Employer-Sponsored Skills in Demand Visa (Subclass 482)

Researched from official sources · May 18, 2026

The Skills in Demand (SID) visa subclass 482 is Australia's employer-sponsored temporary skilled work visa, replacing the Temporary Skill Shortage visa on 7 December 2024.

Four sequential phases gate every application: the sponsor becomes a Standard Business Sponsor, lodges a nomination for the position, the Department of Home Affairs approves the nomination, and the applicant lodges the visa application. Three streams cover differing salary tiers.

Estimated time

3-4 months end-to-end across two actors; Specialist Skills stream visa decisions median around 7 days, Core Skills stream around 21 days, with sponsorship plus nomination plus visa processing running in sequence (nomination and visa lodgements may overlap)

Cost

A$3,210 (visa) plus sponsor charges

What You Need

Tap to check off items as you gather them

Additional Items

  • Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy is statutorily payable by the sponsor under the Migration Act 1958. The sponsor cannot recover the SAF levy from the visa holder by salary deduction, repayment agreement, or any other indirect transfer — the bar applies even if the visa holder volunteers to pay.
  • TSS-to-SID transition: the Skills in Demand visa replaced the Temporary Skill Shortage visa on 7 December 2024 while retaining subclass number 482. Nominations lodged under the TSS framework before that date were grandfathered; everything since runs under the SID rules.
  • Income threshold applied to a nomination is the threshold in force on the date the nomination is lodged. A nomination lodged on 30 June 2026 against a salary meeting the AUD 76,515 CSIT is assessable against that threshold; one lodged on 1 July 2026 must meet the new AUD 79,499 threshold.
  • Health insurance condition 8501 begins on visa grant, not on arrival. A gap between grant and the cover start date is itself a breach. Schedule cover to commence on the grant date.
  • Sponsor-change dead time: time spent under the 180-day grace period before a new sponsoring employer's nomination is approved does not count toward the 2-year qualifying period for transition to the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) Temporary Residence Transition stream.
  • Subsequent entrants: a family member not included on the original SID application lodges their own visa application (VAC AUD 3,210 adult or AUD 805 child under 18) with a written letter from the sponsor extending the sponsorship obligation. Published processing range 30-47 days.
  • Visa refusal appellate review is conducted by the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART), which replaced the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) on 14 October 2024.
  • Essential Skills rebrand: the Australian Government has indicated the Labour Agreement stream will be rebranded as the Essential Skills stream during 2026, retaining the same legal architecture. The rebrand was not yet enacted at the date of this guide.

Step-by-Step

  1. 5

    (Department of Home Affairs) Assess and decide the nomination

    1. DHA reviews the nomination against the genuine-position test, the income threshold, the AMSR, and LMT compliance
    2. DHA may issue a request for further information; the sponsor responds within the time stated
    3. On approval, the nomination is locked to the specific applicant and the visa application can be decided once lodged

    💡 Tip: Visa refusal can be reviewed at the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART), the appellate body for migration decisions since 14 October 2024.

  2. 6

    (Applicant) Lodge the visa application via your own ImmiAccount

    1. Create or log in to ImmiAccount — the applicant uses their own account, not the sponsor's
    2. Complete the subclass 482 visa application online and attach the passport bio-data page, CV, qualifications and transcripts, work-experience evidence, English test result if applicable, and skills assessment if applicable
    3. Add secondary applicants — spouse or de facto partner and dependent children — with their own identity documents and relationship evidence
    4. Pay the AUD 3,210 primary applicant VAC plus AUD 3,210 per secondary applicant aged 18 or over, and AUD 805 per dependent child

    💡 Tip: The visa application can be lodged in parallel with the nomination. The visa cannot be granted until the nomination is approved, but parallel lodgement typically reduces total elapsed time to grant by 1-3 weeks.

