Are you struggling to find skilled staff for your business? Have your recruitment efforts searching the local labour market so far proved unsuccessful?

Well, you may like to consider sponsoring foreign workers for a Subclass 482 Skills In Demand (SID) visa as a potential solution to the skill shortages which you are experiencing. The subclass 482 SID visa is designed to assist employers to bring in genuinely skilled workers from overseas where appropriately skilled workers are not able to be sourced from the Australian labour market.

Keen to find out more? Well, you’ve come to the right place! Read on to find out more about the subclass 482 SID visa as we delve deeper into its key features and requirements, the application process and how it works.

First up, what are the key features of the subclass 482 SID visa?

Key Features Of The Subclass 482 Skills In Demand Visa

The SID visa program is designed to assist employers in Australia to help fill skill shortages where they cannot be sourced in the local employment market. It is therefore open to selected occupations that are experiencing labour shortages. As the supply and demand pressures for labour changes over time, so too will the selected occupations that can be nominated for the SID visa, such that it mirrors and responds to the changing needs of the Australian labour market. 

To nominate a worker for a subclass 482 SID visa, labour market testing must be conducted in accordance with prescribed requirements or labour agreement by the employer (unless an exemption or alternative arrangements apply), to demonstrate that the position cannot be filled in the local employment market.

Some of the key features of the SID visa are:

  • four-year visa period;
  • clear and defined pathways to permanent residency;
  • no age limit applies (please note that permanent residency requirements are separate, with a 45-year age limit to qualify for a Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) visa, unless an exemption applies, or is otherwise specified in an executed Labour Agreement in place);
  • annually indexed salary thresholds;
  • flexibility to move between employers;
  • if the employment relationship with a sponsor ceases, visa holders have 180 days to find another sponsor and are permitted to work during this period; and
  • clear, fast service standards for visa processing (between 7 and 21 days for visa approval).

Eligible members of your nominated worker’s family unit may also apply as dependent visa applicants to accompany the nominee to Australia.

Subclass 482 visa holders are permitted to travel to and from Australia on an unrestricted basis during the visa period.

Skills In Demand Visa Streams

The subclass 482 SID visa is made up of three streams, being a Core Skills, Specialist Skills and Labour Agreement stream. As a SID visa holder, your sponsored foreign worker will be permitted to live and work in Australia for a period of up to four years.

Core Skills Stream

The core skills stream is aimed at a broad range of skilled migrants (most SID visa applicants will come through this pathway) who possess the skills to fill occupations identified by Jobs and Skills Australia as being in shortage, to meet targeted workforce needs.

Under this stream, employers are able to source skilled overseas workers who:

  • are nominated in an occupation on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL); and
  • earn at least the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) and no less than Australian workers in the same occupation. From 1 July 2025, the CSIT is $76,515. The CSIT is indexed annually.

Subclass 482 SID visa holders under the Core Skills stream are eligible to apply for permanent residence after two years under the Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream of the Subclass 186 ENS visa.

As the sponsoring employer under the Core Skills stream, your business must also be an approved Standard Business Sponsor (SBS).

Specialist Skills Stream

The specialist skills stream is aimed at highly skilled, high-income earning professionals seeking quick entry to Australia, to drive innovation and job creation.

Under this stream, employers are able to source skilled overseas workers who:

  • are nominated in a 6-digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) 2022 occupation in Major Groups 1, 2, 4, 5 or 6. This means that any occupation may be nominated under this stream (as no Skilled Occupation List applies), except trades workers, machinery operators, drivers and labourers; and
  • earn at least the Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT) and no less than Australian workers in the same occupation. From 1 July 2025, the CSIT is $141,210. The CSIT is indexed annually.

Subclass 482 SID visa holders under the Specialist Skills stream are eligible to apply for permanent residence after two years under the TRT stream of the Subclass 186 ENS visa.

As with the core skills stream, your business must be an approved SBS to sponsor workers under the specialist skills stream.

Labour Agreement Stream

To sponsor a foreign worker under the labour agreement stream, as the sponsoring employer, your business must have an executed labour agreement in place with the Government to source skilled overseas workers, where there is a demonstrated need that cannot be met in the Australian labour market and the standard visa programs are not available. This would be the case, for example, where the occupation which you seek to nominate in your business is not eligible under the standard visa programs. The benefit of the labour agreement stream is the flexibility that it provides to help businesses to fill skill shortages that are unique to their specific circumstances. And so, for instance, new and emerging occupations that do not have a corresponding ANZSCO may be sought to be nominated under a labour agreement, or the specific and unique needs of regional areas such as South Australia and the Northern Territory are not catered for under the standard employer sponsored visa programs.

A labour agreement may also include certain concessions that apply to work experience, English language and age requirements, for example.

