The Skills in Demand (SID) visa (Subclass 482) lets Australian businesses sponsor skilled workers where suitably qualified Australians are not available. It’s a temporary employer-sponsored visa (up to 4 years) with clear pathways to permanent residence for many applicants.
Why the 482 (Skills in Demand) visa?
If you have an eligible employer willing to sponsor you but you don’t yet meet the requirements for an ENS (Subclass 186) Direct Entry application, the 482 is a practical interim pathway and step toward permanent residence.
If you’re an employer looking to fill a genuine skills need quickly, it’s built for that.
Or, if you’re coming to Australia to work temporarily—on a contract or to build Australian experience—the 482 may also be the right fit.
What it offers
- Moves talent quickly where there’s a demonstrated skills need.
- Lets you live and work in Australia for up to four years with an eligible sponsor, in an approved occupation and at the required salary.
- Lower experience thresholds than most permanent visas.
- No formal skills assessment for many occupations (separate from any licensing/registration that may be mandatory).
- Creates a pathway to permanent residence—commonly via ENS (Subclass 186) Temporary Residence Transition (TRTS), usually after 2 years in the role.
- Works as a staged PR plan when Direct Entry isn’t yet available but is a realistic future goal.
How it works
A SID (Subclass 482) application has three moving parts: business sponsorship, nomination, and visa. These are separate applications and must be lodged in this order.
Whilst you don’t need to wait for each to be approved before lodging the subsequent application – each later stage cannot be approved unless the earlier stage is approved first.
For instance, if you have lodged all 3 applications in order & the sponsorship is refused, then the nomination and visa cannot be approved; if the nomination is refused, the visa cannot be approved – and so forth.
1) The business (Standard Business Sponsorship)
First, the employer must be an approved Standard Business Sponsor (SBS). If the business is not yet approvedFirst, the employer must be an approved Standard Business Sponsor (SBS). If the business is not yet approved, it must apply for SBS approval before it can nominate a role or sponsor a 482 visa holder. Without SBS approval, an employer cannot sponsor a worker for a 482 visa.
To become (and remain) an approved sponsor, the business shows it:
- is lawfully and actively operating (in Australia, or overseas with a genuine plan/obligation to set up here)
- has no relevant adverse information
- accepts sponsorship obligations (record-keeping, timely notifications to the Department, paying prescribed costs, ensuring equivalent terms and conditions, and more)
SBS approval is a standing approval (typically valid for several years) and can cover multiple nominations.
2) The role (Nomination)
Next, the sponsoring business lodges a nomination application. The nomination asks the Department of Home Affairs to approve a specific position for an overseas worker. It is a sponsor-led application and focuses on the role and the sponsoring business only.
For the nomination, the business demonstrates:
- The position is genuine. The business actually needs a person in that role, ongoing or for the stated project, and the role fits the organisation.
- The duties align with an eligible, sponsorable occupation.
- The salary is appropriate. Pay meets or exceeds the appropriate income threshold and is at least the market rate for that job and location, with evidence of how the rate was determined.
- Labour Market Testing is completed in the prescribed way unless an exemption applies. Advertisements are run correctly and show no suitably qualified Australian citizen or permanent resident was available.
- The correct pathway is selected. Core Skills, Specialist Skills (with a higher earnings threshold), or Labour Agreement—each has distinct criteria. See section below.
- Any mandatory licensing or registration for the role is addressed so the work can be performed lawfully.
- Terms and conditions match those for an equivalent Australian worker, and the role is full-time at the stated location.
Confirm current thresholds, occupation lists and evidentiary rules at lodgement, as these change under Australian immigration laws & policy.k a registered migration agent, or immigration lawyer.
3) The person (Visa)
Finally, the overseas worker lodges the visa application, showing they can perform the nominated role and that they meet the Department’s English, health, character and insurance settings.
For the visa, the applicant demonstrates:
- Skills and experience that match the nominated occupation (for many roles, at least one year of full-time, relevant experience within the last five years).
- Any licensing or registration required to lawfully do the job.
- English is met by a specified passport or an accepted English test result; See English Language Requirements for Australian Visas.
- Adequate health insurance, and that health and character requirements are met.
Immediate family (partner and dependent children) can usually be included; partners generally have full work rights.
Streams within the 482 (SID)
Every 482 nomination sits in one of three streams. In most cases the stream is determined by the nominated occupation and the proposed salary. The Labour Agreement stream is different — it applies only if there is an approved labour agreement in place.
Core Skills stream — used most often. The occupation must be on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL). Salary must meet or exceed the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) and be at least the local market rate. Labour Market Testing (LMT) is usually required in the prescribed way.
Specialist Skills stream — designed for highly paid specialists. Occupation list limits are broader (excluding specified groups such as trades workers, machine operators and labourers), but the earnings floor is higher and pay must still meet the market rate. Evidence focuses on the seniority and remuneration of the role.
