For Employers · Published 2026-02-10 · Updated 2026-10-05

Skills in Demand visa: what changed when it replaced the TSS 482

Reviewed by a registered migration agent · MARN 1795282
Updated 5 October 2026

On 7 December 2024 the Skills in Demand (SID) visa replaced the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa. It is still subclass 482, but the rules underneath changed. The old Short-term and Medium-term streams became Core Skills and Specialist Skills, alongside Labour Agreement:

Core Skills — the occupation must be on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) and the salary must be at least A$79,423 (from 1 July 2026).
Specialist Skills — there is no occupation list, but the salary must be at least A$146,576, and trades, machinery-operator and labourer roles are excluded.

Every stream now allows a stay of up to 4 years and needs only 1 year of relevant experience. Workers can move to permanent residence through the 186 visa after 2 years of sponsored employment. If they lose their job, they have up to 180 days to find a new sponsor.

This guide compares the two systems side by side and explains what the changes mean in practice. For the visa summary, see our Subclass 482 page. For the employer’s step-by-step process, see how to sponsor an overseas worker.

TSS vs Skills in Demand: what changed?

	TSS 482 (until 6 December 2024)	Skills in Demand 482 (from 7 December 2024)
Streams	Short-term, Medium-term, Labour Agreement	Core Skills, Specialist Skills, Labour Agreement
Occupation lists	STSOL (Short-term); MLTSSL or ROL (Medium-term)	CSOL for Core Skills; no list for Specialist Skills, but ANZSCO Major Groups 3, 7 and 8 are excluded
Salary floor	TSMIT (A$73,150 from 1 July 2024)	CSIT A$79,423 and SSIT A$146,576 (2026–27)
Maximum stay	2 years Short-term (4 with an international trade obligation); 4 years Medium-term	Up to 4 years in every stream (5 for Hong Kong passport holders)
Work experience	2 years for most of its life; cut to 1 year shortly before it closed	1 year of relevant experience in the last 5 years
Job loss	Up to 180 days at a time, 365 days in total (from 1 July 2024)	Same rule
Permanent residence	186 Temporary Residence Transition	186 Temporary Residence Transition after 2 years of sponsored employment

Two changes often credited to the SID actually came earlier. The 180-day job-change rule started on 1 July 2024, under regulations that applied to TSS holders too. The shorter 2-year wait for the 186 also came before the SID. Home Affairs now simply states that the requirement is 2 years, previously 3.

How does the Core Skills stream work?

This is the stream most sponsorships use. The employer must nominate an occupation on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) and pay at least the Core Skills Income Threshold — A$79,423 for nominations lodged from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027 — and at least the annual market salary rate (AMSR) for the role. If Australians in the same role earn more than the threshold, the higher market rate applies.

The worker needs at least 1 year of relevant experience in the occupation or a related field within the last 5 years. Part-time or casual work counts if it adds up to 12 months full-time. They must also meet the English, health and character requirements and, for some occupations and passports, a mandatory skills assessment started within the 3 years before the visa application. English test results can be no more than 3 years old. There is no age limit, and the worker must start work within 90 days of entering Australia (or of the visa grant, if already in Australia).

How does the Specialist Skills stream work?

Specialist Skills is the genuinely new idea in the SID. There is no occupation list. Any occupation in ANZSCO Major Groups 1, 2, 4, 5 or 6 can be nominated if the salary meets the Specialist Skills Income Threshold — A$146,576 for 2026–27. That covers managers, professionals, community and personal service workers, clerical and administrative workers, and sales workers. Technicians and trades workers (Group 3), machinery operators and drivers (Group 7) and labourers (Group 8) are excluded, however high the salary.

It is also faster. As at 29 September 2026, Home Affairs reported that 75% of Specialist Skills applications were decided within 51 days, against 8 months for Core Skills. Current figures are on our processing times page.

How do the salary thresholds work?

Thresholds are indexed every 1 July in line with average weekly ordinary time earnings. What counts is the threshold for the date the nomination is lodged.

Nominations lodged	Core Skills Income Threshold	Specialist Skills Income Threshold
7 December 2024 – 30 June 2025	A$73,150	A$135,000
1 July 2025 – 30 June 2026	A$76,515	A$141,210
1 July 2026 – 30 June 2027	A$79,423	A$146,576

Where the salary is under A$250,000, the employer must show that both the market salary rate and the worker’s pay (excluding non-monetary benefits) are at least the relevant threshold.

What does sponsorship cost the employer?

Home Affairs lists these employer-side costs:

Standard Business Sponsorship: A$420.
Nomination for the 482: A$330.
Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy: A$1,200 per year of the visa (or part year) for businesses with annual turnover under A$10 million, or A$1,800 per year for larger businesses. It is paid in full when the nomination is lodged. A 4-year nomination by a larger business costs A$7,200 in levy alone.

The employer must not pass the SAF levy on to the worker. A levy is also payable when a 482 holder changes employer or occupation, because the new employer lodges a fresh nomination. The worker usually pays the visa application charge; see our visa fees page. To estimate the total, use our sponsorship cost calculator.

Do employers still have to advertise the job?

