Last Updated: 12-June-2026

Australia Skills in Demand (SID) Visa — Subclass 482

The Skills in Demand (SID) Visa (Subclass 482) is Australia's main employer-sponsored work visa for skilled professionals across healthcare, IT, engineering, and construction. It requires nomination from an approved Australian employer and allows you to live and work in Australia for up to 4 years, with a clear pathway to Permanent Residency through Subclass 186 after 2 years of employment.

Why Apply for the Skills in Demand (SID) Visa?

The Skills in Demand (SID) Visa gives skilled professionals across all major industries a stable and structured pathway to live, work, and build a long-term future in Australia.

• No age limit to apply
• Minimum salary starting at AUD 76,515
• Spouse and dependent children with full work rights
• Processing within 8 days for Specialist Skills stream
• Change employers without leaving Australia
• Study while you work in Australia

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What is the Skills in Demand (SID) Visa (Subclass 482)?

The Skills in Demand (SID) Visa (Subclass 482) is Australia's employer-sponsored temporary work visa that allows Australian businesses to hire skilled overseas workers for positions they cannot fill locally. It replaced the former Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa with reduced work experience requirements, updated salary thresholds, and a shorter pathway to Permanent Residency through the Core Skills, Specialist Skills, and Labour Agreement streams.

Feature	Details
Formerly known as	Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) Visa
Visa subclass	Subclass 482
Visa duration	Up to 4 years
Age limit	None
Eligible occupations	456+ on the CSOL
Core Skills salary	AUD $76,515
Specialist Skills salary	AUD $141,210
Work experience	Minimum 1 year
Processing time	8 days to 7 months
Visa application charge	AUD $3,210
PR pathway	Subclass 186 after 2 years

 

Skills in Demand Visa Streams (Subclass 482)

The Subclass 482 SID Visa has three streams: Core Skills, Specialist Skills, and Labour Agreement. Each stream has different salary requirements, occupation eligibility, and PR pathway conditions. Your stream is determined by your occupation and the salary offered by your sponsoring employer.

Stream	Minimum Salary	Labour Market Test	PR Pathway
Core Skills	AUD $76,515	Required	Subclass 186 after 2 years
Specialist Skills	AUD $141,210	Not required	Subclass 186 after 2 years
Labour Agreement	Varies by agreement	Varies by agreement	Varies by agreement

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Subclass 482 Visa Eligibility

To be eligible for the Subclass 482 Skills in Demand Visa, both you and your sponsoring employer must meet the following requirements.

Applicant Requirements

• You must be nominated by an approved Standard Business Sponsor
• Hold at least 1 year of relevant full-time work experience in the nominated occupation
• Demonstrate English proficiency through IELTS, PTE Academic, OET, or TOEFL iBT
• Applicants must meet health and character requirements
• Hold Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC)

Employer Requirements

• The employer must hold approved Standard Business Sponsor (SBS) status
• Complete Labour Market Testing within 4 months of lodging the nomination (Core Skills stream)
• Offer a salary meeting the applicable income threshold and Australian Market Salary Rate
• Employers must meet Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy requirements

Documents Required for Subclass 482 Visa

To apply for the Subclass 482 Skills in Demand Visa, you must submit the following documents with your application.

Identity Documents

• Valid passport
• Birth certificate
• National identity card (if applicable)

Skills and Qualifications

• Educational certificates and transcripts
• Skills assessment (where required for your occupation)
• Professional registration or licence (if applicable)

Work Experience

• Employment reference letters confirming your role, duties, and dates of employment
• Payslips or tax records
• Statutory declaration (if reference letters are unavailable)

English Proficiency

• IELTS, PTE Academic, OET, or TOEFL iBT results

Health and Character

• Medical examination results
• Police clearance certificates for all countries lived in for 12 months or more in the past 10 years

Sponsorship and Nomination

• Employer nomination approval confirmation
• Employment contract or written job offer

How to Apply for the Subclass 482 Visa?

To apply for the Subclass 482 Skills in Demand Visa, both the employer and the applicant must complete their respective steps in order. The employer must first obtain Standard Business Sponsor approval and lodge a nomination before the applicant can submit a visa application.

Step 1: Employer obtains Standard Business Sponsor (SBS) approval

The employer must obtain SBS approval from Home Affairs before nominating any position.

Step 2: Complete Labour Market Testing (Core Skills stream)

The employer must advertise the position and demonstrate no suitable Australian candidate is available within 4 months before lodging the nomination.