Labour Agreement stream — for situations where the standard program does not fit. A negotiated agreement with the Department permits sponsorship for specified roles and terms outside the usual settings. The employer must show a sustained workforce need and meet additional compliance undertakings.
Salary, LMT and occupation mapping — where cases go wrong
Salary problems. The pay must meet or exceed the appripriate Income Threshold and the genuine local market rate. Refusals and compliance action follow when packages are understated (for example, miscounting allowances or guaranteed OTE), superannuation is handled inconsistently, regional pay norms are ignored, or non-cash benefits are used to paper over an otherwise low base.
Please refer to our guide on Income Threasholds for Skilled Visas.
LMT mistakes. Labour Market Testing has strict format, content and timing rules. Ads that miss required details (role, duties, location, salary where needed), aren’t run for long enough, aren’t placed on the right platforms, or fall outside the permitted window are treated as if LMT was never done.
Occupation misalignment. The position description and day-to-day duties must align with the nominated ANZSCO occupation. Hybrid roles, inflated titles, or duties that don’t match the code invite refusal. Smaller or early-stage businesses face closer “genuineness” scrutiny — expect to justify the role with an org chart, business plan, funding/contracts, revenue growth and how the position fits the actual workload.
English requirement
Most applicants must show Vocational English via an approved test.
Exemptions exist (e.g., specified passports) and, in limited circumstances, certain English-medium study. Settings differ by pathway and change from time to time, so confirm the requirement that applies to you under Australian immigration laws & policy.
Conditions after grant (what you can and can’t do)
Your 482 comes with enforceable conditions. Breaches can lead to cancellation and sponsorship issues. Key settings to watch:
- Work only for your sponsoring employer, in the nominated occupation and at the approved location(s) set out in the nomination. Do not start with a new employer or in a different occupation until the new nomination is approved (and, if required, a new visa is granted).
- Start the role within the required timeframe after grant/arrival and keep working consistently in the position (generally full-time unless the nomination specifies otherwise).
- Maintain adequate health insurance for you and any family members for the entire visa period.
- Hold any mandatory licence or registration before you perform the duties, and keep it current.
- Keep your details up to date: new address, passport, contact details and family composition must be notified.
- If your employment ends, you have a limited window to take action—secure a new sponsor (fresh nomination), apply for another visa, or depart. Do not work outside your nominated occupation while arranging the change.
- Travel is generally multiple-entry, but time spent outside Australia still counts toward visa expiry. Keep your passport valid.
- Family members included as secondary applicants can work and study. They must also maintain health insurance and comply with any conditions on their grant.
Changing jobs, redundancies and “what ifs”
If your 482 employment ends, you now have up to 180 days at a time (maximum 365 days across your visa) to find a new sponsor, move to another visa, or depart. You may work during this window, including for a different employer (and, if needed, in a different occupation).
You do not have to wait for the new nomination to be approved to start with a new employer. However, to keep working for that employer beyond the allowed window, they must lodge a new nomination which must be approved—and if you are changing occupation, a new visa may also be required.
Plan the sequencing so you stay within the 180/365-day settings.
Please see our article “Stopped working for your sponsoring employer?” for more detail.
Permanent residence pathways
Many 482 holders transition to permanent residence through the ENS (Subclass 186) — typically via the Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream — if age, occupation, earnings/role stability and other criteria are met. Alternative PR routes may also be available (for example, points-tested or regional programs). The right pathway depends on your age, occupation, earnings, location and timing under Australian immigration laws & policy.
Typical documents
- Employer: ABN/registration, financials or BAS/bank statements (capacity to pay), contracts, org chart, genuine position evidence, LMT material, market-rate analysis, employment contract.
- Applicant: passports, CV, qualifications, references, licensing/registration, English test (if required), police certificates, health checks, evidence for partner/children (if included), health insurance.
Common pitfalls
- Lodging with the wrong occupation or an inflated title that doesn’t match duties.
- Under-documented salary/market-rate evidence.
- LMT that doesn’t meet the prescriptive rules.
- English set too low (or relying on an exemption that doesn’t apply).
- Missing registration/licensing where mandatory.
Upfront issue-spotting saves months — and often avoids an unnecessary refusal.
How Leyton Stone Law can help
We scope eligibility for both the business and the role, map duties to the right occupation, and align salaries with CSIT and market-rate evidence. We build compliant LMT campaigns, prepare sponsorship/nomination packs, and assemble decision-ready visa applications (skills, experience, English, licensing, health/character). For start-ups and growth companies, we document “genuine need” with org design, funding and pipeline evidence. Post-grant, we advise on sponsor/visa-holder compliance, role changes and switching employers, and plan your permanent residence pathway at the outset so timing, age and earnings settings are met under Australian immigration laws & policy.
Disclaimer
This is general information only and not legal advice. Eligibility and strategy depend on your circumstances and current program settings. You should obtain advice from a registered migration agent or immigration lawyer before acting.