482 Stage 4: Visa Application, Work Experience and Conditions
A2MS 482 Knowledge Centre · Stage 4 of 4
Visa Application
The individual assessment is not the employer's nomination assessment.
The individual Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa application tests the nominated worker's legal application validity, qualifications, work experience, English, occupational authorisation and personal criteria. A sponsor and a position can be suitable without every proposed employee meeting the visa requirements.
What matters before this stage
- Usually at least 12 months' relevant work experience in the last five years, subject to stream and agreement rules.
- English test requirements and exemptions depend on the stream, test date and evidence.
- Changing an employer is not the same legal event as changing the nominated occupation.
Who is offering sponsorship, and who will receive your visa decision?
Before accepting an offer, check the employer’s legal name and sanctions history. If anyone asks you to pay for the job or for being nominated, keep the offer and messages and seek independent advice before paying or signing a declaration.
A Home Affairs sample of the 482 application released in July 2026 shows three details worth checking before you submit online:
- Other names and spellings (PDF page 4). Compare your passport, qualifications and employment references. If your name appears differently, gather the documents that explain the difference.
- Who gets the correspondence (PDF page 22). Check whom you have authorised and the email address entered. Having an employer sponsor you and choosing someone to receive your visa correspondence are separate decisions.
- Payment for sponsorship (PDF page 43). Read the declaration carefully. If a recruiter calls a payment a “placement fee” in return for a nomination, get advice about the arrangement before answering.
Use the questions in your own ImmiAccount application when you lodge. The released extract illustrates an earlier version of the online form.
1. Check the nominated occupation, applicant and application validity
A prospective applicant should confirm that the employer has lodged the correct nomination, the stream is appropriate and the identity details match. Visa and nomination applications can run alongside each other, but the grant requires the applicable approved nomination. Review the applicant's current visa, onshore or offshore location, any application barriers, prior visa compliance and whether family members will apply together or later.
For the Core Skills stream, the nominated occupation must meet the applicable occupation-list rules. For Specialist Skills, the different major-group and income conditions apply. Under Labour Agreements, the negotiated agreement may specify occupation, qualifications, English and other requirements that differ from standard streams.
2. Skills, qualification and work-experience evidence
For the usual Core Skills and Specialist Skills rules, the principal applicant must show at least 12 months of relevant work experience in the nominated occupation or a related field; its total may be assessed across full-time, part-time or casual work with equivalence rules. Relevant experience is not automatically excluded because it was gained while studying, but the actual work, its relation to the occupation and evidentiary quality matter. A Labour Agreement may prescribe different requirements.
Provide employer reference letters with detailed duties, dates, hours and contact details, plus independent supporting evidence such as payslips, tax, payroll and social insurance records. A CV alone may not establish claimed work. If a mandatory skills assessment applies to you, start it before lodging your visa application and enter the assessment reference number on the form. You can lodge while the result is pending. You still need a suitable outcome for the visa to be granted.
3. Check English against the correct test date
Home Affairs publishes different 482 English test rules for tests taken on or after 13 September 2025 and tests taken earlier. For newer IELTS Academic or General Training tests under standard streams, the published minimum is 5.0 in each of listening, reading, writing and speaking, unless a valid exemption applies. Accepted PTE and other test thresholds differ and must be checked against the date of the test.
English exemptions may involve passports, qualifying extended English-medium education, occupational licensing evidence or certain intra-company transfer arrangements. The detailed requirements are not interchangeable. At-home/online-proctored versions of accepted English tests are generally not accepted for visa purposes.
Does this applicant need a skills assessment?
Take a chef with an Indian passport. After the employer checks the restaurant and the nominated duties, the worker has a separate check. Chef (351311) and an Indian passport are a listed combination. Unless an exemption applies, the worker must start the specified Trades Recognition Australia assessment before lodging the visa application and provide the assessment reference. Keep the acknowledgement and provide the successful outcome for the visa decision.
