Subclass 482 Skills in Demand (SID)

The Subclass 482 Skills in Demand (SID) visa is probably the most used Australian employer sponsored visa - the one businesses reach for when the skills they need cannot be found in the local labour market. An employer nominates a real job, a skilled worker fills it, and Australia gets skills it is short of.

There is no upper age limit, the visa can run up to four years - five for eligible Hong Kong and British National (Overseas) passport holders - and it can lead to permanent residence. For many skilled workers a 482 is not just a job in Australia; it is the way they end up staying.

Three streams cover the field: Specialist Skills for highly paid, highly skilled roles; Core Skills, the main pathway, for occupations on the Core Skills Occupation List; and Labour Agreement for employers with an agreement with the Australian Government. An employer who cannot hire locally, or a worker whose occupation Australia needs - this visa was made for you.

Visa class

Skills in Demand (Class GK)

Visa subclass

Subclass 482 Skills in Demand (SID)

01

Specialist Skills

For highly paid, highly skilled roles. No occupation list applies to this stream; eligibility turns on the Specialist Skills Income Threshold.

02

Core Skills

The main pathway. The nominated occupation must appear on the Core Skills Occupation List and the salary must meet the Core Skills Income Threshold.

03

Labour Agreement

For workers nominated by an employer that holds a labour agreement with the Australian Government. Salary terms come from that agreement.

The visa runs from the date it is granted until the end of the period of stay proposed in your employer's nomination - up to 4 years. If you hold an eligible Hong Kong passport or a British National (Overseas) passport, the visa runs for 5 years from the date of grant. Family members' visas end when the main applicant's visa ends.

There is no per-visit limit. You can stay in Australia for the full life of the visa, and you can leave and re-enter Australia as many times as you like while the visa is valid.

Yes, this is an employer driven visa - a nomination is required and it is the foundation of the application.

The occupation nomination must be applied for first, and the visa application is attached to the nomination.

Whether an Occupation List for Australia applies to this visa depends on the stream you are nominated in.

Core Skills stream: an occupation list applies.

Your employer can only nominate an occupation that is specified in the legislative instrument in force at the time the nomination is made, and the occupation must apply to you in accordance with that instrument.

Specialist Skills stream: no occupation list applies.

Instead, the nominated occupation must fall within Major Group 1, 2, 4, 5 or 6 of the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) - broadly managers, professionals, community and personal service workers, clerical and administrative workers, and sales workers. Occupations in the other major groups - technicians and trades workers, machinery operators and drivers, and labourers - cannot be nominated in this stream. If the legislative instrument specifies any matters for the occupation, those must also be met.

Labour Agreement stream: no published occupation list applies.

The occupations that can be nominated are the occupations specified in your employer's labour agreement with the Australian Government, and the requirements of that agreement must be met.

The Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) sets out the 456 occupations employers can nominate to sponsor skilled overseas workers, for the subclass 482 Skills in Demand (SID) visa Core Skills stream and the subclass 186 Direct Entry stream.

Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT): AUD $79,423

The minimum annual earnings for an occupation nominated in the Core Skills stream of the Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand) visa.

Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT): AUD $146,576

The minimum annual earnings for an occupation nominated in the Specialist Skills stream of the Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand) visa.

Income thresholds are indexed on 1 July each year.

Meeting the Core Skills Income Threshold alone is not sufficient.

Employers must also pay at least the Annual Market Salary Rate (AMSR) for the nominated occupation.

If the market rate exceeds CSIT, the higher salary must apply.

The same rule applies in the Specialist Skills stream, where the Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT) takes the place of the CSIT.

The AMSR is not a published figure.

Your employer must determine it for the nominated occupation in accordance with the method specified in a legislative instrument, and the rate must be consistent with Australian labour market conditions.

Employers must calculate salary using:

Guaranteed annual earnings
Excluding superannuation
Excluding non-monetary benefits

In the Labour Agreement stream, salary terms come from the employer's labour agreement with the Australian Government.

Failure to meet salary requirements may result in nomination refusal.

This is a temporary visa.

Yes. The usual pathway is the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination visa through its Temporary Residence Transition stream, after the required period working for your sponsoring employer.

There is no upper age limit for this visa.

Before you can apply, your employer's nomination of your occupation must be lodged first - your visa application is attached to that nomination, and the nomination must be approved before the visa can be granted.

Your intention to perform the nominated occupation must be genuine, and the position itself must be genuine.

You can be in or outside Australia when you apply, but not in immigration clearance.

If you are in Australia, you must hold a substantive visa or a Bridging A, B or C visa, and you must have substantially complied with the conditions of your current and recent visas.

