Skills In Demand (SID)
Subclass 482

Allows Australian employers to sponsor skilled overseas workers for temporary roles in occupations facing skill shortages.

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Skills In Demand (SID) Subclass 482

On 7th December 2024, The Department of Home Affairs restructured 482 visas. This is the biggest restructuring since April 2017. The changes have streamlined the employer sponsorship program as it introduces more flexibility into the program.

Skills in Demand (SID)

The new program is now called Skills in Demand (SID) and no longer Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS). The new ‘Skills in Demand visa’ aims to address labour market needs and introduces several significant changes, such as one year of relevant experience from 2 years and more time to find another sponsor if their employment ceases with their sponsoring employer. It also offers a more flexible pathway to applying for permanent residence under the Subclass 186 Employer Nominated Sponsorship, where previous employment on a 482 visa can be credited towards the two-year requirement for the Subclass 186 Visa application. In addition, employers will have more incentive to attract and retain skilled workers.

The Skills in Demand (SID) program is a 3-tiered structure as follows:

The Core Skills stream includes the following criteria:

The Core Skills stream caters to a broader range of skilled professionals and includes the following criteria:

To qualify for this stream, the applicant’s nominated occupation must be listed on the Core Skills Occupations List (CSOL). This ensures that the stream supports industries experiencing skill shortages.
The sponsoring employer must offer a salary that complies with AMSR (Australian Market Salary Rate) requirements with a minimum of $76, 515 annually for the applicant’s role to be eligible under this stream.
Key Features:

There is no age limit for applicants in this stream, providing opportunities for skilled workers across all age groups.
Visa applicants can select the duration of the visa for up to four years for any occupation on the list, offering stability and a substantial period for employment and settlement in Australia.
Like the Specialist Skills stream, this stream also provides a pathway to permanent residence through the Subclass 186 visa, allowing applicants to pursue long-term residency.

The Specialist Skills stream includes the following criteria:

The Specialist Skills stream is designed for highly skilled professionals and includes the following criteria:

This stream is available for most ANZSCO occupations, except for trade workers, machinery operators, and laborers. Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements specific to their nominated role.
Applicants must be offered a minimum salary of $141,210 per year by the sponsoring employer, ensuring that only highly remunerated roles qualify.
Key Features:

There is no age limit for applicants in this stream, making it accessible to experienced professionals of any age.
This stream provides a pathway to permanent residence through the Subclass 186 visa, enabling applicants to transition to long-term residency in Australia.
Visa applications under this stream benefit from fast-tracked processing, allowing quicker outcomes for eligible applicants.

How This Visa Works:

There are 3 steps which are as follows:

Step 1: The employer has to apply to become an approved business sponsor;
Step 2: The employer must nominate an occupation in their business to be approved from the CSOL unless it is for a specialist skills stream.
Step 3: The visa applicant must meet certain requirements for the approval of the visa, such as English fluency, work experience, skills, health and character to meet the requirements of the nominated occupation;

Step 1: Sponsorship

The employer needs to apply for approval as a Standard Business Sponsor. This involves presenting documents to demonstrate that they are an operating business, such as financial statements, marketing material, company registration, organizational chart and other identifying details about the company.
A business sponsorship is valid for five years and the business can nominate as many people as it wants to sponsor during this period. A business that is operating for less than 12 months or an overseas business can also be approved for five years.
Companies have certain obligations when sponsoring overseas employees and they can be monitored by the Department of Home Affairs at any time to ensure that they are meeting their sponsorship obligations.

Step 2: Nomination

The position for which the company requires the overseas applicant must meet the eligibility criteria of the designated stream. For applicants not applying under the Specialist Skills stream, the nominated occupation must be listed on the Core Skills Occupations List (CSOL) . Additionally, certain occupations may be subject to caveats, which can include requirements related to work experience, salary thresholds, regional locations, or other occupation-specific conditions.
Employers are required to pay the Australian market salary rate and comply with AMSR (Australian Market Salary Rate) requirements. According to a Government Gazette notice, the minimum salary under this visa category is currently set at AUD $76,515, plus 12% superannuation (please note that the superannuation rate is subject to change every year; contact AustraliaMigrate for the most up-to-date rate). The market salary rate must be at least equivalent to the remuneration paid to an Australian citizen or permanent resident performing the same role in the same location at the equivalent level.
To satisfy Home Affairs that there are no local Australians available with the required skills who want to work in this position, the employer must undertake labour market testing (advertising the role) for all occupations. Labour Market testing is mandatory unless an international obligation applies. Labour Market Testing is not required if Australia has waived this requirement under its international trade obligations. This waiver applies to workers from certain countries, including Brunei, China, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Thailand, and Vietnam, or to individuals who are citizens, nationals, or permanent residents of Canada, Chile, South Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, or the United Kingdom.
Please check with AustraliaMigrate to confirm whether LMT is required for your case.
The employer also needs to demonstrate that there is a genuine need for that occupation in their business.
Employers nominating a worker for a SID visa will be required to contribute to the Skilling Australians Fund (SAF). The contribution is payable at the time the worker is nominated:

The amounts are as follows:

$1200 per year or part year of visa requested for ‘small’ businesses (those with annual turnover of less than $10 million) or
$1800 per year or part year of visa requested for other businesses whose turnover is greater than $10 million.

