482 Core Skills Stream: Requirements, Benefits and PR Pathway

What Can You Do With the Core Skills Stream?

With this visa, you can:

• Work in Australia for your sponsor for up to 4 years
• Stay for up to 5 years if you hold a Hong Kong passport
• Study in Australia, but without government assistance
• Travel to and from Australia as many times as you want while the visa is valid
• Apply for permanent residence if you are eligible

Who Can Apply for the Core Skills Stream?

You can apply for the Core Skills stream if:

• You are nominated by an approved sponsor
• Your nominated occupation is on the Core Skills Occupation List
• You are paid the Annual Market Salary Rate (AMSR) for the occupation meaning Your salary is no less than the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT)
• You have at least 1 year of relevant work experience in your nominated occupation or a related field
• You have the skills, qualifications and employment background required to perform the nominated occupation
• You complete a relevant skills assessment if it is required for your occupation
• You meet the minimum English language requirement (IELTS 5), unless you are exempt as explained at the end of the streams section

Note: There is no age requirement for the Core Skills stream.

Steps to Apply for the 482 Core Skills Stream

Step 1: Check eligibility and find out if your occupation is on the Core Skills stream

The first step is to confirm that the Core Skills stream is the correct pathway for your situation.

Your nominated occupation must be on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL), and you must meet the stream’s occupation, salary, work experience and English requirements.

You must also have at least 1 year of relevant work experience in your nominated occupation or a related field.

Your experience must show that you have the skills, qualifications and employment background required to perform the nominated role.

Step 2: Employer sponsorship

Your employer must be an approved sponsor or must have applied to become a Standard Business Sponsor.

This step is important because the Core Skills stream is an employer-sponsored pathway. The employer must be eligible to sponsor before the visa can be granted.

Step 3: Nomination

Your employer must run a Labour Market Testing (LMT) via running an advertisement for the position for at least 28 days. Your employer must post at least two advertisements on nationally available platforms (e.g., Seek, Indeed, or Jora). After that, the employer must choose the most suitable candidate and nominate the person within the 4 months after the expiry of the ad.

The nomination must match the Core Skills stream, the correct occupation and the salary requirements.

Your salary must meet the Annual Market Salary Rate (AMSR) and be no less than the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT).

Step 4: Prepare your documents

You need to prepare documents to support your application.

These documents can include:

• English: IELTS 5
• Skills assessment, if mandatory
• Registration or licences, if required
• Police clearances from every country where the applicant has spent 12 months or more in the past 10 years, since turning 16
• Health assessments, later
• Health insurance
• Passport
• Passport-sized photo
• Change of name document, if applicable
• Up-to-date CV
• Evidence of at least 12 months full-time experience in the occupation
• Payslips from the beginning, middle, and end of employment period
• Proof of salary deposit
• Notice of Assessment from ATO, if applicable
• Employment letter
• Qualification certificates and academic transcripts, if applicable
• Military service document

Partner / children

• Birth certificates for children
• Marriage certificate for spouse
• Passport

All information must be accurate and consistent.

Step 5: Visa application

You or your migration lawyer/agent must apply for the visa online through ImmiAccount by completing the application form and attaching the required documents.

You must upload the documents listed in Step 4, based on your personal circumstances and the requirements of the stream.

Note: Each family member included in the application must also have their documents attached.

Step 6: Visa Outcome

The Department will decide your application in writing.

For the main applicant, the employer’s nomination must be approved before the Skills in Demand visa can be granted.

If the visa is granted, the grant letter will show your visa grant number, the date your visa starts, and your visa conditions.

If the visa is refused, the Department will explain the reasons for refusal and tell you whether you have a right to review the decision.

Check The standard processing time here

Frequently Asked Questions About the 482 Core Skills Stream

Can you include family members in a 482 Core Skills stream application?

Yes, eligible family members can be included in your application.

Family members can include your partner, dependent child, stepchild, your partner’s dependent child or stepchild, and in some cases the dependent child or stepchild of your or your partner’s dependent child.

Family members must meet health and character requirements.

You cannot add family members to your visa application after you submit it. If they are not included at the time of application, they can apply later through the Subsequent Entrant visa if they meet the requirements.

Can you apply from inside or outside Australia?

Yes, you can apply from inside or outside Australia, but you must not be in immigration clearance.

If you apply from inside Australia, you must hold a substantive visa or a Bridging visa A, Bridging visa B or Bridging visa C.

You must also remain lawful while your application is being processed.

How long can you stay on the 482 Core Skills stream?

You can stay in Australia for up to 4 years under the Core Skills stream.

If you hold a Hong Kong passport, you can stay for up to 5 years.

Can the 482 Core Skills stream lead to permanent residency?

Yes, the Core Skills stream can support a pathway to permanent residency if you meet the relevant requirements.

A common pathway is the Transition pathway under the Employer Nomination Scheme Subclass 186.

This pathway requires you to work for your sponsoring employer in the nominated position for at least 2 years, while also meeting the relevant salary, occupation, English, age and nomination requirements.

Permanent residency is not automatic. You must meet all requirements for the permanent visa pathway at the time of application.