You need at least 12 months of full-time equivalent work in the nominated occupation or a related field within the last 5 years - full-time, part-time and casual work all count. Under the Labour Agreement stream, the agreement can set a different requirement.

You must have the skills, qualifications and employment background needed to perform the occupation, and demonstrate your skills in the way the Minister specifies if asked - for some occupations and passport countries a formal skills assessment is mandatory.

Primary applicants must meet the English language requirements set by legislative instrument, unless an exemption applies.

In the past 3 years you must not have worked in breach of a visa condition, worked without a visa allowing it, or been part of a payment-for-sponsorship arrangement - unless the Minister considers it reasonable to disregard the conduct.

You must have adequate arrangements for health insurance for your stay.

If your nominated occupation is medical practitioner, your qualifications must be recognised in Australia for registration as a medical practitioner.

You and any family members applying with you must meet the health and character requirements, and applicants 18 years or over must sign an Australian Values Statement.

The English language requirements apply to the primary applicant only.

Secondary applicants - members of the family unit (MOFU) - do not need to meet them.

Some primary applicants are exempt.

A primary applicant is exempt from the specified English Language Test requirements if ANY of the following applies:

• They are a citizen of, and hold a valid passport from, Canada, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States.

• They have completed at least 5 years of full-time study at secondary or higher education institutions where the teaching was delivered in English.

• They are nominated for an occupation performed at a diplomatic or consular mission of another country, or at an Office of the Authorities of Taiwan located in Australia.

• Their occupation requires a licence, registration or membership that they have been granted, and obtaining it required English at a level at least equal to the test standard below.

• They work for a company with an established business overseas, their sponsor is that company or an associated entity of it, and their annual earnings will be at least AUD $96,400.

If they do not meet any of the above exemptions:

For the Core Skills stream and the Specialist Skills stream, the same rule applies in both:

They must have taken an approved English language test within the 3 years before they provide the evidence.

They must have achieved the required score in each of the four test components: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.

The approved tests and required scores are:

A test taken before 13 September 2025 can still be used if it was passed in a single attempt within the 3 years before their application, at the standards that applied at the time:

IELTS 5.0 overall and in each component;
OET grade B in each component;
TOEFL iBT 35 overall with 4 in listening and reading and 14 in speaking and writing;
PTE Academic 36 overall and in each component;
Cambridge English Advanced (CAE) 154 overall and in each component.

For the Labour Agreement stream:

Any language test requirements come from their employer's labour agreement with the Australian Government.

They must satisfy the requirements, if any, that the agreement specifies for the nominated occupation and for the visa, and demonstrate their English language proficiency in the manner, if any, that the agreement specifies.

For the Core Skills stream and the Specialist Skills stream, the same rule applies in both:

The primary applicant must have the skills, qualifications and employment background necessary to perform the tasks of the nominated occupation.

Please note that while not mandatory for all primary applicants, if asked by the Minister, the primary applicant MUST demonstrate those skills in the manner the Minister specifies.

Some applicants MUST have a skills assessment completed, or arranged and under way, before applying:

For 24 specified occupations, a primary applicant who holds a passport from a country specified for that occupation must have a skills assessment to make a valid visa application.

Occupations and the passport holders to whom the mandatory skills assessment requirement applies:

Automotive electrician - ANZSCO 321111
Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam and Zimbabwe

Baker - ANZSCO 351111
China, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam and Zimbabwe

Cabinetmaker - ANZSCO 394112
Brazil, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam and Zimbabwe

Carpenter - ANZSCO 331212
Brazil, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam and Zimbabwe

Carpenter and joiner - ANZSCO 331211
Brazil, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam and Zimbabwe

Chef - ANZSCO 351311
Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam and Zimbabwe

Cook - ANZSCO 351411
Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam and Zimbabwe

Diesel motor mechanic - ANZSCO 321212
Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam and Zimbabwe

Electrician (general) - ANZSCO 341111
Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa and Vietnam

Electrician (special class) - ANZSCO 341112
Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa and Vietnam

Fitter (general) - ANZSCO 323211
Brazil, China, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam and Zimbabwe

Fitter and turner - ANZSCO 323212
Brazil, China, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam and Zimbabwe

Fitter-welder - ANZSCO 323213
Brazil, China, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam and Zimbabwe

Joiner - ANZSCO 331213
Brazil, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam and Zimbabwe

Metal fabricator - ANZSCO 322311
Brazil, China, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam and Zimbabwe

Metal fitters and machinists (nec) - ANZSCO 323299
Brazil, China, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam and Zimbabwe

Metal machinist (first class) - ANZSCO 323214
Brazil, China, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam and Zimbabwe

Motor mechanic (general) - ANZSCO 321211
Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam and Zimbabwe

Panelbeater - ANZSCO 324111
China, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam and Zimbabwe

Pastrycook - ANZSCO 351112
Brazil, China, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam and Zimbabwe

Program or project administrator - ANZSCO 511112
All passports.

