Employer sponsorship
The business must be, or become, an approved Standard Business Sponsor. This approval normally lasts five years.
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SUBCLASS 482 · SKILLS IN DEMAND
Work in Australia through employer sponsorship
The 482 visa can provide temporary work rights for up to four years. Success depends on the employer, the nominated position and the applicant each meeting a separate set of requirements.
WHAT THIS VISA OFFERS
A sponsored job now, with a possible permanent pathway later.
The visa lets the primary applicant work in the nominated occupation for the sponsor, while eligible family members can generally live, study and work in Australia. Permanent residence is not automatic, but an eligible 186 pathway may become available.
Up to 4 yearsHong Kong passport holders may receive up to 5 years
No age limitAge becomes important for a later permanent visa
1 year experienceRelevant occupation or related field
01
Your application has three parts
The employer and worker do not lodge just one application.
Position nomination
The employer nominates a genuine full-time role, completes labour market testing where required, proves market salary and pays the SAF levy.
Visa application
The worker demonstrates the required experience, skills, English, health and character, and includes eligible family members if needed.
02
Which 482 stream applies?
Occupation and salary determine the standard pathway.
Core Skills stream
The occupation must be on the CSOL. For nominations lodged from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, both the market salary and guaranteed annual earnings must be at least AUD79,423.
Specialist Skills stream
For eligible occupations in ANZSCO Major Groups 1, 2, 4, 5 or 6. The 2026–27 income threshold is AUD146,576; excluded occupations and other rules still apply.
Labour Agreement stream
Used where the employer has an active company, industry or DAMA labour agreement. Occupations, salary settings and any concessions come from that agreement.
03
What must the employer and position meet?
A willing employer is only the starting point.
Eligible sponsor
The business is lawfully operating and approved to sponsor, with no adverse information that prevents approval.
Genuine position
The duties, business need, organisational structure and employment arrangements must support a genuine full-time role.
Local recruitment
Labour market testing usually requires compliant advertising and evidence that an appropriately skilled Australian could not be found.
Salary and conditions
Pay must be no less favourable than for an equivalent Australian worker, meet the applicable income threshold and comply with workplace law.
Correct occupation
The nominated duties must substantially match the selected ANZSCO occupation or the occupation definition in an applicable agreement.
Sponsorship compliance
The employer must meet record-keeping, notification, equivalent employment and other sponsorship obligations after approval.
04
What must the applicant meet?
Skills, evidence and visa history are assessed together.
Work experience
At least 12 months of full-time equivalent relevant experience in the nominated occupation or a related field, unless an agreement changes the setting.
Skills and qualifications
Evidence must show you can perform the role. Registration or licensing must be held where the occupation requires it.
Skills assessment
Mandatory for certain occupation and passport combinations; exemptions may apply. Home Affairs may still request an assessment in another case.
English
Meet the stream’s English standard unless a legislative or agreement exemption applies.
Health and character
You and applying family members must satisfy health and character requirements and maintain adequate health cover.
Visa history
Onshore applicants need an appropriate substantive or bridging visa and must consider any prior refusal, cancellation or application limitation.
Evidence checklist
Prepare one evidence chain across the business, role and applicant.
The exact list depends on the stream and facts. These are planning categories, not a guarantee that the application is complete.
Employer evidence
- Business registration, operations and financial capacity
- Sponsor status, compliance history and organisation chart
- Capacity to sustain the market salary
Position and nomination
- Position description, contract, reporting line and business need
- Occupation, work location and market salary evidence
- Applicable labour market testing, RCB or agreement evidence
Applicant evidence
- CV, qualifications, employment references and pay records
- English, skills assessment, registration or licensing
- Identity, visa history, health and character evidence
Also retain complete advertising, candidate-screening and nomination-period records.
05
Government charges from 1 July 2026
Separate employer costs from visa applicant costs.
