Subclass482–SkillsinDemandVisa

Advising UAE residents on Australian immigration from our Dubai office.

Overview

The Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) is Australia's main employer-sponsored work visa. An approved Australian employer sponsors you for a position they cannot fill locally, you stay for up to four years, and you transition to permanent residency from there.

It replaced the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa on 7 December 2024. TSS applications closed on 6 December 2024 and the TSS streams are now on Home Affairs' repealed-visa list. The subclass number stayed the same, which is why it is still sometimes called "TSS 482".

The three streams

Stream	Who it fits	Speed (50% / 90% of applications)
Specialist Skills	Any ANZSCO 2022 occupation except Major Groups 3, 7 and 8, with a salary above the Specialist Skills Income Threshold	37 days / 78 days
Core Skills	Occupation on the Core Skills Occupation List, salary above the Core Skills Income Threshold	4 months / 9 months
Labour Agreement	Employers with a labour agreement in place with the government	5 months / 9 months

The Specialist Skills stream is the fastest skilled visa Australia offers — faster than any permanent route, and faster than the points-tested visas by an order of magnitude.

What changed for the better

The experience requirement dropped to one year, a full year less than under the TSS visa. That single change opened the visa to a much larger group of mid-career applicants.

What to watch

Three applications have to succeed, not one: your employer's sponsorship, the nomination of your specific role, and your visa. Sponsorship is quick — half are decided in 11 days — but nomination is the bottleneck, at 64 days for half of cases and up to 9 months for 90%.

And the salary thresholds matter. Both the Core Skills Income Threshold and the Specialist Skills Income Threshold were indexed on 1 July 2026, so the amounts in the December 2024 announcement no longer apply. Confirm the current amounts before you negotiate a salary — the stream you qualify for depends on it.

Visa application charge

The Home Affairs visa application charge for the primary applicant is AUD 4,015 (as displayed on 29 September 2026). Additional charges apply for each family member included in the application.

Temporary Short Skill Visa Program (Sub Class 482)

The Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482) became the Skills in Demand visa on 7 December 2024, with Specialist Skills, Core Skills and Labour Agreement streams. The outline below describes the earlier streams under their old names.

Even after so much of exercising to fill in job vacancies through migration, there could be certain jobs which would still need temporary working professionals to fill in certain gaps.

Based on such requirements, Temporary Short skill Visa Program or SubClass 482 was designed.

Although a temporary Visa program, it is to be noted that under certain circumstances, this visa can be converted to permanent residency permit.

Qualification/eligibility under this stream

• Your Australian employer need to provide a nomination/sponsorship asking your presence in Australia
• Such employer invariably must be either a qualified sponsor/approved Australian Employer
• You need to take your English proficiency test to prove your language skills through authorized agency
• You need to provide medical certificate
• A conduct certificate needs to be attached with the application from your local police body

4 pathways have been defined under this stream

Short Term Stream

• You can travel to and fro into Australia during the period of the validity of this VISA Program
• You need to earn nomination from your employer to apply for this program.
• This Visa can be converted into PR Visa Program
• It is important that your job profile is part of Australia’s current list of Short term job openings
• You need to provide education and skill assessment documents while submitting your application.
• You cannot switch jobs with this program.
• You will have to take up your English fluency assessment test with one of the authorized agency

Medium Term Stream

• Medium term stream addresses job vacancies which demand a longer stay of the employees
• You can apply for PR Visa
• You can study in Australia with this program.
• You are authorized to travel as would be required to and fro Australia with this Visa till its validity.
• A nomination needs to be provided by your Australian employer
• It is important that your job profile is part of the medium and long term skilled occupations list.
• Provide skills and education assessment certificate
• You will be employed only under the employer who nominated you.
• You need to take English language Proficiency test with any of the authorized agencies
• Medical Certificate and certificate proving your clean background needs to be provided

Labor Agreement stream

• Employees of all those employers who are part of the Labout agreement can avail this stream.
• You can study in Australia with this stream
• You can travel to and fro from Australia as would be needed, unhindered until the validity of the visa
• Your nomination should be based on the job specifications bound by the terms laid as per the Labour agreement
• You need to provide education assessment certificates
• You need to take up English language proficiency test through any of the authorized agency
• You will be working for the same employer who nominated you and will not be able to shift jobs under this program.

Subsequent Entrant Stream

This is an add-on scheme for the dependents and immediate family of the SubClass 482 visa holders.

XIPHIAS Immigration, DMCC is a MARA registered firm. We help our clients by taking up their cause of migrating to Australia and walk with them as would be needed up until they receive their VISA.

Talk to an Australia immigration consultant in Dubai

XIPHIAS Immigration has advised families on Australian permanent residency since 2009, and our Dubai team works with UAE residents applying from the Emirates. We were named Best Immigration Consultant by The Times of India in 2022.

If you want a straight answer on whether this route suits your profile, our immigration consultants in Dubai will give you one — including when the answer is no.

• Book a consultation
• Australia PR from Dubai
• Verify an immigration consultant

Sources

• Home Affairs — Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482)
• Home Affairs — skilled occupation lists
• Home Affairs — repealed visas (includes the TSS streams)
• Home Affairs — Global Talent Employer Sponsored scheme
• Federal Register of Legislation — Core Skills Occupation List instrument (F2024L01620)

All figures verified against Home Affairs on 29 September 2026. Visa application charges are the amounts Home Affairs displayed on that date. The income thresholds were indexed on 1 July 2026; XIPHIAS confirms the current amounts with you before your employer lodges the nomination.