Home » Skills in Demand Visa (Subclass 482)
The Skills in Demand Visa (Previously Temporary Skills Shortage) 482 visa is tailored for skilled professionals to fill roles Australian employers find challenging to source locally. With this visa, we’re here to help you unlock your dream job in Australia.
Unlock the opportunities of working in Australia with the Skills in Demand Visa, an initiative designed to address local labour shortages by bringing skilled overseas workers to fill in-demand roles.
The Skills in Demand Visa, officially known as the Subclass 482 visa (Previously called the TSS, Temporary Skill Shortage visa), is designed by the Australian Government to address labour shortages in Australia by attracting skilled workers from overseas to fill vacancies that local Australian workers cannot.
High demand skills are those that are deemed critical for the growth and development of the Australian economy.
It’s important to note that the specific occupations may vary depending on the state or territory in which you wish to reside.
Since the Skills in Demand (SID) visa replaced the old Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) 482 in 2024, applicants and employers alike have scrambled to understand the new streams, costs and occupation lists.
Visa Lounge is here to help. As MIA‑member migration agents based in Brisbane, we guide you from skills assessment to PR — so you can focus on your career, not paperwork.
These reforms aim to simplify sponsorship and expand permanent residency access, but interpreting the fine print is critical. Let us translate regulations into plain English.
SID visa lodgement fees will align with the TSS fees under the medium-term stream:
Similar to the Subclass 482 TSS Visa, the Skills in Demand Visa will allow for a stay of up to 4 years to live and work in Australia.
PR is expected to be available to all Skills in Demand Visa holders, whether through sponsored and/or independent pathways. Since November 2023, the Subclass 482 TSS Visa also provides PR pathways to all visa holders (whether or not they are on the Short Term or Long Term Stream).
Under the Skills in Demand Visa, periods of employment with any approved sponsor may count towards PR requirements, enabling migrants to change their employer without risking their migration prospects. In contrast, Subclass 482 TSS Visa holders are reliant on a single employer for a pathway to PR.
If employment with a sponsor ceases, Skills in Demand Visa holders are set to have 180 days to find another sponsor and also be able to work during this period. The Subclass 482 TSS Visa only allows for 60 days.
Mechanisms for independent verifications of labour market needs may be explored under the new Skills in Demand Visa. Currently, the requirements to test the local labour market before engaging a migrant on a Subclass 482 TSS Visas are largely employer-conducted.
To enable skilled migrants to switch employers, a public register of approved sponsors including the number of migrants sponsored and their occupations, may be developed alongside the new Skills in Demand Visa. Currently a list of sponsors is not being made widely available as a public register to skilled migrants on a Subclass 482 TSS Visa, except a list of current labour agreements.
Rather than seeking upfront employer fees, such as the SAF training Levy, the Government is exploring a monthly or quarterly ‘pay-as-you-go’ model for Government charges and fees to hire migrants. Compared to the current Subclass 482 TSS Visa, which requires upfront government fees, the new payment structure for the Skills in Demand Visa may make it cheaper for employers to sponsor an overseas worker.
Clear service standards for visa processing will be established to provide employers and migrants greater certainty of processing times for the Skills in Demand Visa.A 21 day median service standard has been planned for the Core Skills pathway and 7 days has been planned for the Specialist Skills Pathway. Skills in Demand Visa processing times are expected to be shorter than waiting periods for the Subclass 482 TSS Visa.
Attracting highly skilled workers
The Specialist Skills Pathway will no longer rely on skilled occupation lists, will require a minimum salary threshold of $135,000, and provide a fast 7-day processing time.
Available to applicants in any occupation except trades workers, machinery operators and drivers, and labourers (they may be able to apply through the Core Skills Pathway).
To meet targeted workforce needs
The largest pathway for temporary skilled migrants, featuring a regularly updated occupation list and minimum earnings of at least at the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT), set at $70,000.
See the full list here.
Targeted at industry-specific workers
This pathway targets professionals who play an important role in Australia’s economic recovery and growth, focusing on government-identified key sectors.
While the official occupation list for the Essential Skills Pathway isn’t out yet, it’s expected to cover most, if not all, level 1 or 2 roles from the Core Skills Occupations List.
To qualify for this visa, you need to be nominated for a skilled position by an approved sponsor, have the required skills for the job, and meet the relevant English language proficiency standards. Our experienced team will help clarify these requirements and ensure your eligibility.
You may be eligible for the Skills in Demand (Subclass 482) visa if you:
Note: The full details on eligibility criteria for the Skills in Demand Visa is still currently being finalised to ensure that the program responds to the changing needs of the Australian labour market.
Before you can apply for a 482 visa, your proposed employer will need to lodge a nomination application for you. They must be an approved sponsor or have at least lodged an application to become a standard business sponsor.
Note: These steps may be completed simultaneously.
If you’re serious about working or hiring under the new Skills in Demand visa, don’t risk a rejection.
The TSS visa has historically been a pathway to permanent residence under the Employer Nomination Scheme and this will continue under the SID visa:
All SID visa holders have a pathway to permanent residence through the Temporary Residence Transition stream of the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme, after two years of employment in Australia in the three years immediately before the application. All periods of sponsored employment as a primary TSS/SID visa holder count towards this qualifying period. The two years can be with any employer (i.e., not just the sponsoring employer).
Salary requirements for the Subclass 186 visa under both the Temporary Residence Transition stream and Direct Entry streams will be linked to the SID visa salary requirements. This allows the Subclass 186 visa to use the core skills income threshold (which will be indexed annually).
Current TSS visa holders who work in an occupation that is not on the CSOL will still have a pathway to permanent residence, subject to meeting relevant eligibility criteria, through the Temporary Residence Transition stream of the Subclass 186 visa.
The CSOL will apply to the Direct Entry stream of the Subclass 186 visa (permanent residence under the Employer Nomination Scheme).
As a holder of the Skills in Demand visa (Subclass 482), Australia becomes more than just your workplace – it can be a home for your loved ones too. This visa permits you to include your spouse or de facto partner and your children as secondary applicants, enabling them to join you on your Australian journey.
Greater flexibility will apply for a member of the family unit who is aged 23 years old and above to be included in, and granted, the Subclass 186 visa with the primary applicant if at the time of the Subclass 186 visa application:
Secondary applicants on the Skills in Demand visa are granted the privilege to enter and stay in Australia for the duration of the primary applicant’s Skills in Demand visa. They are also allowed to live, work, and study in Australia, experiencing all the opportunities the country has to offer.
Subclass 186 visa secondary applicants (family members) no longer need to be named in the nomination application as employers of Subclass 186 visa holders do not have any sponsorship obligations relating to family members.
Make your Australian journey a family adventure. Contact our team for expert guidance today.
Partnering with Visa Lounge opens doors to an accomplished team of immigration specialists who stand firmly by your side, turning your Australian dreams into reality. We will help you navigate the visa application process, ensuring a seamless, hassle-free journey to Australia.
Note: The content on this page is for informational purposes only and should be used as general advice only. Please consult one of our registered migration specialists for professional advice tailored to your circumstances.