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In December 2024, the Skills in Demand Visa replaced the old Temporary Skill Shortage Visa and became the primary temporary employer-sponsored pathway in Australia. Requirements are set by the Department of Home Affairs under the Migration Act 1958 and can change without notice - which is why confirming current requirements before lodging is not optional.
You can’t apply for this visa on your own. An approved Australian employer has to nominate you, for a role that’s genuinely needed. Most applications run through three connected stages: employer sponsorship, position nomination, and the visa application itself. A problem at one stage tends to follow through to the next.
Some employers already hold sponsorship approval. Others need Standard Business Sponsorship before they can nominate anyone from overseas. On the applicant side, some people have strong qualifications but thin evidence of what they actually did day-to-day. Others have solid experience, but the role on offer doesn’t line up with the ANZSCO occupation being nominated. We go through the whole position before anything gets near the paperwork. It’s faster in the long run.
Eligibility turns on the visa stream, the occupation, the employer, and your own circumstances. Most applicants will need to show:
Many applicants will also need at least one year of relevant full-time work experience within the last five years. Relevant is doing a lot of work in that sentence. Your job title isn’t what decides the outcome. The Department of Home Affairs can and does cross-check your reference letters, actual duties, qualifications, payslips and tax records against the occupation you’ve nominated — and all of it needs to line up. A vague reference letter, or a title that doesn’t reflect the work you actually did, tends to raise questions nobody wants to be answering mid-application.
The Core Skills Stream covers nominated occupations listed on the Core Skills Occupation List, with visas typically granted for up to four years depending on the nomination and the circumstances of the case. This is the most common Subclass 482 pathway. The employer has to meet the relevant salary, sponsorship and nomination requirements. Occupation selection matters more here than most people expect — a role can look right on paper and still not match what’s expected under the ANZSCO classification being used.
The Specialist Skills Stream is for higher-income specialist roles that meet the eligibility requirements in place at the time of nomination. Salary, occupation classification and the actual day-to-day duties all have to satisfy those requirements. A senior-sounding title won’t carry a role that doesn’t otherwise qualify — the position has to earn its place on the application.
The Labour Agreement Stream applies to employers operating under agreements negotiated directly with the Australian Government. These can open up different arrangements depending on the industry, occupation or workforce shortage involved. Every agreement runs on its own terms — there’s no standard Subclass 482 checklist that applies here.
This isn’t just about the person applying for the visa. The sponsoring business has to show it’s operating lawfully, genuinely needs the role filled, and can meet its obligations going forward. Depending on the case, the employer may need to:
Pulling a job description off a template won’t cut it. The Department of Home Affairs can look at the company’s business activity, financial position, staffing structure, recruitment history, organisational chart, employment contract, and the commercial reason the role exists. The nomination has to make sense on its own merits.
This is where a lot of employer-sponsored applications run into trouble. Where Labour Market Testing applies, the employer has to advertise the role in a way that meets the Department’s rules and keep the right evidence on file. Timing, what the advertisement actually says, salary disclosure where it’s required, and proof the recruitment effort was genuine — all of it can come under scrutiny.
It’s not something to sort out the week before the nomination goes in. We review the recruitment material before lodgement, not after the Department comes back with questions. That’s the only way to handle it properly.
Our support can include:
You’ll know what’s being asked, why it matters, and where the real risk sits in your case.
What you’ll need comes down to your occupation and circumstances, but applicants are commonly asked for:
A thin folder of strong, consistent documents will outperform a thick one full of gaps. Dates, salary figures, employer names, duties and job titles need to match across your CV, reference letters, contract, payslips and everything else submitted. Small inconsistencies have a way of becoming bigger problems once the application is under review.
It can, but nothing about it is automatic. Some Skills in Demand Visa holders go on to qualify for permanent residency — often through the Employer Nomination Scheme Visa (Subclass 186) or another suitable pathway.
Occupation selection, salary, employer eligibility, continuity of work and documentation can all shape what’s realistically available later. A temporary visa lodged in a hurry shouldn’t end up closing off a permanent residency pathway that was otherwise within reach. We keep both the immediate visa and the longer-term plan in view from the start.
Eligible family members can usually be included in the application, or added later as subsequent entrants in some cases. Switching employers while on a Subclass 482 needs to be handled carefully. Your new employer will generally need to meet sponsorship and nomination requirements before you start working under the new arrangement.
A new job offer on its own doesn’t transfer the visa. Don’t assume it does. How long you’re approved to stay rests on the stream and the nomination. Core Skills and Specialist Skills visas can run up to four years; Labour Agreement arrangements come down to the specific agreement in place.
Government charges and income thresholds shift — they should always be confirmed against current requirements before lodging. Costs can include visa application charges, sponsorship fees, nomination fees, Skilling Australians Fund levy obligations, medical exams, police certificates, English testing, skills assessments and certified translations.
Processing times aren’t fixed. They move depending on the visa stream, application quality, verification requirements, what the Department is prioritising, and how complex the employer nomination is. We walk you through the likely costs before any work starts.
If you’ve got an Australian job offer, you’re thinking about sponsoring someone from overseas, or you want to know whether the Skills in Demand Visa is realistic for your situation — start with a proper assessment. Early advice is what stops the expensive mistakes from happening.