    Apply and manage your application — Department of Home Affairs (immi.homeaffairs.gov.au ↗)
  3. 7

    (Applicant) Complete health and character requirements

    1. Book and attend a health examination with an approved panel doctor — results are uploaded directly by the clinic to the visa application
    2. Obtain police certificates from every country resident 12 months or more cumulatively in the past 10 years; the Australian Federal Police National Police Check covers any 12-month-plus Australian residence
    3. Take out Australian-compliant overseas worker health cover with hospital, medical evacuation, and medically necessary treatment, scheduled to commence on the visa grant date
    4. Monitor application status via ImmiAccount and respond to any request for further information within the time stated
  4. 8

    (Department of Home Affairs) Grant the visa

    1. DHA finalises the visa decision after the nomination is approved and all applicant evidence is on file
    2. On grant, the visa carries condition 8607 (work only in the nominated occupation for the approved sponsor) and condition 8501 (maintain adequate health insurance)
    3. The visa is granted for up to 4 years across all three streams
    4. If employment with the sponsoring employer ends, the visa holder has 180 consecutive days to find a new sponsor, with a cumulative cap of 365 days across the visa term

    💡 Tip: Sponsor-change grace period mechanic: the visa holder retains full work rights during the 180-day grace period with no employer restriction, but time spent in the grace period before a new sponsoring employer's nomination is approved does not count toward the 2-year qualifying period for the Employer Nomination Scheme subclass 186 Temporary Residence Transition stream.

What Could Go Wrong

Lodge the nomination application: Annual Market Salary Rate evidence is generic and does not anchor to a specific comparable Australian role

Recovery: Provide a specific comparable role within the sponsor business or a direct industry comparator with documented salary data. Industrial awards or enterprise agreements covering the occupation also satisfy the AMSR evidence requirement.

Lodge the visa application: English test result is from an online or at-home variant

Recovery: Re-sit the test at a testing centre — online IELTS, PTE Online, and similar remote-administered variants are not accepted for the SID visa.

Submit police certificates: Certificates missing for a country of brief but cumulative residence

Recovery: The 12-months-in-the-past-10-years rule is cumulative not contiguous. Obtain certificates from every country with a cumulative 12-month residence in the past 10 years and resubmit.

Health insurance condition 8501: Insurance start date is after the visa grant date

Recovery: Condition 8501 begins on visa grant, not on entry. Adjust the insurance start date with the insurer to commence on the grant date, even if entry is later.

Costs

Item Amount Payment Notes
Visa Application Charge — primary applicant A$3,210 Card or BPAY at ImmiAccount lodgement Schedule effective 1 July 2025. Rose from AUD 3,115 on 1 July 2025 (annual indexation step). Indexed annually on 1 July.
Visa Application Charge — secondary applicant aged 18 or over A$3,210 Card or BPAY Per secondary applicant; charged at lodgement.
Visa Application Charge — secondary applicant under 18 A$805 Card or BPAY Per dependent child included on the visa.
Subsequent Temporary Application Charge (STAC) (Optional) A$700 Card or BPAY Applies when applying in Australia and the applicant has previously held one of the qualifying temporary visas. Waived if: Applying outside Australia, or applicant has not previously held a qualifying temporary visa
Standard Business Sponsorship (SBS) application charge A$420 Card or BPAY One-off sponsor charge. SBS approval covers all nominations lodged within a 5-year period.
Nomination application charge A$330 Card or BPAY Per nominated position. Not refundable on nomination refusal.
Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy — small business A$1,200 Card or BPAY at nomination lodgement Per year of visa requested. Small business defined as annual turnover under AUD 10 million. Paid upfront in full. Statutorily an employer cost — cannot be recovered from the applicant.
Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy — other businesses A$1,800 Card or BPAY at nomination lodgement Per year of visa requested. Applies where annual turnover is AUD 10 million or more. Same statutory bar on recovery from the applicant.
Health examination (panel doctor) A$350–A$450 Direct to clinic Indicative range; varies by panel-doctor clinic and country. Primary applicant; secondary applicants additional.
Police certificate (per country) A$25–A$150 Direct to issuing authority Indicative range per certificate; varies by issuing country.
English language test (Optional) A$330–A$475 Direct to test centre Indicative range across IELTS, PTE Academic, OET, TOEFL iBT, Cambridge. Waived if: Exempt by passport, salary, study, or licensed occupation
Health insurance — overseas worker health cover A$1,200–A$2,500 Direct to insurer Per year per adult; varies by insurer and cover level. Required for the visa period to satisfy condition 8501.
Visa Application Charge — primary applicant A$3,210
Payment:
Card or BPAY at ImmiAccount lodgement
Notes:
Schedule effective 1 July 2025. Rose from AUD 3,115 on 1 July 2025 (annual indexation step). Indexed annually on 1 July.
Visa Application Charge — secondary applicant aged 18 or over A$3,210
Payment:
Card or BPAY
Notes:
Per secondary applicant; charged at lodgement.
Visa Application Charge — secondary applicant under 18 A$805
Payment:
Card or BPAY
Notes:
Per dependent child included on the visa.
Subsequent Temporary Application Charge (STAC) (Optional) A$700
Payment:
Card or BPAY
Notes:
Applies when applying in Australia and the applicant has previously held one of the qualifying temporary visas.
Waived if:
Applying outside Australia, or applicant has not previously held a qualifying temporary visa
Standard Business Sponsorship (SBS) application charge A$420
Payment:
Card or BPAY
Notes:
One-off sponsor charge. SBS approval covers all nominations lodged within a 5-year period.
Nomination application charge A$330
Payment:
Card or BPAY
Notes:
Per nominated position. Not refundable on nomination refusal.
Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy — small business A$1,200
Payment:
Card or BPAY at nomination lodgement
Notes:
Per year of visa requested. Small business defined as annual turnover under AUD 10 million. Paid upfront in full. Statutorily an employer cost — cannot be recovered from the applicant.
Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy — other businesses A$1,800
Payment:
Card or BPAY at nomination lodgement
Notes:
Per year of visa requested. Applies where annual turnover is AUD 10 million or more. Same statutory bar on recovery from the applicant.
Health examination (panel doctor) A$350–A$450
Payment:
Direct to clinic
Notes:
Indicative range; varies by panel-doctor clinic and country. Primary applicant; secondary applicants additional.
Police certificate (per country) A$25–A$150
Payment:
Direct to issuing authority
Notes:
Indicative range per certificate; varies by issuing country.
English language test (Optional) A$330–A$475
Payment:
Direct to test centre
Notes:
Indicative range across IELTS, PTE Academic, OET, TOEFL iBT, Cambridge.
Waived if:
Exempt by passport, salary, study, or licensed occupation
Health insurance — overseas worker health cover A$1,200–A$2,500
Payment:
Direct to insurer
Notes:
Per year per adult; varies by insurer and cover level. Required for the visa period to satisfy condition 8501.
Total: A$12,550