Sheetmetal trades worker - ANZSCO 322211
Brazil, China, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam and Zimbabwe

Toolmaker - ANZSCO 323412
Brazil, China, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam and Zimbabwe

Welder (first class) - ANZSCO 322313
Brazil, China, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam and Zimbabwe

The relevant assessing authority must have assessed their skills as suitable for the occupation within the 3 years ending immediately before the day the application is made - or the assessment must have been arranged with the authority and still be under way.

For the trades occupations the assessing authority is Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) and the assessment is a SID Skills Assessment or a TSS Skills Assessment.

For program or project administrator the authority is VETASSESS and the assessment is a Skills Assessment for General Professional Occupations.

An applicant is exempt from the mandatory skills assessment if ANY of the following applies:

• They hold a Subclass 457, Subclass 482 (Temporary Skill Shortage) or Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand) visa granted to them as the primary applicant, and they are employed in Australia in the nominated occupation.

• They are employed by a company with an established business overseas in the same or a similar occupation, and their sponsor is that company or an associated entity of it.

• They hold a qualification for the occupation commensurate with the ANZSCO standard, completed in Australia or in a country not on that occupation's passport list. (Not available for program or project administrator.)

• The occupation requires a licence, registration or membership to perform, and they have been granted it. (Not available for program or project administrator.)

• They have met the standards set by Trades Recognition Australia under the Offshore Skills Assessment Program for the occupation. (Not available for program or project administrator.)

• For program or project administrator only: they hold a commensurate qualification, will earn at least AUD $180,000 a year, and are nominated by a standard business sponsor with accredited status.

For the Labour Agreement stream:

Any skills, qualifications and employment background requirements come from the employer's labour agreement with the Australian Government, and the applicant demonstrates their skills in the manner, if any, that the agreement specifies.

Section 48 of the Migration Act applies to a person who is in Australia, does not hold a substantive visa, and has had a visa refused or cancelled since they last entered Australia. While they remain in Australia, a person in that position can only apply for a visa from a short list set out in the Regulations.

Skills in Demand (Class GK) is not on that list. A person affected by the section 48 bar cannot make a valid application for this visa while they are in Australia.

The bar only applies onshore - an application made from outside Australia is not affected by section 48.

Your family members for this visa are: your spouse or de facto partner; children or stepchildren (yours or your partner's) who are not married, engaged or in a de facto relationship and are under 23; a child 23 or over only if they cannot support themselves because of physical or mental incapacity; and a dependent child of one of those children.

Family members can be included in your application, or apply later to join you as subsequent entrants while you hold the visa - a later applicant must be listed on the nomination, or your sponsor must agree in writing to sponsor them.

Family members granted the visa can live in Australia for the same period as you, and can work and study without the occupation restriction that applies to you as the primary visa holder - a dependent child's visa cannot normally run past their 23rd birthday.

Each family member must meet health and character requirements, and every holder must keep adequate health insurance in Australia.

A separate visa application charge applies for each family member.

Work in Australia for up to 4 years, or up to 5 years if you hold an eligible Hong Kong or British National (Overseas) passport, in the nominated occupation for your approved sponsoring employer, as required by visa condition 8607.

You must start work within 90 days of arriving in Australia, or within 90 days of the grant if you were in Australia when the visa was granted.

If your employment ends, visa condition 8607 allows you to be out of that work for up to 180 consecutive days, and 365 days in total across the visa period, while a new sponsoring employer nomination is arranged.

If your occupation requires a licence, registration or membership, you must obtain it within 90 days, keep it, and only work consistently with it.

You must keep adequate health insurance for your whole stay in Australia - visa condition 8501.

Travel to and from Australia as many times as you want while the visa is valid.

If eligible, apply for a Permanent Residence Visa, which can be a pathway to Australian Citizenship.

The Visa Application Charge (VAC) for the primary applicant is AUD $4,015

The Visa Application Charge for a Partner (Eligible member of the Family Unit) is AUD $4,015

The Visa Application Charge for each additional applicant (Eligible member of the Family Unit) that is aged 18 and over is AUD $4,015

The Visa Application Charge for each additional applicant (Eligible member of the Family Unit) that is aged under 18, the charge is AUD $1,005

A payment surcharge may also be applied, with the percentage rate dependent on your method of payment.

