Last updated: 30 March 2026

482 Visa Requirements: Employer Sponsorship Explained

The subclass 482 Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa has requirements that apply to both the sponsoring employer and the visa applicant. Neither party can satisfy the requirements independently — the 482 is structured as a three-stage process where the employer must be approved first, then the position must be nominated, and finally the worker applies for the visa.

Understanding this structure matters because it means your eligibility is partly dependent on actions your employer must take. An employer who is not yet an approved Standard Business Sponsor cannot nominate a position for you, and you cannot apply until both prior stages are complete.

This page covers the full set of 482 requirements for both employers and applicants across all three streams: Short-term, Medium-term, and Labour Agreement.

Overview: The Three-Stage 482 Process

The 482 visa application cannot be lodged until two prior stages are complete:

1. Employer sponsorship approval — the employer applies to become an approved Standard Business Sponsor
2. Position nomination — the approved sponsor nominates the specific position, demonstrating a genuine need and satisfying labour market testing requirements
3. Visa application — the worker applies for the 482 visa, satisfying personal eligibility criteria

Each stage is assessed independently by the Department. Approval at one stage does not guarantee approval at the next. An approved sponsorship can still result in a refused nomination if the genuine need is not established, and an approved nomination can still result in a refused visa if the applicant does not meet personal requirements.

Stage 1: Employer Sponsorship Requirements

The employer — whether an Australian business or an overseas business with an Australian presence — must obtain Standard Business Sponsor (SBS) approval before it can nominate any position.

Requirements for Standard Business Sponsor approval

The business must:

• Be lawfully operating in Australia (or, for overseas businesses, be actively operating overseas with a genuine need to have a worker in Australia)
• Not be insolvent or in administration
• Not have engaged in discriminatory employment practices (must not have preferenced overseas workers over Australian workers without justification)
• Not have had a previous sponsorship approval refused, cancelled, or had conditions imposed that would prevent approval
• Agree to the sponsorship obligations that apply for the duration of the approved sponsorship

Sponsorship obligations

Approved sponsors take on obligations for the duration of their approval. These include:

• Cooperating with Department inspectors
• Providing equivalent terms and conditions of employment to sponsored workers as to Australian workers in the same role
• Paying the Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy for each nomination
• Notifying the Department of changes to the sponsored worker’s employment or to the business
• Not recovering sponsorship or nomination costs from the worker
• Meeting record-keeping requirements

Breach of sponsorship obligations can result in sanctions, cancellation of sponsorship approval, and bars on future sponsorship applications.

Standard Business Sponsor approval period

SBS approval is typically granted for 5 years (for businesses that have been operating for at least 12 months) or 18 months (for newer businesses). Sponsors must renew approval before it expires to continue sponsoring workers.

Stage 2: Position Nomination Requirements

Once approved as a Standard Business Sponsor, the employer must nominate the specific position the worker will fill. Each nomination covers one worker in one occupation.

Occupation eligibility by stream

The 482 has three streams, and the occupation lists for each are distinct.

Short-term stream: Covers occupations on the STSOL. The visa is granted for 2 years at a time, with a maximum stay of 4 years in Australia in the short-term stream. Short-term stream occupations generally do not have a direct pathway to permanent residency through employer sponsorship, though some options exist in specific circumstances.

Medium-term stream: Covers occupations on the MLTSSL. The visa can be granted for up to 4 years. Medium-term stream workers have a clearer pathway to employer-sponsored permanent residency through the subclass 186 Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream after 2 to 3 years of employment with the sponsoring employer.

Labour Agreement stream: Used when standard sponsorship does not apply — for example, for specific industries with special agreements (horticulture, meat processing, on-hire industries). The occupation is specified in the agreement rather than drawn from a standard list.

Genuine need for the position

The employer must demonstrate that there is a genuine need to fill the position with an overseas worker. This means:

• The position is actually available in the employer’s business
• The role is consistent with the employer’s lawful activities
• The employer has not created a position specifically to circumvent the requirement for labour market testing

Labour market testing

Before nominating most positions, the employer must conduct genuine labour market testing (LMT) to demonstrate that no suitably qualified Australian citizen or permanent resident is available for the role. LMT typically requires:

• Advertising the position on Australian job platforms for at least 4 weeks within 4 months before the nomination is lodged
• Keeping evidence of advertising, applications received, and reasons why Australian applicants were not suitable

Exemptions to LMT apply in limited circumstances, including where an international trade obligation requires the exemption, or for some intra-company transfers. Check whether an exemption applies before proceeding.