FAQ

General

Can a Skills in Demand visa holder change employers?

Yes. The visa holder may change sponsors. If employment with the current sponsor ends, the visa holder has 180 consecutive days to start work with a new sponsoring employer, with a cumulative cap of 365 days across the visa term. During the grace period the visa holder retains full work rights with no employer restriction. The new sponsor must hold their own Standard Business Sponsorship or a Labour Agreement.

Does the SID lead to permanent residence?

Yes. The principal permanent-residence pathway is the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) Temporary Residence Transition stream. Two years of full-time employment under one or more SID visas in the nominated occupation for the sponsoring employer are required before the 186 nomination is lodged. The qualifying period was reduced from 3 years to 2 years during 2025. A separate skills assessment is generally not required for this pathway because the qualifying Australian work record provides the evidence.

Who pays the visa application charge — the applicant or the employer?

The visa application charge of AUD 3,210 for the primary applicant is paid on lodgement and is the applicant's cost statutorily, although many employers reimburse this as part of a relocation package. By contrast, the AUD 420 SBS charge, the AUD 330 nomination charge, and the SAF levy (AUD 1,200 or AUD 1,800 per year of visa) are statutorily the sponsor's cost. The Migration Act 1958 expressly prohibits the sponsor from recovering the SAF levy from the applicant by any means, including salary deduction or repayment agreement.

Can family members work and study on a secondary SID visa?

Yes. Secondary applicants — spouse, de facto partner, dependent children — included on the SID visa receive full work and study rights in Australia. There is no employer restriction and no hours restriction on secondary applicants.

How long is the SID visa valid?

Up to 4 years across all three streams: Core Skills, Specialist Skills, and Labour Agreement. The actual visa period granted depends on the nomination period requested by the sponsor and the maximum permitted under the stream.

What is the Core Skills Income Threshold?

The Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) is the minimum annual earnings the sponsor must pay for a Core Skills stream nomination. For nominations lodged from 1 July 2025 through 30 June 2026 the CSIT is AUD 76,515. It rises to AUD 79,499 for nominations lodged on or after 1 July 2026. The threshold applied is the one in force on the date the nomination is lodged. The Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT) for the high-tier stream is AUD 141,210 for 2025-26 and AUD 146,717 from 1 July 2026.

