Visa Hub

Subclass 482

Skills in Demand (SID) Visa

The Skills in Demand (SID) visa is Australia’s primary employer-sponsored work visa. It allows businesses to bring skilled employees into Australia where local talent is not readily available. Used strategically, it is not just a compliance requirement – it becomes a key enabler for business expansion, capability transfer, and market entry.

Visa Type

Temporary

Duration

Up to 4 Years

PR Pathway

Yes (186)

Family

Included

Three Streams

The right stream depends on your commercial objectives, job design, and remuneration strategy — aligned from day one.

  1. Specialist Skills — senior & specialist hires
    • Occupation must be in ANZSCO groups 1, 2, 4, 5 or 6
    • Min. salary AUD $146,576/yr excl. super (indexed annually 1 Jul)
    • Priority processing
    • Best for executives, technical specialists, market entry
  2. Core Skills — broader hiring
    • Occupation must be on CSOL
    • Min. salary AUD $79,423/yr excl. super (indexed annually 1 Jul)
    • Best for operational teams, growth & scaling
  3. Labour Agreement — tailored workforce solutions
    • Negotiated directly with the Department
    • Best for large-scale programs, unique models, or where standard streams don’t fit

Step 1

Business Sponsorship

  • Actively and lawfully operating a business
  • Financially viable to sponsor
  • Satisfactory record of compliance with IR and immigration laws
  • Sponsorship valid for 5 years; no limit on number of assignees

Step 2

Position Nomination

  • Occupation on CSOL or meets Specialist Skills salary threshold
  • Genuine full-time position; employed by sponsor or associated entity
  • Salary at Annual Market Salary Rate (AMSR); not below threshold
  • Labour Market Testing (unless exempt) — 2 ads, 4 consecutive weeks, within 4 months of lodgement
  • Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy payable at nomination

Step 3

Visa Applicant

  • At least 1 year full-time experience in the nominated occupation
  • Meet ANZSCO skills requirements for the occupation
  • English language: IELTS 5.0 in each component (or equivalent)
  • Meet character and health requirements
  • Adequate health insurance; no debts to Australian Government

Employer costs — Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy

Paid by the employer at the time of nomination. Cannot lawfully be passed on to the visa applicant — doing so is a breach of sponsorship obligations and can result in sanctions.

Business Turnover
Fee
Turnover under $10M / yr
$1,200
per year of visa duration, per employee
Turnover $10M+ / yr
$1,800
per year of visa duration, per employee

Labour Market Testing — when does it apply?

Most nominations require the employer to demonstrate genuine attempts to recruit Australian workers before sponsoring an overseas candidate. Two advertisements must run for at least four consecutive weeks, within four months before lodging the nomination.

Some exemptions may apply, such as:

  • Citizens and nationals of the UK, Canada, NZ, Singapore, Chile, South Korea, Japan, China, Brunei, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Thailand, and Vietnam
  • Intra-corporate transferees from overseas associated entities of the sponsor
  • Positions earning AUD $250,000 or more per year
  • Internationally recognised record of exceptional achievement — sport, academia, research
  • Key medical occupations (excluding general practitioners)

Frequently Asked Questions

482 Skills in Demand Visa

The Department’s standard processing times for such applications (incorporating the three steps above) is approximately one to seven months from lodgment of complete non-problematic applications.

The Specialist Skills Stream applies to occupations in ANZSCO major groups 1, 2, 4, 5 or 6 with a minimum salary threshold of AUD 146,717 excl. superannuation (indexed annually on 1 July). There is no occupation list restriction, making it highly flexible. The Core Skills Stream requires the occupation to be on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) with a minimum salary of AUD 79,423 excl. superannuation (indexed annually on 1 July).

Most standard employer sponsorships use the Core Skills Stream. Labour Market Testing is required for the Core Skills Stream unless an exemption applies.

Labour Market Testing (LMT) requires employers to demonstrate they genuinely attempted to recruit suitably qualified Australian citizens or permanent residents. This means at least two job advertisements published for at least four consecutive weeks within four months immediately before lodging the nomination. Exemptions apply to intra-corporate transferees, positions earning AUD $250,000+, key medical occupations, individuals with internationally recognised exceptional achievement, and citizens/nationals of certain countries including the UK, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, China, South Korea, Japan, and others. Our team will advise on whether an exemption applies to your situation.

Yes — a “transfer” option is available. Subject to the nominated occupation remaining on the CSOL or meeting the Specialist Skills income threshold, an assignee holding a Subclass 457 or 482 visa can have their visa transferred to a new sponsor’s Business Sponsorship, keeping the current expiry date, provided their nominated occupation remains the same. This application requires less information from the assignee and no new visa application is required. If the occupation changes, a new position nomination and visa application must be lodged.

Yes. Most 482 holders can apply for the Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186) via the Temporary Residence Transition Stream (TRTS) after completing 2 years of full-time employment in Australia while holding the 457/482 within the last 3 years. Unpaid leave does not count towards the 2 years requirement. You no longer have to remain in the same nominated occupation or employer during the 2 years. For the Direct Entry Stream (DES), applicants must have an occupation on the CSOL, a positive skills assessment, and 3 years of relevant full-time experience. We map PR pathways from day one of every 482 engagement.

The Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy is paid by the employer at the time of nomination. For businesses with annual turnover under AUD $10 million, the levy is AUD 1,200 per year of visa duration, per employee. For businesses with turnover of AUD $10 million or more, the levy is AUD 1,800 per year of visa duration, per employee. For permanent visa (ENS/186) sponsorships, a one-off payment applies: AUD $3,000 for businesses under $10M turnover and AUD $5,000 for businesses at $10M or above.

If the application is lodged before the current visa expires, a Bridging Visa A activates automatically, allowing the applicant to remain in Australia and keep working under the same conditions. We monitor all active applications and flag timing risks proactively.

Yes — part-time and casual experience counts, provided the cumulative hours are equivalent to at least one year of full-time work within the last five years in the nominated occupation or a closely related one. This is a detail many applicants miss and worth confirming early.

Need Help with the 482 Visa?

Our employer-sponsored team handles the full three-step process — Business Sponsorship, Nomination, and Visa application — end to end.

Employer Enquiry
Individual Enquiry