The Skills in Demand (SID) Visa – Subclass 482 is designed to help Australian businesses address skills and labour shortages by sponsoring suitably skilled workers from overseas when they cannot find an appropriately skilled Australian worker to fill the position.
To qualify, applicants must generally be nominated by an approved employer sponsor, have the required skills and experience for the nominated occupation, and meet the applicable English language, health and character requirements. Depending on the stream, additional requirements may also apply.
Importantly, there is no age requirement for the Subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa. This means skilled workers may be eligible for employer sponsorship regardless of their age, provided they meet the relevant visa, occupation, skills, work experience and other eligibility requirements.
For the Core Skills stream, applicants generally need at least 12 months of relevant work experience in their nominated occupation or a related field. Different requirements may apply depending on the stream and individual circumstances.
The Australian Government abolished the former Temporary Work (Skilled) Visa (Subclass 457) and replaced it with the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) Visa (Subclass 482) on 18 March 2018.
More recently, on 7 December 2024, the TSS visa was replaced by the Skills in Demand (SID) Visa (Subclass 482). The SID visa is now Australia’s primary temporary employer-sponsored skilled visa, designed to help Australian employers address genuine skills shortages by sponsoring suitably skilled overseas workers when appropriately skilled Australian workers are not available.
From 19 April 2017, the former Skilled Occupation List (SOL) and Consolidated Sponsored Occupation List (CSOL) were replaced by new occupation lists, including the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) and the Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL).
However, the occupation framework for the Subclass 482 visa has since changed. With the introduction of the Skills in Demand (SID) Visa (Subclass 482) on 7 December 2024, the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) became relevant to the Core Skills stream.
The CSOL includes a broad range of eligible professional and trade occupations. Importantly, many commonly sponsored occupations are available under the Core Skills stream, including Cook (ANZSCO 351411), Chef (ANZSCO 351311), Baker (ANZSCO 351111), Pastrycook (ANZSCO 351112) and numerous other occupations.
Having an occupation on the Core Skills Occupation List does not automatically make an applicant eligible for a Subclass 482 visa. Both the sponsoring employer and visa applicant must meet the applicable sponsorship, nomination, salary, skills, work experience, English language, health, character and other visa requirements.
TSS visa has three streams:
Labour Agreement (LA) Stream - Up to a maximum of 4 years.
Core Skills Stream - Stay Up to 4 years
Specialist Skills stream - Stay Up to 4 years
The Labour Agreement stream of the Skills in Demand (SID) Visa (Subclass 482) allows eligible Australian employers to sponsor skilled overseas workers under a formal Labour Agreement with the Australian Government.
This stream is designed to help employers address genuine skills and labour shortages where the standard skilled visa programs may not meet their specific workforce needs. Labour Agreements may be available for particular industries, occupations, businesses or regional workforce requirements.
To sponsor an overseas worker under the Subclass 482 Labour Agreement stream, the employer must have an approved Labour Agreement in place with the Australian Government. The employer and nominated worker must meet the requirements, terms and conditions specified in that agreement, as well as the relevant visa and nomination requirements.
Under the Labour Agreement stream of the Skills in Demand (SID) Visa (Subclass 482), the overseas worker must be nominated by an employer under an approved Labour Agreement.
Unlike the standard Core Skills stream, where eligible occupations are generally determined by the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL), occupations available under the Labour Agreement stream are determined by the specific terms of the employer’s Labour Agreement with the Australian Government.
This means that an occupation may potentially be eligible for sponsorship under a Labour Agreement even where it is not available through the standard Subclass 482 occupation framework, provided that the occupation is included in the relevant Labour Agreement and all applicable nomination and visa requirements are met.
The previous references to the Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL) and Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) are no longer appropriate when describing the current Subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa framework.
Applicants under the Subclass 482 Labour Agreement stream may be eligible for concessions to the standard English language requirements where these concessions are specifically provided for in the relevant Labour Agreement.
The applicable English language requirements or concessions will depend on the terms of the Labour Agreement negotiated between the sponsoring employer and the Australian Government. Applicants must meet the level of English proficiency specified in the agreement and any other applicable visa requirements.