Salary requirements: TSMIT and market rate

The nominated salary must meet both of the following:

• TSMIT (Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold): The legislated minimum annual salary for 482 visa holders, updated periodically. As of recent program updates, the TSMIT is above AUD 70,000 per year. Check the current figure on the Department’s website before lodging.
• Market salary rate: The salary must also match what an Australian worker in the same role, with the same skills and experience, would be paid in the same location. Whichever of TSMIT or market rate is higher is the floor.

The salary must be the total package value and must be genuinely paid — arrangements where the worker is expected to pay back part of the salary in cash, or which include excessive salary packaging that reduces the effective cash component, do not satisfy the requirement.

Stage 3: Visa Applicant Requirements

After the sponsor is approved and the nomination is submitted (or approved, depending on the processing pathway), the worker applies for the 482 visa. Personal eligibility requirements apply to the primary applicant and, where applicable, secondary applicants.

Skills, qualifications, and experience

The applicant must have the skills, qualifications, and work experience required to perform the nominated occupation. Specifically:

• Qualifications appropriate to the occupation (degree, diploma, or trade certificate as required)
• At least 2 years of relevant work experience in the nominated occupation or a closely related field

The 2-year work experience requirement is assessed across all relevant experience, not just recent experience. However, the experience must be genuinely relevant to the nominated occupation.

Skills assessment (occupation-specific)

Skills assessments are not required for all 482 visa occupations — unlike the skilled migration points-tested visas. However, some occupations do require a mandatory skills assessment before the visa can be granted. These are typically health, engineering, and some ICT occupations where a licensing or registration body requires formal competency verification.

Check the occupation’s entry in the relevant occupation list or the Department’s occupation-specific guidance to confirm whether a skills assessment is required for your occupation.

For occupations that do not require a formal skills assessment, the applicant must still demonstrate through employment evidence and qualifications that they are genuinely suited to perform the role.

English language requirements

English proficiency requirements for the 482 vary by occupation and stream.

Vocational English is the minimum: IELTS 5.0 in each of the four bands, or the equivalent in PTE Academic (36 in each component), TOEFL iBT, OET (C in each component), or Cambridge C1 Advanced.

Exemptions from the English test requirement apply when:

• You are a citizen or permanent resident of the UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand, or the Republic of Ireland
• You hold a passport from one of these countries (citizen exemptions differ from passport-holder exemptions — confirm the current rules)
• Other specific exemptions apply as specified in the legislation

Even where an exemption from the formal test applies, you must still demonstrate practical English proficiency consistent with the role.

Genuine temporary entrant (GTE) requirement

The 482 visa is a temporary visa, and you must demonstrate a genuine intention to stay in Australia temporarily, consistent with the visa’s purpose. This does not mean you cannot later apply for permanent residency — but at the time of your 482 application, your primary purpose must be temporary skilled employment, not permanent migration as an end in itself.

The GTE requirement is assessed against factors including:

• Your personal circumstances (family ties, employment, financial position) in your home country and in Australia
• Whether your stated reasons for coming to Australia are consistent with a temporary skilled worker profile
• Your immigration history

This requirement is applied more rigorously in some circumstances — for example, where previous visa applications suggest a persistent intent to remain permanently despite holding temporary visas.

Health requirements

All 482 visa applicants — primary and secondary — must meet Australia’s health requirement. This involves a medical examination through a HAP-approved panel physician. The examination typically includes a chest X-ray, physical examination, and blood tests. Results are uploaded directly to your ImmiAccount by the physician.

Character requirements

You and secondary applicants aged 16 and over must meet character requirements, including:

• Police clearance certificates from every country where you have lived for 12 months or more in the past 10 years
• Disclosure of criminal history and relevant legal proceedings

Short-term Stream vs Medium-term Stream: Key Differences

The medium-term stream is the clearer pathway to Australian permanent residency through employer sponsorship. After 2 to 3 years of employment in the nominated occupation with the same sponsor, you may apply for the subclass 186 via the TRT stream. See our guide to 482 visa to permanent residency for the full requirements of this transition.