Is the Specialist Skills stream open to trades?

No. The Specialist Skills stream is restricted to ANZSCO Major Groups 1, 2, 4, 5, or 6 — managerial, professional, community-and-personal-service, clerical-and-administrative, and sales occupations. Trades workers in Major Group 3, machinery operators and drivers in Major Group 7, and labourers in Major Group 8 are not eligible for the Specialist Skills stream regardless of salary.

Do citizens of the UK, US, Canada, New Zealand, or Ireland need to sit an English test?

No. Passport holders from these 5 countries are exempt from the English language test requirement. Other exemptions cover high-salary intra-corporate transfers (guaranteed earnings of at least AUD 96,400), 5 years of English-medium study at secondary or tertiary level, and occupations where a licence, registration, or membership itself required equivalent English proof.

Does Medicare cover SID visa holders?

Generally no. Medicare access depends on the visa holder's country of citizenship having a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with Australia. The SID visa holder must maintain adequate health insurance under condition 8501 regardless, covering hospital, medical evacuation, and medically necessary treatment from the visa grant date through the visa period.

What is the difference between an SBS, a nomination, and a visa application?

The Standard Business Sponsorship is the sponsor's one-off accreditation as a Standard Business Sponsor, valid 5 years and covering all subsequent nominations. The nomination is the per-position application identifying the specific role being filled and the worker being nominated. The visa application is the per-applicant application from the worker. The three are lodged separately, paid for separately, and decided separately, although the nomination and visa can be lodged in parallel.

After This Process

  • → Track visa status via ImmiAccount and respond promptly to any request for further information
  • → After 2 years of qualifying employment, consider the Employer Nomination Scheme subclass 186 Temporary Residence Transition pathway
  • → Maintain condition 8501 health insurance throughout the visa period
  • → If the sponsor relationship ends, find a new sponsor and lodge a new nomination within the 180-day grace period to avoid losing visa status

Sources

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More in Australia

8 sources cited last accessed 2026-05-18

T1 official portal · T2 embassy/consulate · T3 news · T4 community — higher tier wins on conflict. methodology →

  1. T1
    Department of Home Affairs — Skills in Demand visa subclass 482 2026-05-18

    The Skills in Demand visa subclass 482 is the employer-sponsored temporary skilled-work visa, introduced on 7 December 2024 to replace the Temporary Skill Shortage visa while retaining subclass number 482. The visa operates in 3 streams — Core Skills, Specialist Skills, Labour Agreement — and is granted for up to 4 years. The portal page describes the visa as letting a skilled worker employed by a business in Australia stay and work for them; the visa enables employers to address labour shortages where they cannot source an appropriately skilled Australian worker. Primary visa application charge for 2025-26 is AUD 3,210 (effective 1 July 2025, up from AUD 3,115); secondary applicant aged 18 or over AUD 3,210; secondary applicant under 18 AUD 805. Condition 8607 requires the visa holder to work only in the nominated occupation for the approved sponsor; breach may result in visa cancellation and removal action. Condition 8501 requires adequate health insurance throughout the visa period. (snippet_source: descriptor-cascade via search-snippet pathway; canonical page returns HTTP 403 on direct fetch.)

    immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
  2. T1
    Department of Home Affairs — Salary requirements to nominate a worker 2026-05-18

    The Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) is the minimum annual earnings the sponsor must pay for a Core Skills stream nomination. For nominations lodged between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026 the CSIT is AUD 76,515. For nominations lodged on or after 1 July 2026 the CSIT rises to AUD 79,499. The Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT) is AUD 141,210 for 2025-26 and rises to AUD 146,717 on 1 July 2026. The threshold applied to a nomination is the one in force on the date the nomination is lodged. Annual earnings offered must also meet the Annual Market Salary Rate (AMSR) for an equivalent Australian worker in the same location. (snippet_source: descriptor-cascade via search-snippet pathway.)

    immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
  3. T1
    Department of Home Affairs — Standard business sponsor 2026-05-18