The duration of stay can extend up to four years, subject to the conditions outlined in the labor agreement. However, holders of Hong Kong passports may be permitted to stay for up to five years.
Employer is required to pay the Nomination Training Contribution Charges (NTCC) under the Skilling Australian Funds (SAF):
Under SAF, employer must pay $1200 per year for each applicant if the business turnover is less than $10 million.
Employer must contribute $1800 per year for each applicant. If the annual business turnover is over $10 million.
There are three types of labour agreements and one of the popular streams is Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA):
This scheme was introduced to fill up the labour shortage issues facing the parts of Regional Australia.
There are currently 13 DAMA's in place to recruit overseas workers in the regional Australia. Where it is hard to find Australian local workers:
1. Adelaide City Technology and Innovation Advancement, SA: Skilled & Business Migration
2. East Kimberley, WA: East Kimberley Chamber of Commerce and Industry
3. Far North Queensland, QLD: Cairns Chamber of Commerce
4. Goulburn Valley, VIC: Goulburn Valley
5. Great South Coast, VIC: Warrnambool City Council
6. Northern Territory, NT: Northern Territory Designated Area Migration Agreement
7. Orana, NSW: Regional Development Australia - Orana, NSW
8. Pilbara, WA: RDA Pilbara
9. South Australia Regional, SA: Skilled & Business Migration
10.South West, WA: Shire of Dardanup
11.The Goldfields, WA: City of Kalgoorlie Boulde
12.Townsville, QLD: Townsville Enterprise Limited
13. Western Australia: Department of Training and Workforce Development
The Core Skills stream of the Skills in Demand (SID) Visa (Subclass 482) allows Australian employers to sponsor skilled overseas workers for occupations listed on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL). Applicants must meet the applicable skills, work experience, English, health and character requirements.
The visa application charge starts from AUD 4,015.00. Concessions apply in limited circumstances. From 1 July 2026, a lower visa application charge may apply to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid visa application.
Specialist Skills stream – The Specialist Skills stream of the Skills in Demand (SID) Visa (Subclass 482) is designed for highly skilled overseas workers who can bring specialist expertise to Australian businesses. It allows approved employers to sponsor suitably skilled workers where they cannot find an appropriately skilled Australian worker.
To qualify, the nominated occupation must generally fall within ANZSCO Major Groups 1, 2, 4, 5 or 6, and the nominated salary must meet the applicable Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT). The Department states that the SSIT is subject to annual indexation.
If you're applying for this visa from within Australia, you must possess a substantive visa or one of the following: Bridging Visa A (BVA), Bridging Visa B (BVB), or Bridging Visa C (BVC).
Short-term stream – Prior to applying for a SID visa, your prospective employer must initiate a nomination application. They can only proceed if they are an approved sponsor or have applied to become one. Your employer must nominate you for an eligible position under the appropriate Skills in Demand (SID) Visa (Subclass 482) stream. For the Core Skills stream, your occupation must generally be listed on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL). Alternatively, highly skilled applicants may qualify under the Specialist Skills stream if the nominated occupation and salary meet the applicable requirements.
Medium-term stream – Prior to applying in this stream, your prospective employer must initiate a nomination application. They can only proceed if they are an approved sponsor or have applied to become one. Your employer must nominate you for a position listed on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skilled Occupation List (MLTSSL).
Certain primary TSS visa applicants are obliged to undergo a compulsory skills assessment during the application process. When a mandatory skills assessment is necessary, it must be initiated prior to submitting your visa application. We highly advise consulting a registered migration agent to determine if you qualify for an exemption from the skills assessment.
You must possess a minimum of two years of full-time experience in the nominated occupation or a related field, acquired within the past five years. This experience does not have to be continuous, and the department may take part-time experience into account, though casual experience will not be considered.
Unless exempt from English testing requirements, the primary applicant must provide evidence of their English language proficiency. The English requirements are as below:
✅ An International English Language Testing System (IELTS) overall test score of at least 5.0 with a score of at least 4.5 in each of the four test components. For Medium Stream - overall test score of at least 5.0 with a score of at least 5.0 in each of the four test components.
✅ A Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic overall test score of at least 36 with a score of at least 30 in each of the four test components. For Medium Stream - overall test score of at least 36 with a score of at least 36 in each of the four test components.