For Program or Project Administrator (511112), VETASSESS is the listed authority and the rule covers all applicants except those who meet an exemption for that occupation. Read sections 5, 6 and 7 together to identify the assessment, the applicants it covers and any exemption. Check the mandatory skills assessment instrument.
Does my English result meet the scores for my test date?
For a Core Skills or Specialist Skills application lodged on or after 13 September 2025, a non-exempt applicant who took PTE Academic on or after that date needs at least 33 listening, 36 reading, 29 writing and 24 speaking in the same sitting. Scores of 40, 40, 30 and 23 fall one point short in speaking. For IELTS Academic or General Training under the same rules, the minimum is 5.0 in each component.
If you sat the test earlier, section 7 has a separate table. Check that the test falls within the three years immediately before the application. If you rely on an exemption, keep evidence that you meet its terms. For a Labour Agreement nomination, check the English requirements in the agreement. Read the Home Affairs English requirements and check the test tables in LIN 25/082.
What does an “exempt occupation” mean for a GP?
A general practitioner (253111) considering a contractor arrangement, or a corporate general manager (111211), can check whether the listed exception to the usual direct-employment requirement fits the arrangement. Listing alone gives no exemption from English, skills assessment or labour market testing. A GP must also check medical registration. Read the Home Affairs employment exemption guidance and check LIN 19/212.
4. Occupational registration, genuine intention and personal criteria
Where the occupation requires Australian licensing, registration or membership, applicants must consider those requirements and the timing of the evidence. Professionals in health, teaching and licensed trades may face a separate professional gate that is not satisfied by having a degree alone.
Health, character, health insurance, public interest criteria, relevant immigration compliance, genuine intention to perform the nominated occupation and secondary family eligibility must be reviewed. An employer's good sponsorship history does not waive the visa applicant's personal criteria.
5. Visa grant, employer changes and post-grant obligations
The 482 SID visa is normally available for up to four years, with specific rules such as longer stays for eligible Hong Kong passport holders. The visa grant letter and VEVO identify the actual conditions. Condition 8607 ordinarily requires work in the nominated occupation and for the appropriate sponsor/associated entity, with limited exemptions.
A worker changing employers in the same occupation generally needs a newly approved nomination; a new visa is not automatically required solely for that change, except for particular circumstances such as Labour Agreement-to-SBS moves or a visa nearing expiry. Changing the occupation normally requires a fresh nomination and a new 482 visa. After employment ends, the current cessation rules permit up to 180 consecutive days and 365 days in aggregate in the visa period subject to their conditions; check the precise permitted work arrangements before starting somewhere new.
Evidence and pre-lodgement checklist
Documents depend on the employer, occupation and stream. Use the following to prepare questions and gaps, not as an automatic eligibility decision.
- Correct nomination TRN, applicant identity, immigration history and passport
- Qualification transcript and detailed employment letters for required work experience
- Independent payslip/payroll/tax records supporting relevant work
- Required skills assessment or properly sourced exemption
- Correct English test result and test-date rules, or a documented exemption
- Professional licensing, registration or permission to practise where required
- Health insurance, health examinations, police/character documents where applicable
- Genuine occupation intention, health/character/insurance and family evidence
- After grant: VEVO conditions, sponsor notification and employer-change planning
Typical situations worth assessing
Recent graduate with concurrent work experience
Relevant paid work while studying may count if the hours, duties and timeframe satisfy the rules. Provide reliable third-party records, not only a course certificate.
English test taken before September 2025
Older test-date rules can differ from the new per-skill thresholds. Use the relevant Home Affairs table, accepted test periods and exemption evidence.
Existing 482 worker changes employer
A new nomination in the same occupation can often support the remaining visa period. Do not automatically advise a new visa; check the current visa stream, new sponsor and grant conditions.
Worker changes occupation
A materially different occupation generally involves a fresh nomination and a fresh visa application. Work-authorisation requirements must be assessed before starting.
Family member joins later
Later entry/secondary applications depend on the statutory family definition, original nomination support and other requirements; do not presume every relative is eligible.
