Skills in Demand Visa Subclass 482: Work in Australia Through Employer Sponsorship

Three Streams of the Skills in Demand Visa Subclass 482

The Skills in Demand Visa Subclass 482 has three streams. Each stream is designed for a different situation.

1. Core Skills Stream

The Core Skills stream is for skilled workers who are nominated by an approved sponsor to work in an occupation listed on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL).

This stream enables Australian employers to address labour shortages by bringing in skilled workers where they cannot source an appropriately skilled Australian worker.

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
• There is no age requirement for the Core Skills stream.

2. Specialist Skills Stream

The Specialist Skills stream is for skilled workers who are nominated to work in an eligible ANZSCO occupation and whose nominated salary meets the Specialist Skills Income Threshold.

This stream enables employers to sponsor skilled workers for higher-skilled positions where they cannot source an appropriately skilled Australian worker.

For this stream, the nominated occupation must be listed in ANZSCO Major Groups 1, 2, 4, 5 or 6. Occupations in Major Groups 3, 7 and 8 are excluded.

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 Specialist Skills stream?

You can apply for the Specialist Skills stream if:

• You are nominated by an approved sponsor
• Your nominated occupation is an eligible ANZSCO occupation
• Your occupation is in ANZSCO Major Groups 1, 2, 4, 5 or 6
• Your nominated salary meets the Specialist Skills Income Threshold
• 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

3. Labour Agreement Stream

The Labour Agreement stream is for skilled workers nominated by employers who have a labour agreement with the Australian Government.

A labour agreement is developed between the Australian Government and an employer. It allows the employer to sponsor overseas workers under specific terms agreed with the Department.

This stream is used when the employer is sponsoring a worker for an occupation covered by the labour agreement.

With this visa, you can:

• Work in Australia for your sponsor for up to 4 years, depending on the terms of the labour agreement
• 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
• Have your employer sponsor you for permanent residence through the Employer Nomination Scheme Subclass 186, if you are eligible

Who can apply for the Labour Agreement stream?

You can apply for the Labour Agreement stream if:

• You are nominated by an employer that has a labour agreement with the Australian Government
• Your nominated occupation is covered by the terms of the labour agreement
• Unless the labour agreement says otherwise, you have at least 12 months of relevant full-time work experience, or equivalent experience, within the last 5 years
• You complete a relevant skills assessment if it is required for your occupation
• You work only for your sponsor
• You must have English language skills suitable to perform your nominated occupation. English requirements may be specified in the Labour agreement between your employer and the Commonwealth.
• English language requirements equivalent to the Subclass 482 visa generally apply unless the labour agreement provides an English language concession.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Skills in Demand Visa Subclass 482

Can you include family members in a Skills in Demand visa application?

Yes, eligible family members can be included in a Skills in Demand visa 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 a Skills in Demand Visa Subclass 482?

For the Core Skills stream and Specialist Skills stream, you can stay in Australia for up to 4 years. Hong Kong passport holders can stay for up to 5 years.

For the Labour Agreement stream, you can stay for up to 4 years, depending on the terms of the labour agreement. Hong Kong passport holders can stay for up to 5 years.

Can the Skills in Demand Visa lead to permanent residency?

Yes, the Skills in Demand Visa Subclass 482 can support a pathway to permanent residency if you meet the relevant requirements. Two years of working for in the nominated position and meeting the salary and work experience requirements

The pathway is through the Transition Employer Nomination Scheme Subclass 186.

Steps to Apply for the Skills in Demand Visa Subclass 482

Step 1: Confirm the Correct Stream

The first step is to identify the correct stream.

The Core Skills stream, Specialist Skills stream,and Labour Agreement stream are designed for different situations.

Choosing the correct stream is important because each stream has different occupation, salary, sponsorship, work experience and eligibility requirements.

Step 2: Employer Sponsorship

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

Step 3:Nomination

Your employer must nominate you for a position.

For the Labour Agreement stream, the employer must have a labour agreement with the Australian Government.

Step 4: Check Occupation and Work Experience Requirements

You must check whether the nominated occupation fits the correct stream.

For the Core Skills stream, the occupation must be on the Core Skills Occupation List.

For the Specialist Skills stream, the occupation must be in the eligible ANZSCO major groups and the salary must meet the Specialist Skills Income Threshold.

For the Labour Agreement stream, the occupation must be covered by the labour agreement.

You must also check the work experience requirement for the stream. Core Skills and Specialist Skills applicants must have at least 1 year of relevant work experience. Labour Agreement applicants must have at least 12 months of relevant full-time work experience, unless the labour agreement says otherwise.

Step 5: Prepare Your Documents

You need to prepare documents to support your application.

These documents can include:

• Passport and identity documents
• Employment references
• Qualification documents
• English language evidence
• Skills assessment documents, if required for your stream
• Licence or registration documents, if required for your stream
• Health insurance evidence
• Health examination results
• Police certificates
• Family documents, if family members are included

All information must be accurate and consistent.

Step 6: Visa application

You apply for the visa online through ImmiAccount.

You must complete the application form, attach the required documents and submit the application.

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

Step 7: 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