Step 3: Visa

The visa applicant is required to have a minimum of one year of full-time work experience in the nominated occupation.
The applicant must present evidence to demonstrate they have sufficient skills – acquired through recognized qualifications, training or experience in order to meet the requirements of the position.
There is also an English language requirement that needs to be met If the applicant is not from a country where English is the first language – such as UK, Ireland, USA, Canada and NZ. They must achieve an overall score of 5 (with no less than 5 in each of the four bands) on the IELTS or equivalent accredited test in the three years prior to lodging the application.
If a visa holder currently holds a 482 visa, they can transfer the remaining duration of their visa to a new business sponsor. However, great care must be taken when changing employers.
If the visa holder changes employers but retains the same occupation, a new nomination must be approved by the Department;
If the visa holder changes both their employer and occupation, a new nomination and visa application must be submitted.

In such cases, it is crucial to ensure that the new occupation is listed on the relevant skills list, particularly if not applying under the Specialist Skills stream. Proper planning and compliance with these requirements are essential to avoid complications.

Related Visa Types

Employer Nominated Scheme (ENS) Subclass 186

Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) Visa Subclass 494

What type of visa are you looking for?

We are a team of immigration specialists guiding individuals, families and corporates who aspire to migrate to Australia. Our migration consultancy has a successful track record in visa approval, with a fair fee structure.

Employer Sponsored Visa

Australian employers can sponsor skilled workers, whether already in Australia on a visa or applying from overseas, to meet skill shortage positions in their business.

Skilled Worker Visa

Skilled workers with qualifications and experience in demand can apply for visas to live and work in Australia permanently.

Partner Visa

Partner visas allows an Australian citizen or permanent resident to sponsor their spouse, de facto partner or fiancé to be with them in Australia.

Student or Graduate Visa

International students can study in Australia and apply for post-study temporary work visas.

Subclass 482 Frequently Asked Questions

How does the new SID (Skills in Demand) visa work if I want to sponsor an overseas person to work in my business or I am a visa applicant and want my employer to sponsor me?

The Skills in Demand (SID) program, subclass 482, allows employers to sponsor overseas staff to be employed by them in skill-shortage positions in their business.

Here is how it works: –

The SID visa program comprises one occupation list, called Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) Every occupation on the list can be used to apply for a 482 visa for 4 years;
If the salary offered will be at least $135,000 any occupation from the ANZCO list can be nominated except mainly trade and technician occupations;

There are three stages involved in the Skills in Demand (SID) Program: –

Standard Business Sponsorship – Business needs to be approved as a business sponsor;
Nomination – the position/occupation within the business needs to be approved -this is based on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL)
Visa applicant has to meet the skill level requirement either from a relevant qualification or in some cases, relevant work experience can replace a qualification, as well as having one year of work experience in that or a closely related occupation;

All the above 3 are separate applications and have specific criteria to be met.

Whether you are an employer or visa applicant, please contact us, and we can explore how the Skills In Demand (SID) program can apply in your situation.

What if I am on a subclass 482 visa and I want to change employers?

A 482 visa holder can cease employment with their sponsor, either due to the sponsor ceasing their employment or the visa holder ceasing their employment due to their own choice. The visa holder can work for a maximum of 180 days for any employer to a maximum of 2 employers, meaning a total of almost 12 months of unrestricted work but no more than 180 days per employer, which is not their sponsor.

To switch employers and work for a new sponsor, the 482 visa holder must transfer their 482 visa to a new employer. The new potential employer must lodge a new nomination with the Department of Home Affairs. The new sponsor must apply to be approved as a Standard Business Sponsor if not already approved as one. The new nomination must be in the same occupation as what the visa holder was approved unless a new visa is lodged with a new occupation

The visa holder can then be employed/ and sponsored by their new sponsor for the remaining time left on their visa.

Can I add my partner and / or child to my already approved 482 visa?

Yes.

To do this, the visa holder must prove they are in a genuine relationship with their partner, even if married. If in a de-facto relationship, this is taken to mean that they are living together under the same roof as a couple for at least 6 months.