EMPLOYER SIDE
Sponsorship and nomination
- Standard Business Sponsorship
- AUD 420
- 482 nomination
- AUD 330
- SAF levy · turnover under AUD10m
- AUD 1,200 × years
- SAF levy · turnover AUD10m or more
- AUD 1,800 × years
Example for a four-year nomination: AUD4,800 or AUD7,200 SAF levy. The AUD420 sponsorship fee is only needed when a new sponsorship approval is required. Prohibited sponsorship and nomination costs must not be transferred to the worker.
VISA APPLICANT SIDE
Visa application charge
- Main applicant
- AUD 4,015
- Each family member aged 18+
- AUD 4,015
- Each family member under 18
- AUD 1,005
- Eligible Pacific/Timor-Leste adult
- AUD 3,290
- Eligible child under 18
- AUD 825
A subsequent temporary application charge may also apply to some onshore applicants. Card surcharges, English tests, skills assessment, health examinations, police certificates, biometrics and professional fees are additional.
Amounts shown are Australian Government charges checked on 29 August 2026. The amount payable is determined at lodgement and concessions or exemptions can change the result.
06
How the application moves forward
Resolve occupation and salary issues before paying major charges.
01Confirm the employer, occupation and stream
02Audit sponsorship status and business evidence
03Complete labour market testing and salary benchmarking
04Lodge sponsorship if required and then the nomination
05Prepare and lodge the worker and family visa applications
06Respond to requests, receive decisions and manage visa obligations
AFTER THE 482 VISA
Understand the 186 pathwayPermanent residence may be possible, but it is not automatic.
Many eligible 482 holders later consider the subclass 186 Temporary Residence Transition stream. Timing, sponsored employment, age, English, employer eligibility and any exemption must be checked under the rules in force at that time.
Frequently asked questions
Four questions to resolve before a 482 application
Which 482 stream applies to me?
The Core Skills stream normally depends on a CSOL occupation and the AUD79,423 threshold for 2026–27. The Specialist Skills stream has a AUD146,576 threshold and separate occupation rules. Labour Agreement cases follow the applicable agreement.
Does an employer offering sponsorship mean the 482 visa will be approved?
No. Sponsorship approval, position nomination and the worker's visa application are separate stages. The business, role and applicant must each satisfy the relevant requirements.
Does a 482 visa automatically lead to permanent residence?
No. Some holders may later qualify for a subclass 186 pathway, but age, English, eligible sponsored employment, nomination and all other rules must be assessed separately at that time.
What is the 482 visa application charge?
The main applicant charge is AUD4,015 for the standard 482 settings shown here, checked on 29 August 2026. Employer-side sponsorship, nomination and SAF levy costs are separate, and other applicant costs may apply.
Employer sponsorship Q&A
Answers to the questions that shape a workable pathway.
Each answer has its own reference page so it can be found, shared and kept current. General information only—not an individual eligibility conclusion.
PERMANENT PATHWAY
Plan the overall 482-to-186 pathway
Understand the TRT two-year work period, nomination timing and the checks that still apply.
Read the answer →EMPLOYMENT EVIDENCEHow should I document my TRT work history?
Reconcile visa and nomination dates with payroll, tax, leave and interruption records.
Read the answer →PATHWAY COMPARISON482, 186 or 494: which visa fits?
Start with the employer, position, location and intended outcome—not the visa number.
Read the answer →OCCUPATION & ASSESSMENTWhich occupation list and skills assessment apply?
Check ANZSCO versions, occupation lists, caveats and assessment settings for 482, 186 and 494.
Read the answer →CHANGE OF EMPLOYERWhat happens after a 482 job ends?
Understand the 180-day period, aggregate limit, new nomination and effect on a future 186 pathway.
Read the answer →482 CASE REVIEW
Discuss my 482 caseBefore the employer spends money, confirm that all three stages can work.
We can review the business, occupation, salary, recruitment evidence and applicant profile as one complete case.