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Pathway

Australia Skills in Demand Visa

Australia Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

The Skills in Demand visa lets you work temporarily in an eligible Australian job with an approved sponsoring employer. You must meet the occupation, experience, English, and salary rules for the relevant option. Most Core and Specialist Skills visas last up to four years; permanent residence requires a separate application.

Job offer required?
Yes, with an approved sponsoring employer
Experience
Usually at least one year of relevant work in the previous five years
2026–27 minimum income
AUD 79,423 Core Skills or AUD 146,576 Specialist Skills, plus the market-salary rule

Summary

Subclass 482 lets an approved Australian employer sponsor a worker for a temporary position. Introduced on December 7, 2024, the Skills in Demand visa replaced the Temporary Skill Shortage label for new applications. Its Core Skills stream uses an occupation list and minimum salary; Specialist Skills covers eligible higher-paid occupations. A Labor Agreement stream covers positions under an employer's agreement with the government.

The job, employer and worker must meet the requirements of the chosen stream. Core and Specialist visas generally last up to four years, while certain Hong Kong and British National (Overseas) passport holders may receive five. A later permanent-residence application is a separate step, with its own eligibility requirements.

Applying for employer-sponsored temporary work
  1. Check the job and choose the relevant option Confirm occupation, experience, English, skills assessment, and salary requirements.
  2. Have the approved employer nominate the position Make sure the job, contract, salary, and visa evidence agree.
  3. Apply and follow the approved work conditions Check the rules promptly if the employment ends or changes.

A high salary alone is not enough, and this visa does not automatically become permanent residence.

Could this pathway work for you?

Eligibility

An approved sponsoring employer must formally put the applicant forward for a genuine skilled job, through a process called nomination and have the skills, qualifications and employment background to perform it. Most applicants need at least 1 year of relevant work experience in the nominated occupation or a related field, generally gained in the previous 5 years. A mandatory skills assessment applies to specified occupations and nationalities.

For Core Skills, the occupation must be on the Core Skills Occupation List. For nominations lodged from 1 July 2026 through 30 June 2027, both the annual market salary rate (pay for an equivalent Australian worker) and the worker's guaranteed annual earnings must generally be at least the AUD 79,423 Core Skills Income Threshold.

For Specialist Skills, the occupation must fall within an eligible ANZSCO major group and not be excluded by the stream. The corresponding 2026–27 Specialist Skills Income Threshold is AUD 146,576. The employer must still meet the annual market salary rule.

The applicant must satisfy the stream's English requirement unless exempt, plus health, character and identity rules. The employer normally must carry out labor-market testing, usually advertising to check for available local workers, pay required sponsorship charges and comply with workplace and sponsorship duties.

Minimum income amounts are adjusted on July 1. Use the figure in force when the employer submits the nomination, so do not carry a prior-year number into a new case.

What This Route Allows

The visa allows temporary residence and work in the nominated occupation for the sponsor, subject to the individual conditions. Eligible family can be included and generally receive work and study rights according to their grants.

The SID visa can support a later Employer Nomination Scheme Subclass 186 TRT application. Current Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) rules usually require 2 years of eligible sponsored full-time employment during the 3 years before the permanent application. A 186 grant is separate and never automatic.

Australian workplace law protects visa holders. The employer cannot cancel a visa; only the Australian Government can. Changes in employment must be handled within the visa-condition period and current Home Affairs rules.

What This Route Is Not

Subclass 482 is not permanent residence and not an open work visa. The main holder is limited by the nominated occupation and sponsor unless the rules allow a change or exception.

A salary above a threshold does not by itself qualify. The position must be genuine, the occupation and duties must fit, the worker must have the required experience and English, and the salary must also meet the annual market rate.

The Specialist stream is not available to every high earner. Occupation-group exclusions and the stream rules still apply. A Labor Agreement is not an exception you can request for yourself; the employer must hold an agreement whose terms cover the case.

Next Steps

  1. Match the actual duties to the correct ANZSCO occupation before choosing a stream.
  2. Confirm the employer is or can become an approved sponsor and can meet nomination, labor-market and workplace requirements.
  3. Check the occupation list or Specialist occupation-group rule, 1 year of recent experience, skills-assessment requirements and English.
  4. Compare the annual market salary rate with the threshold in force on the planned nomination date—AUD 79,423 Core and AUD 146,576 Specialist for 2026–27.
  5. Make the nomination, employment contract and visa evidence consistent on duties, salary, location and experience.
  6. Keep payslips, tax, nomination and visa records if planning a later 186 transition.
  7. If employment ends or changes, check Home Affairs immediately rather than assuming the employer controls the visa or that unlimited time is available.

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