The employer must also agree in writing to meet their sponsorship obligations towards the secondary applicants. The subsequent dependant applicants will be granted a visa for the same period as the sponsored 482 visa holder

Can a spouse/partner work on a subclass 482 visa?

Yes.

The spouse of a 482 visa holder has unrestricted work rights – providing they are included in the application or are subsequently added into the application.

Can my sponsor cancel my visa?

Your sponsor must inform the Department of Home Affairs within 30 days once your employment ceases. The Department of Home Affairs will grant up to 12 months to find a new sponsor or lodge a new visa application, which can be a different subclass of visa, such as a student or partner visa.

Your sponsor does not have the authority to cancel your visa; only the Department of Home Affairs can do that, and it goes through a process. You will be informed that the Department of Home Affairs intends to cancel your visa, as you will receive a NOICC – Notice of Intention to Consider Cancellation by email. This usually grants 7 days to show compelling reasons why the visa should not be cancelled.

I am an Australian employer and wish to sponsor an overseas worker to fill a skill shortage in my business - is it mandatory to advertise the position and can these adverts be placed on my website and other places local to my business?

Yes, it is mandatory to advertise the position. They must appear in 2 national reach Job -Boards or a professional recruitment website with a national reach, that publishes advertisements for positions throughout Australia. Typical Job Board websites are Seek, Indeed, Career-One, Career–Jet, and Linked-in and industry-specific websites can also be used. A job advert on the sponsor’s business website or Linked -In page is not accepted. The ad has to have compliant wording. Only if the nominee is from certain countries is there an exemption from advertising. These include countries with which Australia has a trade agreement, such as citizens/nationals of the UK, China, Japan, Mexico, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam, or a citizen/national/permanent resident of Canada, Chile, South Korea, or Singapore.

I am a holder of a subclass 482 visa and have been working for my company(sponsor) that has been recently sold. When can I apply for a permanent visa?

If a new ABN is established, due to the sale of the sponsoring business, the new company/business will need to be approved as a Standard Business Sponsor under the new ABN. Then a new 482 nomination will need to be lodged linking your visa to the new nomination under that new ABN.

Before applying for a permanent visa, you must work on a subclass 482 visa for 2 out of 3 years (which can include working for your initial sponsor whose business has been recently sold and excluding any unpaid leave you may have taken for either sponsor). Both the occupation as well as the reporting structure has to be the same as it was before the business was sold

Can I apply for a Bridging visa?

In limited circumstances, you can apply for a bridging visa if you are in Australia without a valid visa.

A bridging visa A or C is granted if an applicant in Australia, holds a valid visa and applies for another visa. It allows them to remain in Australia until a decision is made on their application.

If you are granted a bridging visa A, that visa is active and you want to travel outside of Australia while your application is being assessed, then you need to apply for and be granted a Bridging visa B, prior to your scheduled departure from Australia.

At all times, you must avoid being in Australia without a valid visa or a Bridging visa. Unlawful stays in Australia usually carry a three-year restriction on any temporary visa that allows re-entry into Australia.

What if I have a subclass 482 visa and I want to change companies?

482 visa holders have up to 180 days to find a new employer if their employment with their sponsor ends.

482 visa holders are allowed 180 days at a time to secure new sponsorship, with a maximum limit of 360 days in total across the visa period.
If you wish to change only your employer, a new nomination must be lodged for the same occupation as originally approved under your Subclass 482 visa.
If you intend to change both your employer and your occupation, both a new nomination and a new visa application must be submitted.

I want to apply for permanent residence based on Employer Nominated Sponsorship – what are the overall pathways?

There are two application pathways for this category which are as follows:-

186 Temporary Residence Transition – holding a 482 visa for 2 out of the last 3 years in the same occupation. This can be with more than one sponsor;
186 Direct Entry – have a skills assessment in an occupation on the Core Skilled Occupation List (CSOL) and have had 3 years’ post-qualification experience which could have been anywhere in the world.

I recently changed my employer, and I am on a 482 visa, but I have not yet accumulated 2 years out of the last three years on the 482 visa. Can I apply for 186 TRT now?

Applying for permanent residence under the Subclass 186 Employer Nominated Scheme allows previous employment on a 482 visa to count toward the two-year work requirement for the Subclass 186 Visa application. However, when you apply for the Subclass 186 visa, the nominator must be the current employer who sponsored your current 482 visa. This means you will need to transfer your 482 nominations to your current employer before becoming eligible for the 186 Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream.

Pathways to PR 186 Employer Nominated Sponsorship, while holding a 482 visa.

After two years of the last three years of full-time employment, with an approved business sponsor, holding a 482 visa, in the nominated occupation on the CSOL list (or the previous Consolidated Skilled Occupation List), a 482 visa holder can apply for a 186 visa, Employer Nominated Sponsorship, under the 186 Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) Pathway.