✅ A Cambridge English Advanced (CAE) overall test score of at least 154 with a score of at least 147 in each of the four test components. For Medium Stream - A Cambridge English Advanced (CAE) overall test score of at least 154 with a score of at least 154 in each of the four test components.
✅ An Occupational English Test (OET) score of at least “B” in each of the four components;
The scores must have been achieved in a single attempt at the test and the test must have been completed within 3 years of the valid visa application lodgement date.
Some applicants are exempt from English language testing if they are:
Primary applicants who are a citizen of, and hold a valid passport issued by, one of the following countries: United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada, New Zealand, Republic of Ireland.
Primary applicants who have completed at least five years of full-time study in a secondary and/or higher education institution where the instruction was delivered in English.
The duration for which a TSS visa can be granted is determined by both the nomination and the type of visa applicant:
Short-term Stream - Stay for up to 2 years or up to 4 years if an International Trade Obligations applies.
Medium-term Stream - Stay for up to 4 years and Hong Konf passport holders may stay up tp 5 years.
Labour Agreement Stream - Stay for up to 4 years depending on the termsn in the labour agreement. Hongkong passport holders may stay up to 5 years.
Permanent residency pathway is available for the applicant who worked on the TSS Visa Subclass 482 for 2 years
TSMIT, which stands for the 'temporary skilled migration income threshold,' was raised from $53,900 to $70,000 effective from July 1, 2023. This adjustment aims to guarantee that 482 visa holders receive compensation at acceptable market rates while safeguarding Australian workers from any potential disadvantage. Additionally, some occupations may have salary caveats above the TSMIT level.
AMSR, or the Australian Market Salary Rate, is a benchmark used to ensure that temporary skilled visa holders are paid at market rates. It helps maintain fairness between migrant workers and Australian employees. This rate is periodically reviewed to reflect changes in the job market and ensure that overseas workers receive appropriate compensation.
If there's an Australian in the same job with similar qualifications and experience, it's expected that a 482 TSS visa holder will receive comparable pay. Employers must justify the Australian Migration Salary Rate (AMSR) for the nominated role. If no Australian counterpart exists, employers can prove the proposed salary's adequacy through market research using data from ABS or recruitment agencies. Registered Migration Agents typically assist with this process. We strongly recommend you to book an appointment with our Registered Migration Agen.
If you are seeking to apply subclass 482, it is a 3-stage process.
Step 1 – Standard business sponsorship (SBS)
The first stage is for the business to seek approval of Standard Business Sponsorship (SBS). Your employer must be an approved work sponsor under the Australian Migration Act.
Step 2 – Nomination for the employee
Second stage is where the business under labour agreement or SBS Status, nominate the applicant for the position. Sponsorship approval (SBS) period is valid for up to 5 years.
The nomination musts be from an occupation on the MLTSSL, STSOL, or ROL with a 6-digit ANZSCO code.
Step 3 – 482 Visa Application
The final stage is where the application for TSS Visa 482 lodged by nominee. Visa can be lodge in or outside Australia. Subsequent further application for Visa 482 is also subject to ‘subsequent temporary application charges’ on top of the normal visa application charge.
One of the main visa conditions for TSS 482 visa is ‘condition 8607’.
If the sponsor business is from overseas, visa holder must work for the same position and for the same business.
If the sponsor business is an Australian business than visa holder must work for the same business or for an associated entity of the sponsor and for the same position.
Visa holder must work within 90 days upon arrival, or within 90 days after the visa is granted if the applicant is already in Australia.
If the holder ceases employment, the period during which the holder ceases employment must not exceed 60 consecutive days.
If visa holder requires a license or registration to perform the work, she/he must hold it either within 90 days of the visa grant or arrival to Australia, whichever applies.
Australian Immigration Law is complicated, and you should always seek migration advice from the registered migration agentMr. Pankaj Sharma's (MARN #2318344) transformation from an IT Expert to a proficient registered migration agent highlights his dedication to aiding others in navigating migration and education intricacies. AEC Global Education and Migration Services, under his guidance, remains a trusted source of support and direction for individuals aiming for success in Australia. So, if you need any advice or want to know your eligibility for Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) Visa, please contact us.
