457 Visa Australia: What Happened to It and What You Should Apply For Now

What Was the 457 Visa?

The Subclass 457 Temporary Business (Long Stay) visa was introduced in 1996 and became the backbone of Australia's employer-sponsored temporary skilled migration system. For more than 20 years, it was the primary route through which Australian businesses could sponsor skilled workers from overseas to fill roles they could not fill locally. The visa allowed holders to live and work in Australia for up to four years in an occupation nominated by their sponsoring employer. Holders could include family members — a partner and dependent children — who could live, study, and work in Australia for the duration of the visa. One of the 457 visa's most significant features was that it provided a pathway to permanent residence: holders in certain occupations could transition to the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) permanent visa after a period of employment with their sponsor. By the mid-2010s the programme had grown to roughly 95,000 primary visa holders in Australia at any one time, and the visa was widely used across industries including healthcare, construction, hospitality, information technology, and professional services.

Why Was the 457 Visa Abolished?

The 457 visa was abolished in March 2018 following a political environment in which temporary skilled migration had become highly contested. Critics argued that the visa was being misused by some employers to hire cheaper overseas labour rather than genuinely attempting to recruit from the Australian workforce. There were also concerns about concentration in certain industries and allegations of exploitation of visa holders who were tied to a single employer. In April 2017, the then-Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced the abolition of the 457 visa and its replacement with a new, tighter framework. The stated goals of the replacement were to ensure that temporary skilled migration was genuinely used to address skill shortages, that visa holders were paid market rates, that their occupations were on updated skilled occupation lists, and that pathways to permanent residence were more restricted — particularly for occupations deemed to be only 'short-term' shortage needs. The reform was as much political as it was practical, and the new Subclass 482 TSS visa that replaced the 457 shares many of the same structural features, with important modifications.

The Subclass 482 TSS Visa: What Replaced the 457

The Subclass 482 Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa replaced the 457 from 18 March 2018. Like the 457, it requires employer sponsorship, labour market testing (demonstrating the employer tried to recruit Australians first), and nomination of an approved occupation. From 2018 until 7 December 2024, the TSS visa had three streams: a Short-Term stream for occupations on the Short-Term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL), allowing a stay of up to 2 years (or up to 4 years under a free trade agreement) with, critically, no direct pathway to permanent residence; a Medium-Term stream for occupations on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL), allowing a stay of up to 4 years with a pathway to the Subclass 186 ENS or Subclass 187 RSMS permanent visas; and a Labour Agreement stream. On 7 December 2024, the 482 was renamed the Skills in Demand (SID) visa and restructured into three new streams: the Core Skills stream, which absorbed the old Medium-Term stream and is salary-based rather than tied to a fixed occupation list, granting up to 4 years; the Specialist Skills stream, for high-earning roles regardless of occupation; and the Labour Agreement stream. Every SID stream now provides a pathway to permanent residence through the Subclass 186 Temporary Residence Transition stream after 2 years with the sponsoring employer. Understanding which stream applies to your occupation and salary is one of the first and most important steps in any employer-sponsored migration case today.

Key Differences Between the 457 and the 482 TSS Visa

Several important changes were introduced when the 482 replaced the 457, beyond the stream structure. English language requirements were formalised, with applicants generally required to pass an approved English test (unless exempt) — the standard carried over into today's Core Skills and Specialist Skills streams, which currently both require the equivalent of an IELTS score of at least 5.0 in each of the four test components, taken within 3 years of applying. Skills assessments, which were not always required under the 457, became more consistently required under the 482 framework depending on the occupation and the stream. Labour market testing requirements were formalised — employers must demonstrate genuine attempts to recruit Australians through advertising in specified formats within a specified timeframe. The market salary rate obligation was retained and strengthened: employers must pay 482 visa holders at least the market salary rate for equivalent Australians in the same role and location, preventing wage undercutting. The Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT), which set a minimum salary floor for 482 visa holders, was replaced from 7 December 2024 by the Core Skills Income Threshold and the Specialist Skills Income Threshold, both indexed each 1 July. Sponsorship obligations on employers also became more detailed, with obligations around record-keeping, training, and cooperation with inspections.