It provides a pathway to permanent residency after two years under the TRT stream, or in accordance with the terms of the labour agreement if being nominated for an ENS visa under the labour agreement stream. When it comes to the permanent residence visa stage via a Subclass 186 ENS visa, it may be more beneficial to apply under the labour agreement stream, as any concessions provided for in the labour agreement cannot be carried over to the TRT stream.

Skills In Demand Visa Application Process

The subclass 482 SID visa application process consists of three stages; namely a sponsorship or labour agreement, nomination and visa application stage. The sponsorship or labour agreement, and the nomination for a SID visa application are to be lodged by the employer. The visa application is to be lodged by the proposed foreign worker whom you seek to sponsor in your business.

If your business already has an approved sponsorship or labour agreement in place, only a nomination and visa application is required (sponsorships and labour agreements generally last for a period of five years).

Pathway To Permanent Residency Visa

The subclass 482 SID visa provides a pathway to permanent residency in Australia for your sponsored foreign worker via a Subclass 186 ENS visa. This visa includes a Temporary Residence Transition stream (TRT), which is specifically designed for subclass 482 SID visa holders who have worked full-time for their sponsoring employer for two out of the last three years. 

Your subclass 482 sponsored foreign worker may also qualify for permanent residency under the labour agreement stream, subject to meeting requirements as specified in the executed labour agreement.

Let us now take a closer look at the three stages that comprise a subclass 482 SID visa application, namely a sponsorship or labour agreement, nomination and visa application.

Sponsorship For A Skills In Demand Visa

How Does A Business Qualify As A Sponsor

As discussed above, the first step in the process to sponsor a foreign worker for a subclass 482 SID visa is for your business to obtain approval as a SBS. In order to do so, your business must meet a number of specified requirements, including:

  • be lawfully operating a business;
  • have a strong record of, or a demonstrated commitment to, employing local labour, and declaring that they will not engage in discriminatory recruitment practices; and
  • there must be no adverse information known to the Department of Home Affairs (the Department) about you, as the employer, or a person associated with your business, or it is reasonable to disregard such information.

A wide range of business structures are acceptable for sponsorship purposes, including sole traders, partnerships, companies (public and private) and non-profit organisations.

Also be aware that as a condition of sponsorship approval, a sponsor is required to abide by a number of specified sponsorship obligations. Be mindful that the Department monitors sponsors to ensure compliance with these obligations, and sanctions may be applied where breaches have occurred. Penalties can include cancellation of sponsorship approval and financial penalties: https://paxmigration.com.au/migration-info-centre/482-visa-employer-obligations/

How Does A Business Enter Into A Labour Agreement

As an alternative to becoming a Standard Business Sponsor, your business may seek to enter into a labour agreement with the Government. As noted, one of the main benefits of a labour agreement is that it provides more flexible terms to the standard visa programs.

Under a labour agreement, an employer can sponsor or nominate suitably skilled overseas workers for a subclass 482 visa in accordance with the terms which have been negotiated with the Department in the executed labour agreement (different types of agreements allow for varying levels of flexibility).

Nomination For A Skills In Demand Visa

The second stage of the SID visa application process seeks approval for your business to nominate the proposed foreign worker for the position which you are seeking to fill.

As the employer, your business must satisfy a number of specified requirements for nomination approval, which include the following:

  • the entity must be an approved sponsor or have a labour agreement in place;
  • the entity must nominate an occupation that is eligible under either the core skills stream, or the specialist skills stream, or the occupation must be specified in a labour agreement;
  • there must be no adverse information known about the business, or any person associated with the business;
  • the position must be genuine and full-time employment;
  • the entity must provide a written contract of employment;
  • the proposed sponsored foreign worker must be employed as a direct employee, or as an employee of an associated entity if the entity is an Australian business sponsor;
  • meet requirements relating to the nominated salary and employment conditions;
  • provide evidence of Labour Market Testing where required (this relates to advertising in the local labour market); and
  • the entity must not engage in discriminatory recruitment practices.

An occupation nominated on the CSOL may be subject to caveat/s, which excludes the use of the occupation in certain circumstances. For example, a Recruitment Consultant (ANZSCO 223112) is not eligible to be nominated if the position is in a business that has:

  • an annual turnover of less than $1,000,000; and
  • less than five employees.

Visa

The final stage of the subclass 482 SID visa application process is the visa. The requirements to be satisfied by your proposed sponsored worker at this stage of the application process will depend on which stream is applied for, as set out below.

