Australia’s Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) for overseas workers

The visa in brief

The Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) lets an approved employer bring in a worker for a nominated position. It is temporary and tied to that sponsorship; it does not let you arrive and look around for work.

There are three steps that happen separately: the business becomes a sponsor, it nominates the role, and you lodge your own visa application. Being offered the job is not permission to start.

Which stream fits the role

Most skilled roles fall under the Core Skills stream. Roles paid at or above the Specialist Skills Income Threshold may fit the Specialist Skills stream, although trades and some other occupation groups are excluded from it, and some employers use labour agreements. The stream follows the nominated occupation, its duties and the salary, not the job title in the advert.

The occupation list information shows which occupations are eligible. Then browse the matching jobs in Australia.

What you need to show

Home Affairs asks Core Skills applicants to have at least 1 year of relevant work experience in the nominated occupation or a related field, and a skills assessment where the occupation requires one. A mandatory skills assessment must be started before you lodge, or the application is invalid.

You also need English, health and character evidence. If the job is in a regulated occupation, you must show you hold, or can meet the requirements for, the state or territory registration or licence.

Skills assessment and overseas qualifications

A skills assessing authority checks whether your training and experience meet the Australian standard for an occupation. Each authority sets its own procedures, timeframes and fees, and Home Affairs only accepts an assessment from the authority named for your occupation; see the skills assessment page.

Send exactly what you hold: the award title, the institution, the transcript and proof of practical training. Describing a certificate as something higher is likely to be spotted and can damage your credibility.

English: test or exemption

Primary applicants need to meet the English proficiency rules for subclass 482 by reaching a set score in an accepted test taken within 3 years before applying, unless an exemption applies.

Passport holders of Canada, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States are exempt. So are people with at least 5 years of full-time study at secondary level or above where most classes were in English, with transcripts to prove it. A few other exemptions relate to the job or the employer, so read the full list rather than assuming one applies.

Pay, conditions and your workplace rights

The employer must pay at least the market rate and meet the income threshold rules. Check the AUD figure, whether it is hourly or annual, the guaranteed hours, overtime and whether superannuation is on top.

The Fair Work Ombudsman says visa holders and migrant workers have the same workplace rights as other employees in Australia. Also read the sponsor’s obligations and the worker protections from Home Affairs.

Health, police checks and insurance

Expect to complete health examinations if asked and to supply character documents, including police certificates from countries where you have lived. Ask for them when needed so they are still valid when assessed.

You will need adequate health insurance for the whole stay. Arrange it before travel and keep the policy details.

Step by step

1. Find a role that matches your occupation and accepts overseas applicants.
2. Apply with a clear English CV and supporting evidence.
3. Interview and get the terms in writing.
4. The employer obtains sponsorship approval and lodges the nomination.
5. Start any mandatory skills assessment and collect English, identity, health and police evidence.
6. Lodge your visa application online and pay the charge.
7. Once granted, read the conditions, then book travel and agree a start date.

Fees and waiting times

Current charges are on the visa page, and Home Affairs publishes processing time estimates. Sponsorship, nomination and skills assessment each add time before and around the visa decision.

Plan for test fees, translations, medicals, insurance, flights, a rental bond and living costs until the first pay arrives. If you convert AUD to your own currency, treat the result as approximate.

Bringing a partner or children

Family members can generally be included in the application if they meet the family requirements. Gather marriage or relationship evidence, birth certificates and translations where needed.

Each person’s rights to work or study depend on the visa they are granted. Budget for schooling, health cover and a larger home.

From temporary to permanent

A 482 visa does not lead to permanent residence by itself. The Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186), including its Temporary Residence Transition stream, has its own nomination and personal criteria.

Time spent working for a sponsor is only part of what is assessed. Check the rules that apply when you are ready, and seek registered advice for your own case.

Paperwork to gather wherever you live now

Whatever your nationality, an overseas application rests on documents that line up with each other. Your name should appear the same way on every record, or you should be able to show why it changed. Start collecting early, because some offices in some countries are slow.

• Passport: confirm how long it remains valid and which nationality it shows. Visa options follow the passport you hold, not the country you live or work in today.
• Proof of your trade or profession: certificates, transcripts and, for trades, apprenticeship or logbook records under the names the issuing body uses. Many occupations need a formal skills assessment from the assessing authority named for that occupation.
• Licences and registration: regulated work such as nursing, medicine or electrical work needs Australian registration or a licence from the relevant authority, usually for the state or territory where the job is. Holding a licence at home does not transfer it.
• Work history: signed reference letters on letterhead that give your dates, weekly hours, duties and tools or systems used, backed by payslips, contracts or tax records where you have them. Ask referees before passing on their details.
• Police certificates: these can be needed from more than one country, covering each place you have lived for a significant time. Request them when the authority asks, so they are still current when assessed.
• English: a recent test result, or the documents that prove a specific exemption.
• Translations: anything not in English needs an English translation that meets the receiving authority’s rules. Keep the originals with the translations.

Alongside the paperwork, sort out your notice period, savings for the first weeks, health cover and somewhere to stay on arrival.

For Australia, Home Affairs says it will usually ask for a police certificate if you are over 17 and have lived in a country, including Australia, for at least 12 months in the past 10 years; certificates are valid for 12 months from issue and must cover the period from age 16, or your whole stay. See the character requirements and how to get a certificate in each country. Translations made outside Australia need not be accredited, but each must carry the translator’s full name, address, telephone number and language qualifications and experience, in English.

Protect yourself from job and visa fraud

Recruitment fraud aimed at overseas workers often looks polished. Be suspicious of anyone who wants money before you have a verifiable employer, a written offer and a clear explanation of who pays for what.

• Search the employer’s registered business details and phone the business on a number you found yourself.
• Under the sponsorship rules, certain costs belong to the employer. Read sponsor obligations before agreeing to repay anything.
• Look up any adviser on the official register information before paying for visa help.
• Do not let anyone pad your experience, change dates or produce certificates for you. False documents can sink an application.

Home Affairs keeps a visa scams page with current warning signs.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use the 482 to look for work once in Australia?

No. The visa follows an approved sponsor and a nominated position. Your own eligibility is assessed alongside them.

How much work experience do I need?

For the Core Skills stream, Home Affairs asks for at least 1 year of relevant experience in the nominated occupation or a related field.

Do I need a skills assessment?

Only for certain occupations and applicants. Where it is mandatory, it must be started before you lodge the visa application.

Is my passport exempt from the English test?

Holders of Canadian, New Zealand, Irish, UK and US passports are exempt. Others need an accepted test or a different documented exemption.

Can my partner and children come too?

They can usually be included if they meet the requirements. Their work and study rights follow the visa each person receives.

Does the 482 lead to permanent residence?

Not automatically. A permanent visa such as the subclass 186 is a separate application with separate criteria.