Usually, yes. Home Affairs’ labour market testing rules cover both the Core Skills and Specialist Skills streams. For most nominations the employer needs:

two advertisements in Australia, in English;
run for at least 4 weeks;
within the 4 months before the nomination is lodged.

The ads must go on a national recruitment website, a relevant industry site, LinkedIn’s recruitment platform or national print media. Advertising on Workforce Australia has not been required since 11 December 2023. Exemptions apply mainly under international trade obligations for certain nationalities. Defective advertising is one of the most common reasons nominations are refused.

What if the worker loses their job?

Since 1 July 2024, a 482 holder who stops working for their sponsor has up to 180 consecutive days to find a new sponsor, apply for another visa or leave Australia. The total time without sponsored work is capped at 365 days across the whole visa period, and the worker can work for other employers in the meantime. The original employer must notify Home Affairs that the employment has ended. A new employer must lodge a new nomination (and pay a new SAF levy) before the worker starts working for them as a sponsored employee.

How does the 482 lead to permanent residence?

Through the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) Temporary Residence Transition stream. The worker must usually have completed at least 2 years full time in eligible sponsored employment while holding a 457 or 482 visa (previously 3 years), within the 3 years before applying. The employer who last sponsored them must nominate them, and the applicant must usually be under 45.

On the employer’s side, the 186 nomination fee is A$540 and the SAF levy is a one-off A$3,000 (turnover under A$10 million) or A$5,000. Employer-sponsored permanent places rise to 58,040 in the 2026–27 Migration Program, up from 44,000, so this pathway has more room than at any time in recent years. See our 186 visa page for current processing.

Who gains most from the change?

High earners outside the trades. Specialist Skills removes the occupation-list problem for managers and professionals paid at least A$146,576, and it is processed much faster.
Early-career workers and graduates. The 1-year experience rule opens sponsorship to people coming off a 485 graduate visa.
Workers in former short-term occupations. The old 2-year Short-term cap is gone, and every stream leads to the 186.
Trades employers must use Core Skills. Specialist Skills is closed to Group 3 trades even at high salaries, so the occupation needs to be on the CSOL. Check your trade on our occupation guides.

Is this general advice?

This is general information, not personal migration advice. Thresholds, levies and occupation lists change, usually on 1 July, and whether a role fits Core Skills, Specialist Skills or a labour agreement depends on the duties, the salary and your business. Before you advertise or lodge, speak with a registered migration agent (MARN 1795282).

Sources & last checked: verified 5 October 2026 against the Department of Home Affairs — Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) Core Skills, Specialist Skills and Labour Agreement stream pages; Salary requirements (income thresholds 2024–2027); Labour market testing; Cost of sponsoring (SAF levy); repealed TSS Short-term and Medium-term stream pages; Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) Temporary Residence Transition stream; Permanent Migration Program planning levels 2026–27; and global visa processing times (as at 29 September 2026). The 180-day and 365-day rules are in the Migration Amendment (Work Related Visa Conditions) Regulations 2024 (legislation.gov.au, F2024L00776).

Frequently asked questions

When did the Skills in Demand visa replace the TSS?

On 7 December 2024. It kept the subclass number 482. TSS visas already granted stay valid until their expiry date, and TSS applications lodged on or before 6 December 2024 continue to be processed. If a TSS nomination was lodged before 7 December 2024 but the visa application was not, an approved nomination is treated as a Skills in Demand nomination.

What are the salary thresholds for the Skills in Demand visa in 2026?

For nominations lodged from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, the Core Skills Income Threshold is A$79,423 and the Specialist Skills Income Threshold is A$146,576. The employer must also pay at least the annual market salary rate for the role, and thresholds are indexed every 1 July. Nominations lodged before 1 July 2026 are assessed against the threshold that applied when they were lodged.

How long can I stay on a Skills in Demand visa?

Up to 4 years in the Core Skills and Specialist Skills streams, and up to 4 years in the Labour Agreement stream depending on the terms of the agreement. Hong Kong passport holders may stay up to 5 years. Under the TSS, the Short-term stream was limited to 2 years (or 4 with an international trade obligation).

How much work experience do I need for a 482 in 2026?

At least 1 year of relevant work experience in the nominated occupation or a related field, gained in the last 5 years. Part-time or casual work counts if it adds up to at least 12 months full-time, and it does not need to be continuous. Some occupations, or the terms of a labour agreement, can require more.

What happens if a Skills in Demand visa holder loses their job?

They have up to 180 consecutive days to find a new sponsor, apply for a different visa or leave Australia, with a total of no more than 365 days without sponsored work across the whole visa period. The employer must notify Home Affairs when the worker stops working for them.

Can I get permanent residence from the Skills in Demand visa?

Yes. After the worker has usually completed at least 2 years full time in eligible sponsored employment on a 457 or 482 (previously 3 years), counted within the 3 years before applying, the employer can nominate them for the permanent Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) visa through the Temporary Residence Transition stream. The applicant must usually be under 45.

Other occupations you can sponsor

Employer guides for the roles we're asked about most: list status, caveats, skills assessment, salary and costs for each.