These are hypothetical education scenarios, not statements about A2MS client matters or predictions of decisions.
Before pressing Submit
- Record where each applicant is and which visa each holds. An onshore applicant generally needs a substantive visa or Bridging Visa A, B or C to make a valid application. Check conditions, earlier decisions and any application bar separately.
- Match the nomination reference, worker, occupation and stream. Check the skills-assessment reference or exemption, correct form, charge, and documents for every applicant.
- Save the application, including your answer about withdrawal if the nomination is refused or withdrawn. Check any bridging visa grant for its start date, conditions and travel facility before going overseas. A lodgement receipt alone does not give permission to return.
My employer withdrew the nomination. Can a replacement save my pending visa?
The primary visa decision depends on the nomination identified in the visa application. It must have been approved and its approval must still be in effect. A different nomination reference cannot simply be substituted. Check your lodged form immediately: if you elected to withdraw the visa application when the related nomination was refused or withdrawn, that election can take effect without a separate visa refusal. Otherwise check the application status and any invitation to comment. Record the response deadline and review your current visa and bridging arrangements before deciding what to do.
This differs from an employee who already holds a 482 visa and wants to transfer employers. Check their current occupation, visa conditions, the proposed employer’s nomination and whether a fresh visa is also required. A promotion with different duties may change the nominated occupation even if the employer stays the same. Employer and offshore refusal example.
When a partner joins later or a baby is born
My partner wants to join me after grant. Check whether your partner qualifies as a member of your family unit for a subsequent-entrant visa. Discuss it with your sponsor and obtain its written confirmation for the application. Prepare relationship evidence, identity documents, insurance and any required health, character or custody evidence. Check the visa period granted to each person. Home Affairs subsequent-entrant instructions.
Our baby was born while our visa application was pending. Notify Home Affairs promptly against the existing application. Provide the birth certificate, parents’ application details and the baby’s passport details when available. A child born after lodgement and before decision is generally taken to be included in the pending application. Check the child’s individual status, citizenship and insurance, particularly before travel. If the birth occurred after grant, tell the Department and check the child’s status under the rules for their place of birth.
Work-history example: part-time work and overlapping dates
Suppose the full-time comparator for a role is 38 hours a week. Keep a record like this, using the actual dates and hours from payroll. The figures illustrate how to prepare evidence; the duties and skill level still need assessment.
| Period | Work and evidence | How to record it |
|---|---|---|
| January–June | 19 hours a week in the nominated field. Contract, rosters, payslips and duty statement. | Roughly three full-time-equivalent months over six calendar months. |
| July–December | 38 hours a week in a relevant role, plus occasional shifts elsewhere. Keep separate records. | Show six months at full time. List the overlapping shifts separately; do not claim the same six months twice. |
| Earlier placement | Supervised course placement. Obtain course, supervisor, hours and duties records. | Assess separately whether the training and skill level qualify. Exclude unrelated volunteering from the skilled-work total. |
The first two rows support roughly nine full-time-equivalent months on those assumptions. Identify the gap before claiming a year. For overseas work, provide independently contactable referees and explain inconsistencies between employment, payroll and tax records.
English and licensing: if relying on English-medium education, collect transcripts, dates, study load and a letter confirming the language of instruction; check the precise exemption. Registration with a professional body or an exemption tied to a former job requires its own evidence. For a licensed occupation, check when you may legally start practising.
After grant: keep dated records of each period out of sponsored employment. Two separate 100-day periods total 200 days; satisfying the single-period limit alone does not settle the aggregate test. Check the grant conditions in VEVO. Seek individual advice about past cancellations, prior non-compliance, sponsor integrity concerns or any demand for payment in return for sponsorship.
Frequently asked questions — Stage 4
Answers are general and depend on the stream, application date and individual evidence.
Can I take unpaid parental leave, and what if my job actually ends?
