Skills In Demand (SID) – Subclass 482 visa for employers

The Skills in Demand (SID) subclass 482 visa has replaced the former Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa, creating a more streamlined pathway for Australian businesses to address workforce gaps. This visa allows approved employers to sponsor skilled overseas workers when they cannot find suitable talent locally.

With three distinct streams — Core Skills, Specialist Skills, and Labour Agreement — the SID 482 visa offers flexibility depending on the occupation, salary level, or regional needs. It is a temporary work visa that helps businesses remain competitive while offering skilled professionals the opportunity to live and work in Australia.

To sponsor a worker under the 482 Skills In Demand Visa visa, employers must meet strict requirements through the following steps.

SBS approval

Becoming a Standard Business Sponsor is the first step you need to complete to be able to nominate overseas workers for the 482 Skills in Demand visa.

To become an “SBS” you need to:

Legally operating business – You must show that your business is lawfully operating in Australia and has a genuine need for the position.
No adverse information – The business must have a clean record with respect to workplace relations, immigration, and other regulatory compliance.
Financial capacity – Evidence that your business can meet the salary and employment conditions for the sponsored worker.
Commitment to obligations – Sponsors must agree to follow ongoing obligations, including non-discriminatory recruitment, paying at least the market salary rate, and covering certain costs.

Once approved, the Standard Business Sponsorship approval will be valid for 5 years during which you can nominate overseas workers for the subclasses 482 and the subclass 494 if you operate in a regional area of Australia.

SID 482 Nomination

The 482 nomination process requires your business to:

Nominate a worker for occupation suitable for the 482 visa (read the Q&A for more details)
The role must be full-time, relevant to the business, genuine.
The position must offer terms and conditions of employment equivalent to those provided to Australian workers, including payment at least at the market salary rate and above the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) currently set at $76,515 for the Core Skills Stream and $141,210 for the Specialist Skills Stream until 1 July 2026 and increased annually.

Note that immigration requires the visa applicant to be skilled for the role (qualifications and/or work experience are always needed so before you proceed to a nomination you will need to make sure those requirements will be met.

FAQs - frequently asked questions

The SID 482 visa has three distinct streams, each designed for different categories of occupations and salary thresholds. The process is the same for the Core Skills and the Specialist Stream with the main difference being the choice of occupation and the minimum salary to be provided. The Labour Agreement stream comes with different rules (see DAMA).

Core Skills Stream
- Occupation must be on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL).
- The sponsored employee must be paid a salary not lower than the annual threshold (AUD $76,515 until 1 July 2026, indexed annually).
- Salary must also be consistent with the Market Salary Rate for the role.
Specialist Skills Stream
- Designed for highly skilled roles beyond the CSOL list.
- Occupations must fall under the ANZSCO Major Groups 1, 2, 4, 5, or 6 (for example, Managers, Professionals, and some Technical roles).
- The salary must meet the Specialist Skills Income Threshold (AUD $141,210 until 1 July 2026, indexed annually).
Labour Agreement Stream
- For employers who have entered into a Labour Agreement with the Department of Home Affairs (including Designated Area Migration Agreements – DAMAs). This stream does not require the SBS stage and falls under special rules. Check the DAMA page for more details.
- Allows access to a special list of occupations, potential salary concessions, and tailored criteria specific to the agreement.

The first step to sponsor an employee under the 482 visa is to become a Standard Business Sponsor (SBS). This is done through an online application on the immigration portal (IMMI account), where you provide evidence that your business is legally operating in Australia. Once approved, you can move to the next stages of sponsorship.

Provided your SBS approval is still valid, the next step is to apply for a 482 nomination application. The 482 nomination requires identifying the employee you wish to sponsor, confirming that the position is on the relevant occupation list, and demonstrating that the role is genuine, full-time, and paid in line with legal requirements.

The costs of becoming an SBS and lodging the 482 nomination (including any professional fees if you seek help) must legally be paid by the employer. The 482 visa application fee can be paid either by the employer or by the sponsored employee, depending on your arrangement.

Once the 482 nomination is submitted, the sponsored employee can lodge their 482 visa application. In this application, they must demonstrate that they meet the visa requirements, such as skills, English level, and other eligibility criteria. The process is only complete when both the nomination and visa are granted.

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