Step 3: Lodge the position nomination

The employer nominates the role, confirming the occupation, salary, and employment conditions meet all requirements.

Step 4: Confirm eligibility and gather documents

Check your occupation is on the CSOL and collect your passport, English test results, employment references, and educational certificates.

Step 5: Lodge your application via ImmiAccount

Submit your Subclass 482 visa application through ImmiAccount linked to your employer's nomination and pay the applicable fee.

Step 6: Complete health and character checks

Complete your medical examination and provide police clearances after lodgement.

Step 7: Receive your visa decision

Once all checks are complete, Home Affairs will issue a decision. Specialist Skills applications are processed within 8 days while Core Skills applications can take up to 7 months.

*Want to work in Australia? Get expert guidance from Y-Axis professionals.

Subclass 482 Visa Processing Time

The Subclass 482 SID Visa can be processed in as little as 8 days for the Specialist Skills stream. Processing times vary by stream depending on the salary threshold, labour market testing requirements, and application completeness.

Stream	Processing Time
Specialist Skills	8 days to 53 days
Core Skills	51 days to 7 months
Labour Agreement	Varies by agreement

Processing times are updated regularly by Home Affairs. Check the official website for the latest figures before planning your timeline.

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Subclass 482 Visa Cost and Fees

The visa application charge for the Subclass 482 SID Visa depends on your age and whether you are the primary applicant or a family member.

Applicant Type	Visa Application Charge (AUD)
Main applicant	$3,210
Dependent adult (18 years and over)	$3,210
Dependent child (under 18 years)	$805

Note: If you lodge your application onshore in Australia, an additional Subsequent Temporary Application Charge (STAC) of $700 per person applies.

Additional costs to budget for:

Category	Approximate Cost (AUD)
SAF levy (paid by employer)	$1,200 per year (small business) / $1,800 per year (other businesses)
Nomination charge (paid by employer)	$540 per nomination
Skills assessment (where required)	$300 to $1,000+
English language test	$350 to $450
Medical examination (per person)	$300 to $500
Police clearance (per country)	$42 to $100+

 

Subclass 482 Salary Requirements
 

To be eligible for the Subclass 482 SID Visa, your salary must meet the applicable income threshold for your stream and the Australian Market Salary Rate for your occupation. The higher of the two always applies.

Stream	Salary Threshold	Threshold Name
Core Skills	AUD $76,515 per year	Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT)
Specialist Skills	AUD $141,210 per year	Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT)

From 1 July 2026:

Stream	Updated Threshold
Core Skills	AUD $79,499
Specialist Skills	AUD $146,717

Salary thresholds are indexed annually on 1 July in line with Average Weekly Ordinary Time Earnings (AWOTE) data. Superannuation is not counted toward meeting the threshold.

Subclass 482 Work Experience Requirements

To be eligible for the Subclass 482 SID Visa, you must have at least 1 year of relevant full-time work experience in your nominated occupation or a closely related field. This is one of the key improvements introduced when the SID Visa replaced the former TSS framework, which required 2 years of experience.

• Experience must be in the same or a closely related occupation to the nominated role
• Experience must be verifiable through employment references, payslips, or tax records
• Part-time experience may be counted on a pro-rata basis if directly relevant
• Unpaid or volunteer work is generally not accepted
• Under some Labour Agreement arrangements, concessions on work experience may apply

Subclass 482 English Language Requirements

To apply for the Subclass 482 SID Visa, you must demonstrate English language proficiency through an approved test. The following tests are accepted:

Test	Minimum Score
IELTS	5.0 in each band
PTE Academic	36 in each component
OET	Grade B in each component
TOEFL iBT	35 in each component

Subclass 482 Visa Occupation List (CSOL)

To apply under the Core Skills stream, your occupation must be listed on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL). The CSOL currently covers 456+ occupations across all major industries and is maintained by Jobs and Skills Australia.

Sector	In-demand Occupations
Healthcare	Registered Nurse, General Practitioner, Aged Care Worker
Information Technology	Software Engineer, Cybersecurity Analyst, ICT Business Analyst
Engineering	Civil Engineer, Mechanical Engineer, Electrical Engineer
Construction	Project Manager, Quantity Surveyor, Carpenter
Trades	Electrician, Plumber, Welder
Education	Early Childhood Teacher, Secondary School Teacher
Hospitality	Chef, Cook
Finance	Accountant, Financial Analyst

If your occupation is not on the CSOL, you may still qualify under the Specialist Skills stream if your salary meets or exceeds AUD $141,210.
 