What If You Were on a 457 Visa When It Was Abolished?

If you were granted a 457 visa before 18 March 2018 and it had not yet expired, your visa was not cancelled. The Department of Home Affairs confirmed that existing 457 visa holders would be allowed to continue their stay for the period their visa was granted, under the conditions that applied when the visa was granted. In effect, 457 visas were transitioned to equivalent 482 conditions for most practical purposes. 457 visa holders who had worked for their sponsor for the required period in an eligible occupation retained their ability to apply for permanent residence through the Subclass 186 ENS visa under transitional arrangements. These transitional provisions have largely wound down as the timeframes involved have passed, but some edge cases may still exist for people who have been on continuous employer-sponsored arrangements since before March 2018. If you believe you may have residual rights under transitional 457 provisions, a MARA-registered migration agent can assess your specific situation against the current legislative framework — this is not an area for guesswork given the implications for permanent residence eligibility.

Current Employer-Sponsored Pathways: 482, 186 and 494

For people who are searching for the 457 visa because they want to work in Australia under employer sponsorship, the current system offers several connected pathways. The Subclass 482 Skills in Demand (SID) visa — the current name for what was the TSS visa — is the primary temporary employer-sponsored visa, as described above. For permanent residence through employer sponsorship, the main options are the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) visa and the Subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa. The 186 ENS has three streams: the Temporary Residence Transition stream for 482 holders who have worked for their sponsor for at least 2 years; the Direct Entry stream for workers applying directly from overseas without a 482 visa; and the Labour Agreement stream. The 494 visa is a regional employer-sponsored visa that leads to the Subclass 191 permanent visa after 3 years. It requires the employer to be located in a regional area of Australia and the applicant to live and work in that region. Regional pathways under the 494 can be attractive because they sometimes offer access to occupations and employers that are not available in major cities, and the regional residence requirement is 3 years rather than the longer timeframes sometimes involved in metropolitan 186 pathways.

How Migratio Matches You With Employer-Sponsored Visa Agents

Navigating employer-sponsored visas — whether you are an employer trying to sponsor a worker or a skilled migrant trying to understand your options — is genuinely complex. Occupation lists change, salary thresholds are updated, stream eligibility depends on nuanced occupation classifications, and the interaction between temporary and permanent visa pathways requires careful planning. Migratio is an Australian immigration matchmaker platform that connects visa applicants and employers with MARA-registered migration agents who specialise in relevant visa types. You submit a structured case brief describing your situation — your occupation, your employer's circumstances, your work history, and your residency goals. MARA-registered agents who handle your visa type review your brief and apply to work with you, proposing their approach and fees. You compare them and choose the best fit. There is no obligation and no cost to use the platform. Because agents apply to you rather than the other way around, you see genuine competitive proposals. Employer-sponsored cases are among the most documentation-intensive in the Australian system, and having an experienced MARA agent manage the nomination and visa application process reduces the risk of refusals caused by avoidable errors.

Summary: Searching for the 457 Visa? Here Is What to Do

If you arrived at this page because you searched for the 457 visa, here is the direct answer: the 457 no longer exists. It was abolished on 18 March 2018. The visa you want is the Subclass 482 Skills in Demand (SID) visa — the current name for what was formerly called the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa — if you are seeking temporary employer-sponsored residence in Australia. If you are seeking permanent residence through employer sponsorship, the relevant visas are the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme or the Subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa depending on your occupation and location. The right pathway for you depends on your occupation, your employer's situation, whether your occupation and salary meet the Core Skills or Specialist Skills stream requirements, your English language proficiency, your work history, and whether you are currently in Australia or offshore. None of these questions have simple universal answers — the combination of factors that determines your best pathway is highly individual. A MARA-registered migration agent who handles employer-sponsored cases can assess your specific situation and map a strategy that considers both your immediate visa need and your longer-term permanent residence goals. Applying for the wrong visa, or applying in the wrong stream, can result in refusal and may affect future applications.