Core Skills and Specialist Skills Streams

The key requirements to be met by your proposed sponsored foreign worker for grant of a subclass 482 SID visa under the Core Skills or Specialist stream include that they must:

  • demonstrate that they have at least 12 months of employment experience in the nominated occupation or in a related field. This work can be carried out on a full-time, part-time or casual basis (must be equivalent to at least 12 months full-time work) within the last five years. Note however that if a qualification is not held, further work experience will be needed in lieu of a qualification;
  • have the skills, qualifications, employment background that are necessary to perform the tasks of the nominated occupation (in accordance with ANZSCO);
  • have a relevant skills assessment (if required for the nominated occupation, unless an exemption applies). If the nominated occupation is a medical practitioner, the applicant’s qualifications must be recognised by the relevant Australian registration authority entitling the applicant to practice;
  • have complied substantially with the conditions of the last substantive visa, and any subsequent bridging visa held;
  • meet an English language requirement (unless they qualify for an exemption); and
  • meet health and character requirements, and make adequate arrangements for health insurance during the period of the intended stay in Australia.

Labour Agreement Stream

The key requirements to be met by your proposed sponsored foreign worker for grant of the subclass 482 SID visa under the Labour Agreement stream essentially mirror the requirements outlined for the core skills and specialist skills streams above, except where the terms of the executed Labour Agreement are different. If this is the case, then the requirements specified in the labour agreement apply.

The key requirements to be met by your proposed sponsored foreign worker for grant of a subclass 482 SID visa under the Labour Agreement stream include that they must:

  • demonstrate that they have at least 12 months of employment experience in the nominated occupation or in a related field. This work can be carried out on a full-time, part-time or casual basis (must be equivalent to at least 12 months full-time work) within the last five years; or according with the terms specified in the labour agreement;
  • have the skills, qualifications, employment background and English language proficiency as specified in the labour agreement;
  • have a relevant skills assessment (if required according to the labour agreement). Registration requirements for medical practitioners apply as for the Core Skills and Specialist Skills streams;
  • meet an English language requirement which is generally the same as that which applies to applicants in the core skills and specialist skills streams, unless the labour agreement specifies a different English language competency requirement; and
  • meet health and character requirements.

The nominated occupation must also be included in the executed labour agreement between your business and the Government.

Important Condition Applicable to SID Visa Holders

SID visa holders are subject to visa condition 8607, which stipulates the following:

  • your sponsored worker must work only in the nominated occupation. They cannot work in a different occupation, unless a new SID visa is granted;
  • unless an exemption applies, your sponsored worker can only work for the business that nominated them if the visa was granted in the:
  • Labour agreement stream; or
  • Specialist Skills or Core Skills stream and the sponsor is an overseas business.
  • if the visa was granted in the Specialist Skills or Core Skills stream and the sponsor is an Australian business, the SID visa holder can only work for the sponsor that nominated them, or an associated entity of the sponsor
  • if the SID visa holder seeks to change employers, the new proposed employer must have a nomination approved before the visa holder can start working for the new employer;
  • if the employment with you, as the sponsor, ends, the SID visa holder can stop working or work outside of the 482 work conditions (as outlined above) for:
  • up to 180 days in a single period; and
  • up to 365 days in total across the period the visa is granted for.

These time periods start from 1 July 2024.

  • the SID visa holder must start work within 90 days of:
  • arriving in Australia, if they were outside Australia when the visa was granted; or
  • being granted the visa, if they were in Australia when the visa was granted
  • the SID visa holder can work for other businesses if:
  • permitted for the occupation in accordance with legislative provisions; or
  • the employment is ending, and the worker is serving out a notice period
  • If it is mandatory to have a licence, registration or membership to work in the nominated occupation, the visa holder must hold that licence, registration or membership and comply with its provisions. The SID visa holder must hold the mandatory licence, registration or membership within 90 days of:
    • arriving in Australia, if they were outside Australia when the visa was granted; or
    • being granted the visa, if they were in Australia when the visa was granted.

Get More Information

To learn more about the subclass 482 SID visa, please refer to our article on the Introduction Of A New Subclass 482 Skills in Demand (SID) Visa On 7 December 2024: https://paxmigration.com.au/migration-info-centre/new-skills-in-demand-visa/

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Contact us to book a no-obligation consultation to find out more about how you may be able to sponsor a foreign worker for a subclass 482 SID visa.

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In conclusion, we note that the above discussion provides an overview of the subclass 482 SID visa, including the key features and requirements, as well as the application process, We also provide links to further information so that you can learn more about the subclass 482 SID visa.

Australia’s migration laws are complex, and each case is different. We recommend that you seek professional advice if you are seeking to sponsor foreign workers for a subclass 482 SID visa, as being fully informed will give you the best chance of achieving a successful outcome on your application.

For up-to-date advice on how to sponsor foreign workers under the subclass 482 SID visa program, including how to become a sponsor or to apply for a labour agreement, and how the application process works, book your confidential consultation with a migration agent in Adelaide. PAX Migration Australia is a leading immigration advice service based in Adelaide.