Citizeo
Pathway

Australia Skills in Demand Visa

Australia Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

Australia's Skills in Demand visa is for people sponsored by an Australian employer for a qualifying role. It generally requires employer sponsorship, a suitable occupation, skills and English evidence, and compliant employment terms.

Type
Employer-sponsored residence
Employer fit
People with an employer ready to sponsor them in Australia
Core requirements
Employer sponsorship, job terms, and qualifications
Renewal / path
Renewal depends on continued employment and may count toward long-term residence.
Salary requirement
AUD 76,515 (Core)
Job offer required?
Yes (sponsor)

Summary

The Skills in Demand visa (Subclass 482), or SID visa, is a temporary employer-sponsored visa introduced on 7 December 2024. It replaced the Temporary Skill Shortage label for new applications and has three streams:

Core and Specialist grants are generally for up to 4 years. Hong Kong and British National (Overseas) passport holders may receive up to 5 years under the official rules.

Pathway fit check

Eligibility

The applicant must be nominated for a genuine skilled position by an approved sponsor and have the skills, qualifications and employment background to perform it. Most applicants need at least 1 year of relevant work experience in the nominated occupation or a related field, generally gained in the previous 5 years. A mandatory skills assessment applies to specified occupations and nationalities.

For Core Skills, the occupation must be on the Core Skills Occupation List. For nominations lodged from 1 July 2026 through 30 June 2027, both the annual market salary rate and the worker's guaranteed annual earnings must generally be at least the AUD 79,423 Core Skills Income Threshold.

For Specialist Skills, the occupation must fall within an eligible ANZSCO major group and not be excluded by the stream. The corresponding 2026–27 Specialist Skills Income Threshold is AUD 146,576. The employer must still meet the annual market salary rule.

The applicant must satisfy the stream's English requirement unless exempt, plus health, character and identity rules. The employer normally must conduct labor-market testing, pay required sponsorship charges and comply with workplace and sponsorship duties.

Income thresholds are indexed on 1 July. The figure applying to the nomination lodgment date controls, so do not carry a prior-year number into a new case.

What This Route Allows

The visa allows temporary residence and work in the nominated occupation for the sponsor, subject to the individual conditions. Eligible family can be included and generally receive work and study rights according to their grants.

The SID visa can support a later Employer Nomination Scheme Subclass 186 TRT application. Current TRT rules usually require 2 years of eligible sponsored full-time employment during the 3 years before the permanent application. A 186 grant is separate and never automatic.

Australian workplace law protects visa holders. The employer cannot cancel a visa; only the Australian Government can. Changes in employment must be handled within the visa-condition period and current Home Affairs rules.

What This Route Is Not

Subclass 482 is not permanent residence and not an open work visa. The main holder is limited by the nominated occupation and sponsor unless a lawful transition or exception applies.

A salary above a threshold does not by itself qualify. The position must be genuine, the occupation and duties must fit, the worker must have the required experience and English, and the salary must also meet the annual market rate.

The Specialist stream is not available to every high earner. Occupation-group exclusions and the stream rules still apply. A Labour Agreement is not a personal workaround; the employer must hold an agreement whose terms cover the case.

Next Steps

  1. Match the actual duties to the correct ANZSCO occupation before choosing a stream.
  2. Confirm the employer is or can become an approved sponsor and can meet nomination, labor-market and workplace requirements.
  3. Check the occupation list or Specialist occupation-group rule, 1 year of recent experience, skills-assessment requirements and English.
  4. Compare the annual market salary rate with the threshold in force on the planned nomination date—AUD 79,423 Core and AUD 146,576 Specialist for 2026–27.
  5. Make the nomination, employment contract and visa evidence consistent on duties, salary, location and experience.
  6. Keep payslips, tax, nomination and visa records if planning a later 186 transition.
  7. If employment ends or changes, check Home Affairs immediately rather than assuming the employer controls the visa or that unlimited time is available.
Compare your options

Similar employer sponsored pathways in Australia and other destinations.

Sources