Is the 457 visa still available in Australia?

No. The Subclass 457 Temporary Business (Long Stay) visa was abolished on 18 March 2018. It was replaced by the Subclass 482 Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa, which was itself renamed the Skills in Demand (SID) visa on 7 December 2024. If you are looking to work in Australia under employer sponsorship, the 482 SID visa is the current equivalent. It now has three streams — Core Skills, Specialist Skills, and Labour Agreement — which replaced the original TSS Short-Term and Medium-Term streams. The correct stream depends on your occupation and salary rather than a fixed occupation list.

What is the current equivalent of the 457 visa?

The Subclass 482 Skills in Demand (SID) visa — renamed from the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa on 7 December 2024 — is the current equivalent of the 457. It is an employer-sponsored temporary work visa that allows Australian businesses to sponsor skilled overseas workers for roles they cannot fill locally. Unlike the original TSS, every SID stream — Core Skills, Specialist Skills, and Labour Agreement — now provides a pathway to permanent residence through the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) Temporary Residence Transition stream.

Can a 482 visa lead to permanent residence in Australia?

Yes, regardless of which of today's three streams you hold. Since the 482 was restructured into the Skills in Demand (SID) visa on 7 December 2024, every stream — Core Skills, Specialist Skills, and Labour Agreement — provides a pathway to permanent residence through the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) Temporary Residence Transition stream, after working for your sponsoring employer for at least 2 years in your nominated occupation. This is a change from the old TSS structure, under which only the Medium-Term stream led to permanent residence and the Short-Term stream did not.

What are the English language requirements for the 482 Skills in Demand visa?

For both the Core Skills and Specialist Skills streams, applicants must generally achieve an IELTS score of at least 5.0 in each of the four test components (listening, reading, writing and speaking), or the equivalent score on an approved alternative test, taken within 3 years of applying. Home Affairs' current approved tests are CELPIP General, IELTS (Academic or General Training), LanguageCert Academic, the Michigan English Test, the Occupational English Test, PTE Academic, and TOEFL iBT (registered under 'Taking TOEFL for Australia'); fully online or remote-proctored versions of these tests are not accepted. You are exempt from the test requirement if you hold a passport from Canada, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States; if you completed at least 5 years of full-time study where most classes were in English; if your nominated occupation requires a licence, registration or membership for which you already had to prove equivalent or higher English; or if you are an employee of an overseas business nominated to work in Australia on guaranteed annual earnings of at least AUD $96,400. The Labour Agreement stream's English requirement is whatever is set out in the specific labour agreement. Your migration agent can confirm whether an exemption applies to your situation.

What happened to the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT)?

The TSMIT was the minimum annual base salary employers had to pay 482 visa holders, and it no longer exists under that name. From 7 December 2024, it was replaced by the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) for the Core Skills stream and the Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT) for the Specialist Skills stream — $79,423 and $146,576 respectively from 1 July 2026, indexed every 1 July. In addition to meeting the relevant threshold, employers must pay the visa holder at least the market salary rate — meaning what an equivalent Australian worker would earn in the same role at the same location — whichever figure is higher. This dual obligation was designed to prevent employers from using temporary skilled migration to undercut Australian workers' wages.

Do I need a migration agent to apply for a 482 Skills in Demand visa?

You are not legally required to use a migration agent for a 482 Skills in Demand visa application — both employers and individual visa applicants can lodge applications themselves. However, employer-sponsored visa applications are among the most document-intensive and procedurally complex in the Australian immigration system. There are multiple components: the employer must become an approved sponsor, must nominate the position, and the worker must then apply for the visa itself. Each stage has its own requirements, documentation checklists, and timeframes. Errors at any stage can cause delays or refusals. A MARA-registered migration agent adds value by ensuring the application is complete and correctly framed, advising on occupation classification and stream eligibility, and managing the process on behalf of both employer and employee. If you are unsure which stream applies to your occupation or whether you meet the requirements, a consultation with a registered agent before lodging is strongly recommended.