Verify on the MARA register · General information only, not personal migration advice.

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