NB: The Department of Home Affairs can change the VAC without notice, fees shown are current as at 25 July 2026.

Applications for this visa attract the Subsequent Temporary Application Charge (STAC) - a one-off charge of AUD $700 paid on top of the visa application charge. It applies across the whole subclass.The STAC applies when all of the following are true: you are in Australia when you apply; the visa you hold - or the last substantive visa you held - is one of the earlier temporary visas specified for the charge (they include Subclass 482, 457, 500, 590, 407, 408, 417, 462 and the Subclass 600 Tourist stream); you were in Australia when you applied for that earlier visa; and that earlier visa was granted on an application made in the ordinary way - not a deemed application, a grant by operation of law, or a grant through Ministerial intervention.If any of those points does not apply to you, the STAC is not payable.

Primary Applicant Visa Application Preparation and Lodgement Service - Subclass 482 Skills in Demand (SID) Visa AUD $3000

Partner (Eligible member of the Family Unit) Visa Application Preparation and Lodgement Service - Subclass 482 Skills in Demand (SID) Visa AUD $1,950

Additional Applicant (Eligible member of the Family Unit) that is aged 18 and over Visa Application Preparation and Lodgement Service - Subclass 482 Skills in Demand (SID) Visa AUD $1,950

Additional Applicant (Eligible member of the Family Unit) that is aged under 18 Visa Application Preparation and Lodgement Service - Subclass 482 Skills in Demand (SID) Visa AUD $1,350

While our migration team can give you an estimate of the timeframe, it is not possible to give a definitive timeframe for any visa processing.

The Australian Department of Home Affairs does not commit to any visa processing times.

While the Department may publish guidelines for processing times, it does not mean a visa is going to be decided in that timeframe, the Department is under no obligation to process a visa in a set period of time and frequently changes its own guidelines on visa processing times.

The best advice we can provide is to ensure your visa application is thoroughly and diligently prepared by an Australian Registered Migration Agent to ensure there are no delays once the Department begins to assess your visa application.

This page provides general information only and it is not being provided as immigration assistance, and any reader should not consider it as being provided as immigration assistance.

Your particular circumstances should be examined and assessed by an Australian Registered Migration Agent who can then explain if you satisfy the criteria for this visa before acting.

Every application is assessed on its own merits.

The Department of Home Affairs can change visa application charges, income thresholds and eligibility criteria without notice.

Income thresholds are indexed on 1 July each year.

The figures that apply are those in force on the date the relevant application is lodged, not the date it is decided.

Information current as at 25 July 2026

Look at the amount of criteria on this page.

And that is not even half of it. Behind every criterion sits the evidence to prove it, the documents to prepare and check, and the nomination side of the application - all of it done properly before anything is lodged.

That is what it takes to prepare and lodge a valid, strong and compliant Subclass 482 Skills in Demand (SID) application.

Australian Department of Home Affairs Visa Application Charges are very expensive, and they are not refunded if the visa application is denied.

So much depends on making sure the migration pathway for you is right, and that every aspect of your situation is reviewed, before an application is even started.

That is why an initial consultation is a must.

We do not start to prepare any visa applications without one.

The initial consultation fee is AUD $399.

We state it here up front - no hidden costs, no surprises.

The fee of AUD$399 can be credited against future professional fees if, within 30 days of your initial consultation, you engage us to prepare and lodge your visa application.

Not only is the money you pay for an initial consultation potentially deducted from our agent fees if you proceed, but it could just be the best money you ever spend.

The consultation is where the migration pathway and plan gets reviewed, from all angles.

Not only is every aspect checked against current legislation, and does your situation and circumstances satisfy all of the criteria on this page. But also whether the Subclass 482 Skills in Demand (SID) is genuinely the best option for your circumstances and your long-term migration goals.

If you are an employer or a visa applicant, if a different visa serves you better, we will explain which is a better visa option, and why.

Because one visa is rarely the end of the story.

Family reunited in Australia.
Plans for permanent residency.
The long-term goal of Australian citizenship.

We know from our experience that decisions made now affect all of it, so the first step must be an initial consultation.

From there, we are with you every step of the way - during the application preparation, final application checking before lodgement, after the application is lodged, and all through the application stages to the Department's decision and beyond.

We genuinely want to help - people before profit - the reviews left for us by visa applicants are plain to read in their words how they were treated, how their migration goals were met.

Our job is not to sell you anything.

Our job is to listen to you, to really hear you as you tell us what the outcome is that you want.

Our job is to review the evidence you provide and for us to tell you the truth about your best migration option, even if that option is not the visa on this page.

If you want to take the first step you can book an initial consultation below.