Labour Agreement Stream

The Labour Agreement stream applies in industries or circumstances where standard sponsorship and nomination pathways are not appropriate. Labour agreements are negotiated between the Department of Home Affairs and specific employers or industry bodies.

Common examples include:

• Horticulture industry agreements
• Meat industry agreements
• On-hire (labour hire) industry agreements
• Designated area migration agreements (DAMAs) for regional areas
• Company-specific agreements for large employers with atypical workforce needs

Labour agreements specify the occupations, salary levels, and conditions that apply to workers covered by the agreement. The standard STSOL and MLTSSL lists do not apply — the agreement itself defines the eligible occupations.

If your employer operates under a labour agreement, the specific requirements of that agreement govern your 482 eligibility, not the standard stream requirements.

Document Checklist for 482 Visa Applicants

Personal identity documents

• Current passport (all pages)
• Birth certificate
• Marriage certificate or relationship evidence (if applicable)
• Change of name documentation (if applicable)

Qualifications and skills

• Degree, diploma, or trade certificates relevant to the nominated occupation
• Academic transcripts
• Certified English translations of non-English documents
• Skills assessment outcome (if required for your occupation)
• Professional registration or licence (if applicable — e.g., AHPRA registration for health practitioners)

Employment evidence

• Reference letters from all previous employers demonstrating at least 2 years of relevant experience
• Letters should be on company letterhead, signed by an authorised person, specifying title, duties, dates, and employment type
• Payslips, tax records, or employment contracts corroborating the claimed experience

English language

• Official English test score report (IELTS, PTE, TOEFL iBT, OET, or Cambridge C1) — unless exempt
• If claiming an exemption, relevant passport or citizenship documentation

Health and character

• HAP-approved medical examination (arranged and uploaded by panel physician)
• Police clearances from all countries of 12-month+ residence in past 10 years

Nomination-related documents

• Evidence of the nomination approval (your employer provides this reference number for your application)

Pathway to Permanent Residency from the 482

The 482 visa does not grant permanent residency. For medium-term stream holders, the most common pathway to PR is:

1. Work for your approved sponsor in the nominated occupation for at least 2 to 3 years
2. Apply for the subclass 186 visa via the Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream
3. The 186 TRT stream grants permanent residency upon approval

The employer must also nominate you for the 186 and meet their own requirements as part of that process.

For a full explanation of how the 482 connects to permanent residency, see our guide to 482 visa to permanent residency and the broader permanent residency in Australia overview.

Frequently Asked Questions About 482 Visa Requirements

Can any employer sponsor someone for a 482 visa?

No. The sponsoring employer must first be approved as a Standard Business Sponsor (SBS) by the Department of Home Affairs. Approval requires demonstrating that the business is lawfully operating in Australia, has a genuine need for the position, and has not engaged in discriminatory recruitment practices. Employers who have not yet obtained SBS approval must apply before they can nominate a position or sponsor a worker. Standard Business Sponsor applications are lodged through ImmiAccount and are assessed separately from the nomination.

What is the TSMIT and how does it affect my 482 visa?

TSMIT stands for Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold. It is the minimum annual salary that a 482 visa holder must be paid, set by the Department of Home Affairs and updated periodically. Both the nominated position’s salary and the visa holder’s actual earnings must meet or exceed the TSMIT. Employers must also pay the market salary rate for the occupation — whichever of TSMIT or market rate is higher is the floor that applies. Check the current TSMIT on the Department’s website, as the figure is subject to annual adjustment.

Does the 482 visa lead to permanent residency?

The 482 visa does not grant permanent residency directly, but it can be a pathway to PR for medium-term stream workers. After working for your sponsoring employer in a MLTSSL occupation for 2 to 3 years, you may be eligible to apply for employer-sponsored PR through the subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme via the Temporary Residence Transition stream. Short-term stream occupations generally do not have a direct employer-sponsored PR pathway, though some options exist through other visa categories depending on individual circumstances.