    The sponsor must hold a current Standard Business Sponsorship (SBS) or have a Labour Agreement in place at the time the nomination is lodged. The SBS is approved for a 5-year period and covers the sponsor for multiple nominations. The sponsor must be actively and lawfully operating a business in Australia (evidenced by ABN registration, ASIC extract, BAS, profit-and-loss statements, tax returns, bank statements) and there must be no adverse information about the sponsor (workplace contraventions, immigration breaches, sanction history). Sponsorship obligations include record-keeping for at least 5 years, notifying DHA within 28 days of defined events, paying equivalent terms and conditions, paying return travel costs on request, and cooperating with Inspectors. (snippet_source: descriptor-cascade via search-snippet pathway.)

    immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
  4. T1
    Department of Home Affairs — Nominating a position — Labour market testing 2026-05-18

    Labour Market Testing (LMT) requires the sponsor to have at least 2 ads for 4 weeks within the 4 months before they lodge the nomination, on platforms with national reach. Advertisements must state job title, core duties, required skills/experience, employer or agency name, location, and salary or salary range where the threshold-disclosure rule applies. LMT exemptions cover free-trade-agreement-country citizens (Brunei, China, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Thailand, and citizens or permanent residents of Canada, Chile, South Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom), qualifying intra-corporate transfers, and ministerial major-disaster exemptions. Being on a shortage list does not itself remove the LMT obligation. (snippet_source: descriptor-cascade via search-snippet pathway.)

    immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
  5. T1
    Department of Home Affairs — Cost of sponsoring 2026-05-18

    The Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy is paid upfront in full at nomination lodgement for the full requested visa duration. Small business (annual turnover under AUD 10 million) pays AUD 1,200 per year of visa; other businesses pay AUD 1,800 per year of visa. The SAF levy is statutorily an employer cost and the Migration Act 1958 prohibits the sponsor from recovering it from the applicant by any means. The Standard Business Sponsorship application charge is AUD 420 (one-off, 5-year approval); the nomination application charge is AUD 330 per position. SAF refunds are available in defined circumstances per the Migration (LIN 19/049) Instrument: SBS refusal, nomination refusal other than withdrawal, nomination approved but worker never starts work and visa not granted, or employment ending within the first 12 months with refund of unused years on sponsor application. (snippet_source: descriptor-cascade via search-snippet pathway.)

    immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
  6. T1
    Department of Home Affairs — English proficiency subclass 482 2026-05-18

    From 13 September 2025 a single vocational English standard applies across the Core Skills and Specialist Skills streams. The vocational standard is met by IELTS overall 5.0 with a minimum 5.0 in each of the 4 bands, or equivalent in PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced, OET, or TOEFL iBT. Test results must be no more than 3 years old at the time of application; online or at-home test variants are not accepted. Exemptions: passport holders from the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and the Republic of Ireland; applicants nominated for a position with guaranteed annual earnings of at least AUD 96,400 (intra-corporate transfer condition applies); applicants who have completed at least 5 years of full-time English-medium study at secondary or tertiary level; applicants whose nominated occupation requires a licence, registration, or membership that itself required equivalent English proof. (snippet_source: descriptor-cascade via search-snippet pathway.)

    immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
  7. T1
    Department of Home Affairs — Skills in Demand visa Subsequent entrant 2026-05-18

    A family member not included on the primary applicant's original SID application can later apply to join the primary visa holder as a Subsequent entrant. The Subsequent entrant lodges their own visa application, pays their own Visa Application Charge (AUD 3,210 adult or AUD 805 child under 18), and must attach a written letter from the sponsor extending the sponsorship obligation to cover the family member. Published processing range is 30-47 days. (snippet_source: descriptor-cascade via search-snippet pathway.)

    immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
  8. T1
    Trades Recognition Australia — OSAP nominated occupations and SARs 2026-05-18

    Mandatory skills assessment applies only to a defined list of around 25 trade occupations where the applicant holds a passport from a designated country. Where the assessment is mandatory, it must be issued by the designated assessing authority for the occupation — Trades Recognition Australia for trade occupations, VETASSESS for many professional and managerial roles, and profession-specific bodies for regulated professions — and the result must be no more than 3 years old at the date of visa application. For most professional occupations classed in ANZSCO Major Groups 1 and 2, no skills assessment is required at the visa stage.

    tradesrecognitionaustralia.gov.au
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