Find a 482 Visa (Skills in Demand) Agent

482 Visa Streams and the Skills in Demand Transition

The 482 visa's old Short-Term, Medium-Term and Labour Agreement streams, based on occupation lists, were replaced on 7 December 2024 by the Skills in Demand (SID) framework, which uses salary thresholds instead: the Core Skills stream requires a salary at or above the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) — $79,423 from 1 July 2026 — for an occupation on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL); the Specialist Skills stream requires a salary at or above the Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT) — $146,576 from 1 July 2026 — with no occupation-list restriction; and the Labour Agreement stream covers occupations set out in a specific labour agreement. Your agent advises which stream applies to your occupation and salary.

Employer Sponsorship Requirements

Your employer must be approved as a standard business sponsor, lodge a nomination for your specific role at the Annual Market Salary Rate, and demonstrate labour market testing — at least 2 valid job advertisements running for a total of at least 4 weeks within the 4 months before the nomination is lodged. Many employers have never sponsored before and need guidance through the process. An experienced agent walks the employer through obligations, prepares documentation on their behalf, and prevents the common nomination mistakes that cause refusals — particularly around salary settings and labour market testing compliance.

Pathway to Permanent Residency via the 186

Every current Skills in Demand stream — Core Skills, Specialist Skills and Labour Agreement — provides a pathway to the subclass 186 visa (permanent residency) through the Temporary Residence Transition stream, after working for your sponsoring employer for at least 2 years. This transition stream is one of the most popular routes to PR in Australia. Your agent should be planning the 186 transition from the moment your 482 is lodged — ensuring continuity of employment, compliance with sponsorship conditions, and timely lodgement when eligibility is met.

What Happens If You Change Employers

You can change employers on a 482 visa, but your new employer must become an approved sponsor and lodge a new nomination for your role. You should not start working for the new employer until the nomination is approved. If you stop working for your sponsor, conditions 8607/8608 give you up to 180 consecutive days at a time — and up to 365 days in total across the life of the visa — to find a new sponsor, be granted another visa, or leave Australia. This transition period can be stressful — an agent coordinates the process to minimise gaps and ensure compliance.

Current Costs and Processing Times

The 482 visa application charge is $4,015 for the main applicant, and the same charge applies whichever stream you use. Charges are current as at 1 July 2026. Sponsorship and nomination charges are additional and paid by the employer. Home Affairs publishes processing times for the period ending 30 June 2026: standard business sponsorship approval takes 5 days to 4 months (25th to 90th percentile); nomination takes under a day to 9 months; the Specialist Skills stream visa itself typically decides in 4 to 43 days, while the Core Skills stream visa takes 16 days to 10 months. Because sponsorship, nomination and the visa are sequential, the total time from a new employer starting the sponsorship application to visa grant can range from around 2 months to well over a year, depending on the stream and whether the employer is already an approved sponsor. Migratio's own data on what agents charge for an initial consultation, across 686 quotes from 57 agents, shows a median of $220 and a middle half between $150 and $275 (as at September 2026) — agents set their own fees for the full case by written agreement, and there is no official schedule.

Get Matched with 482 Visa Specialists

Tell Migratio your occupation, employer details, and which stream you are considering. You describe your situation once and compare consultation fees from agents who handle 482 applications regularly and can manage both sides of the process. Comparing is free; consults are typically $150–$300 and you pay only if you book.

How long does a 482 visa take?

It depends heavily on the stream and whether the employer is already an approved sponsor. Home Affairs publishes sponsorship approval at 5 days to 4 months, nomination at under a day to 9 months, and the visa itself at 4 to 43 days for the Specialist Skills stream or 16 days to 10 months for the Core Skills stream (25th to 90th percentile, period ending 30 June 2026).

Can I change employers?

Yes, but your new employer must become a sponsor and lodge a new nomination. Do not start work until approved. If you stop working for your sponsor, you have up to 180 consecutive days at a time, and up to 365 days in total across the visa, to find a new sponsor, be granted another visa, or leave.

What is the Skills in Demand visa?

The framework that replaced the 482's occupation-based streams (Short-Term, Medium-Term and Labour Agreement) with salary-based thresholds from 7 December 2024. Your agent advises which of the current 3 streams — Core Skills, Specialist Skills or Labour Agreement — applies.

Does the 482 lead to permanent residency?

Yes — every current 482 Skills in Demand stream (Core Skills, Specialist Skills, and Labour Agreement) can lead to the subclass 186 visa through the Temporary Residence Transition stream, after working for your sponsoring employer for at least 2 years.

Does my employer pay the agent?

Employers cannot require you to pay sponsorship or nomination costs. Your visa application fee and personal agent fees are typically yours.