Employer sponsored visas

Points worth knowing

• Skills in Demand replaced the old 482. The Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa replaced the Temporary Skill Shortage visa on 7 December 2024. It has a Core Skills stream for occupations on the Core Skills Occupation List, a Specialist Skills stream for higher paid positions, and a Labour Agreement stream. The visa is granted for up to 4 years and the applicant needs at least 1 year of relevant work experience in the last 5 years; there is no age limit.
• The salary floors change every July. For nominations lodged between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027 the Core Skills Income Threshold is AUD79,423 and the Specialist Skills Income Threshold is AUD146,576; the Core Skills threshold also applies to 186 nominations, and the same AUD79,423 figure applies to the regional 494 visa. The nominated salary must also be no less than what an Australian would earn in the same job.
• Labour market testing is still required. In most cases, before nominating for a Core Skills, Specialist Skills or 494 position the employer must have advertised the position at least twice, for at least four weeks, within the four months before lodging; for a 482 nomination an international trade obligation can remove the requirement. There are no occupation based exemptions.
• The employer pays the training levy, and cannot pass it on. The Skilling Australians Fund levy is payable in full when the nomination is lodged: for a 482 nomination AUD1,200 or AUD1,800 for each year, depending on whether the business turns over less than AUD10 million; for 186 and 494 nominations a one off AUD3,000 or AUD5,000. The employer must not pass the levy or any sponsorship or nomination cost on to the worker, and it is an offence for a worker to pay an employer for sponsorship.
• Permanent residence after two years of sponsored work. Under the Temporary Residence Transition stream of the 186 visa, a 482 or 457 holder who has worked full time in sponsored employment for a total of 2 years in the 3 years before applying can be nominated for permanent residence by their current sponsor; since 7 December 2024 the 2 years may include periods with earlier sponsors. The applicant must usually be under 45 and have at least Competent English, with no English exemption in this stream.
• Direct Entry is the other route. An employer can nominate a worker directly for the 186 visa if the occupation is on the Core Skills Occupation List, the worker has at least 3 years of relevant experience and a positive skills assessment, is under 45 unless exempt and has Competent English.
• Regional employers. The 494 visa lets an employer outside Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane sponsor a worker for 5 years; the worker needs 3 years of full time experience and a skills assessment unless exempt, and after holding the visa for 3 years, with tax notices of assessment for 3 of its 5 years, can apply for the permanent 191 visa without a sponsor.
• Losing the job does not end the visa immediately. A 482 holder whose employment ends has up to 180 days to find a new sponsor or arrange to leave Australia, and the new employer must lodge a new nomination. Employers must tell the Department within 28 days when a sponsored worker's employment ends.
• Sponsorship obligations are enforced. Sponsors must employ the worker under a written contract, on terms no less favourable than an equivalent Australian worker, keep records, and can face infringement notices or civil penalties and a bar on further sponsorship for breaches; compliance is monitored for up to five years after the sponsorship ends.

Common questions