The Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) replaced the Temporary Skill Shortage visa on 7 December 2024 and is now the main employer-sponsored work visa for Indian professionals and tradespeople. An approved Standard Business Sponsor nominates you for an occupation on the Core Skills Occupation List at guaranteed earnings of at least AUD 79,423 (the Core Skills Income Threshold from 1 July 2026) or the annual market salary rate, you show one year of relevant experience and English at IELTS 5.0 in each band, and Home Affairs grants up to four years with a route to permanent residence after two. The worker pays AUD 4,015; the employer pays the sponsorship, nomination and the Skilling Australians Fund levy.
The compact version with the price card, checklist and refusal cases is on the Australia Skills in Demand route page. This article explains both sides of the file and what changed with the new visa.
What changed with the Skills in Demand visa?
Four changes matter. The experience requirement fell from two years to one year of relevant full-time work in the last five years. The short-term and medium-term streams were replaced by the Core Skills stream (occupations on the Core Skills Occupation List at or above the Core Skills Income Threshold) and the Specialist Skills stream (any occupation except trades, machinery operators, drivers and labourers, at or above the higher Specialist Skills Income Threshold). Workers who leave a sponsor now have 180 days (up to 365 days across the visa) to find a new one and may work for others in the meantime. And time with any approved sponsor counts towards the permanent residence pathway, not only time with the current one.
A third stream, Labour Agreement, covers employers with a negotiated agreement for occupations or regions not served by the standard lists; the terms of each agreement set the salary, English and experience concessions. Most Indian applicants in IT, engineering, accounting, health and the trades use the Core Skills stream, which is what this guide describes.
The employer's side: sponsorship, nomination and the levy
| Item | AUD | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Business Sponsorship | 420 | Valid 5 years; accredited sponsors get priority processing |
| Nomination | 330 | Per position; identifies the ANZSCO occupation and salary |
| Skilling Australians Fund levy | 1,200 per year (turnover under AUD 10m) or 1,800 per year | Paid at nomination for the full visa length; cannot be recovered from the worker |
The nomination must show that the position is genuine and full time, that the occupation on the Core Skills Occupation List matches the duties, and that the guaranteed annual earnings are at least AUD 79,423 and at least the annual market salary rate (what an Australian worker would be paid for the same role in the same location, evidenced by advertisements, enterprise agreements or pay data). Recovering the levy, nomination or sponsorship fee from the worker is a sponsorship obligation breach that can bar the employer from sponsoring; a recruiter who asks the candidate to pay for a nomination is a warning sign for both sides.
The worker's side: fee, experience, English and skills assessment
| Item | AUD | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Skills in Demand visa, main applicant | 4,015 | From 1 July 2026; not refunded on refusal |
| Additional applicant charges | Per pricing table | Partner and each child |
| Skills assessment where required | 500 to 1,500 | Set by the assessing authority; 4 to 12 weeks |
| Health examinations | Panel physician fee | Every applicant |
| Police clearance certificates | Passport Seva and other national fees | Every country lived in for 12 months or more in the last 10 years |
Experience is at least one year of relevant full-time work in the nominated or a closely related occupation in the last five years, shown by letters on letterhead with duties, dates, hours and pay, corroborated by pay slips, Form 16 and PF statements. Many trades and some professions require a skills assessment for Indian passport holders before lodgement; check the occupation's page on the Core Skills Occupation List. Regulated occupations need state or territory registration or evidence it can be obtained. English for the Core Skills stream is IELTS 5.0 overall with 5.0 in each band, or the equivalent in PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, Cambridge or OET, within three years.
How does the application run?
- The employer applies for Standard Business Sponsorship or confirms the existing approval is current.
- The employer lodges the nomination with market salary evidence, guaranteed earnings of at least AUD 79,423 and the SAF levy.
- You lodge the visa in ImmiAccount linked to the nomination, with experience letters, qualifications, skills assessment if required, English result, passport and police certificates, and pay AUD 4,015 plus family charges.
- Every applicant completes a health examination with a panel physician in India and gives biometrics when requested.
- On grant you start work only for the sponsor in the nominated occupation; the visa allows multiple entries for up to four years, and partners have unrestricted work rights.
Home Affairs publishes 50 and 90 percent processing figures monthly. Plan three to five months from offer letter to first day for a new sponsor, and six to ten weeks for an accredited sponsor with a worker who already holds a skills assessment.
Changing employers and the route to permanent residence
The visa is tied to the nominated occupation and sponsor, but a worker who leaves has 180 days to find a new sponsor who lodges a fresh nomination, and may work for others in the meantime. After two years on a 482 visa, an employer willing to nominate you can use the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) Temporary Residence Transition stream, which grants permanent residence subject to age under 45 (with exemptions for high earners and some occupations), English at Competent level (IELTS 6.0 in each band) and the salary thresholds. State-nominated (190) and regional (491) pathways also count 482 time; the Australia Skilled Independent route page covers the points-tested alternative for workers whose employer will not nominate.
Why are 482 visas refused, and what fixes each reason?
Salary below the threshold or the market rate. The nomination is refused and the visa with it. The employer reissues the nomination at a compliant salary supported by market evidence; check the indexed threshold each 1 July.
Experience not shown or not matched. Letters without one year of full-time relevant work, or duties that did not match the ANZSCO tasks. Obtain detailed letters that mirror the ANZSCO description with hours and dates, and corroborate with pay records.
Skills assessment or registration missing. Complete the assessment before lodging; allow 4 to 12 weeks.
Genuine position or sponsor compliance. Employers keep organisation charts, job descriptions and payroll evidence in order and resolve monitoring issues before nominating; workers check the sponsor's standing before accepting.
English, health or character. Retake the test within validity, complete examinations before lodging, and disclose all convictions with court records.
How Vistolane handles it
Work routes on Vistolane go to a licence-checked, MARA-registered migration agent who runs the employer's sponsorship and nomination alongside the worker's visa, with a salary and occupation check against the Core Skills Occupation List before the offer letter goes out. Employers can start from the Australia work permit page; applicants start with the free eligibility check or the Australia Skills in Demand route page.