Can I Bring My Family Members on a Subclass 482 Visa?

Yes. The Subclass 482 SID Visa allows you to bring your spouse and dependent children to Australia as secondary applicants. Family members can live, work, and study in Australia for the same period as your visa.

• Spouse or de facto partner
• Dependent children under 23 years of age
• Each family member must meet health and character requirements
• Each family member must hold Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC)
• Family members can be included in your initial application or apply separately as subsequent entrants

Subclass 482 Employer Sponsorship

To sponsor an overseas worker on a Subclass 482 SID Visa, an Australian business must first obtain Standard Business Sponsor (SBS) approval from Home Affairs. SBS approval is valid for 5 years and allows the business to nominate multiple workers during that period.

To become an approved Standard Business Sponsor:

• Be lawfully operating a business in Australia
• Have no adverse information on record with Home Affairs
• Meet Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy requirements
• Commit to all ongoing sponsorship obligations including salary and working conditions

Ongoing sponsor obligations:

• Pay the sponsored worker a salary meeting the applicable income threshold and Australian Market Salary Rate
• Notify Home Affairs of any changes to the sponsored worker's employment
• Not recover the SAF levy or nomination charge from the sponsored worker
   

Changing Employers on a Subclass 482 Visa

You can change employers while on a Subclass 482 SID Visa provided your new employer holds Standard Business Sponsor approval and lodges a fresh nomination before you begin working for them. If your employment ends, you have 180 days to find a new approved sponsor before you are required to leave Australia or apply for another visa.

• Your new employer must be an approved Standard Business Sponsor
• A fresh nomination must be lodged before you start work
• You have 180 days to find a new sponsor if your employment ends
• You can work for any employer during the 180-day grace period
• Time worked with previous approved sponsors counts toward your 2-year PR requirement

Subclass 482 Visa Renewal

The Subclass 482 SID Visa can be renewed if your employer is willing to re-nominate you and the nomination continues to meet all requirements. There is no fixed limit on the number of renewals.

To renew your Subclass 482 visa:

• Your employer must lodge a fresh nomination before your current visa expires
• The nominated role must continue to meet occupation and salary requirements
• Your salary must meet the applicable income threshold at the time of renewal
• You must continue to meet health and character requirements
• The renewed visa grants a further period of up to 4 years

Many Subclass 482 holders transition to Permanent Residency through Subclass 186 after 2 years of employment with their sponsoring employer.

TSS Visa vs SID Visa — What Changed?

The Skills in Demand (SID) Visa is the renamed and reformed version of the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) 482 visa, which was replaced on 7 December 2024. Existing TSS 482 visa holders retain their visa conditions and are not required to reapply.

Feature	TSS Visa	SID Visa
Visa name	Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS)	Skills in Demand (SID)
Streams	Short-Term / Medium-Term / Labour Agreement	Core Skills / Specialist Skills / Labour Agreement
Work experience required	2 years	1 year
PR pathway eligibility	After 3 years	After 2 years
Salary threshold (Core)	TSMIT $73,150	CSIT $76,515
Occupation list	STSOL / MLTSSL	Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL)

Subclass 482 to PR — Pathway via Subclass 186

The Subclass 482 SID Visa is one of the most direct routes to Australian Permanent Residency. Once you have completed 2 years of full-time employment with your sponsoring employer, you are eligible to apply for PR through the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme under the Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream. The 2-year requirement is cumulative and can be spread across multiple approved sponsors.

Eligibility for the Subclass 186 TRT stream:

• Worked full-time for your sponsoring employer for at least 2 years in the nominated occupation
• Be under 45 years of age at the time of application
• Meet English language requirements at competent level
• Meet health and character requirements
• Your employer must be willing to nominate you for permanent residency

How Can Y-Axis Help You?

Y-Axis is a top-notch overseas immigration consultancy in Australia that offers unbiased immigration services tailored to each client's interests and needs. Our exceptional services include:

• Get a free eligibility check for Australia immigration via Y-Axis Australia Immigration Points Calculator
• Avail expert guidance and counseling for Australia immigration.  
• Take advantage of our coaching services for PTE and IELTS
• Book your slot today for free career counseling
• Get complete guidance for Australia PR visa

Book a free consultation with our Melbourne office on +61 3 9939 4818 or our Sydney office on +61 2 9146 0950.