Introduction
Australia’s Skills in Demand Visa (Subclass 482), commonly known as the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa, is a pathway for international, skilled workers to live and work in Australia for up to 4 years (or up to 5 years with Hong Kong passport holders). If you’re considering working in Australia and wonder if you qualify for this visa, read on to understand the eligibility criteria and the application process.
What is a 482 visa?
Skills in Demand (SID) Visa 482 is a sub-class of employer sponsored visas, which allows employers to address the labour shortages by bringing in genuinely skilled workers where they cannot find an appropriately skilled Australian. International workers can apply for this visa only if they have an Australian sponsor who agrees to nominate them. A highlighted benefit of this visa is that Skills in Demand visa holders can work full-time in the nominated position and will have the chance to gain Permanent Residency after working for the sponsored employer for 2 years.
The nominated workers can apply for a 482 visa under one of three streams:
- Core Skills Stream
- Specialist Skills Stream
- Labour Agreement Stream
It is worth noting that if the 482 visa holders wish to work for a new employer, they must wait until the new employer has an approved nomination.
Are you eligible for Skills in Demand Visa (Subclass 482)?
Since the skilled migration visas are very competitive, a visa 482 provides a popular and valuable door for international students/workers to work and then migrate to Australia. You may be eligible for this visa if you can meet the below requirements:
| Core Skills Stream | Specialist Skills Stream | Labour Agreement Stream | |
| Occupation | Lie on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) | Does not need to be on CSOL but must be an ANZSCO occupation in Major Group 1, 2, 4, 5 or 6. Trades, machinery operators, drivers, and labourer excluded | Labour Agreement Stream |
| Genuine Requirement | YES | YES | NO |
| Salary Requirement | $76,515 | $141,210 | n/a |
| IELTS Requirement | 5.0 (a minimum of 5.0 in each skill) | 5.0 (a minimum of 5.0 in each skill) | Suitable English language skills (based on the Labour agreement) |
| Work Experience | 1-year relevant work experience required | 1-year relevant work experience required | 2 years relevant work experience required |
| Skills Assessment | Yes | Yes | No |
| Pathway to Permanent Visa | After gaining 2 years of work experience, you may apply for a 186 visa | After gaining 2 years of work experience, you may apply for a 186 visa | Yes |
| Age | No age limits | No age limits | No age limits |
Important notes for Core Skills Stream and Specialist Skills Stream:
This visa subclass becomes more popular for international workers because its requirements become more achievable and elaborated on.
Work Experience:
- You are required to accumulate only ONE year of work experience in the past 5 years in order to be eligible for this visa.
- Also, you should have gained your experience on an either full-time, part-time or casual basis within the last 5 years. You DON’T need to have a full-time job to be consider for this visa.
- If your work was carried out on a part-time or casual basis, it must be equivalent to at least 12 months full-time work. The period of work does not need to be continuous.
- English requirement:
- You only need to get an IELTS of overall 5.0 (with no band score under 5.0), which is easy to achieve
- If you don’t prefer IELTS, you can use a result from another English test such as PTE, TOLFE, OET or Cambridge C1 Advance
- Age limit: No age limit is set for this visa. If you are not able to apply for other visas because you are over 45 years old, you can consider the 482 visa subclass. This visa allows you stay up to 4 years in Australia, and your childcare can attend Australian public schools with No cost. After your 482 visa expires, you can apply for another 482 to stay longer in Australia.
Conclusion
If you’re considering working in Australia and seeking a migration pathway to this country, exploring the Skills in Demand Visa (Subclass 482) could unlock possibilities for career advancement and long-term settlement. To understand if you are eligible for this visa, contact our Experienced Migration Agents today at 07 3003 1899 or hello@solmigration.com.