Keep the leave request, employer approval, dates and evidence of any statutory entitlement. Approved parental leave can preserve the employment relationship. If employment ends, keep a dated record of your last day, applications, interviews and any new nomination. Condition 8607 allows up to 180 consecutive days and 365 days in total during the visa period away from the sponsored work. Check your visa status and work rights before either limit expires. Lodging another application does not itself extend those limits.
Can my new employer transfer me from a standard stream to a labour agreement?
A move into a labour agreement stream generally requires a new 482 visa application as well as a nomination under the agreement. Before starting, check the stream, occupation, visa conditions and any concessions. To change your sponsored occupation, your employer must lodge a new nomination and you must obtain a new 482 visa for that occupation. Check the rules for temporary work during a permitted break in sponsored employment separately. See Home Affairs sponsor obligations.
My ACECQA assessment says Child Care Worker (Group Leader). Can I use it for a 482?
Group Leader is a specialisation of Child Care Worker, ANZSCO 421111. Where a migration skills assessment is required, match the occupation, duties and assessment type. A qualification equivalence letter serves a different purpose. Check ACECQA’s migration assessment guidance.
Is there a compulsory formula for counting my hours?
Provide the dates, duties, skill level, ordinary hours and paid work records for each job. A full-time-equivalent example helps organise evidence. There is no prescribed week-by-week rounding rule and simply adding hours does not establish qualifying experience.
If my sponsor is barred, is my Skills in Demand visa automatically cancelled?
No. For decisions from 29 November 2025, regulation 2.43(1)(l) expressly allows the Minister to consider cancellation on specified sponsor-related grounds, even for a visa granted earlier. A sponsor being barred is one example. If Home Affairs writes to you, check the allegation and the response deadline in the notice.
Can a refusal of a Skills in Demand visa be reviewed?
Some refusals can be reviewed by the Administrative Review Tribunal. For refusal decisions from 29 November 2025, paragraph 4.02(4)(l) includes this visa even if you applied earlier. A review right is not automatic: read the refusal letter immediately to check who can apply and by when. A nomination refusal is a separate decision. See the 2025 skilled visa amendments.
Is a positive nomination enough for the worker to get a 482 visa?
No. The worker must separately meet the applicable visa criteria, including skills and experience, English, health, character and any occupational licence requirements.
Does every applicant need a skills assessment?
Only certain applicants need one. Check your occupation, passport and any exemption. If a mandatory skills assessment applies to you, start it before lodging your visa application and enter the assessment reference number on the form. You can lodge while the result is pending. You still need a suitable outcome for the visa to be granted.
How much experience is normally needed?
For usual Core and Specialist Skills applications, Home Affairs states at least one year of relevant experience. Evidence must establish the required period and duties; Labour Agreements may specify alternatives.
Can part-time or casual experience count?
It may, based on equivalence and relevance. Evidence should show actual hours, occupation-level tasks, dates and how the overall experience meets the applicable rule.
Is IELTS 5 overall enough?
The current standard 482 IELTS requirement for relevant newer tests is 5.0 in each skill, not merely an overall 5.0. Other tests and date ranges have their own published rules and exemptions.
Can a 482 applicant include a partner or children?
Eligible family-unit members can apply if they meet the secondary criteria, sponsorship support and individual health/character requirements. Check the current definition and evidence.
Do I need another visa if I change employers?
Not automatically for the same occupation: a new approved nomination is generally required. A Labour Agreement-to-standard sponsorship transfer or occupation change may require a new visa. Check the current visa and circumstances.
How long may someone remain after sponsored work ends?
Current condition 8607 rules allow up to 180 days in a single cessation period and 365 days across the visa period, subject to their precise operation. This is not a general right to ignore other visa conditions.
Does a 482 visa guarantee permanent residence through subclass 186?
No. A later permanent employer-sponsored application has separate eligibility and nomination rules. Employment history alone does not guarantee permanent residence.
Need advice about your actual circumstances?
These articles explain the legal framework and procedural issues; they do not determine eligibility or predict the Department’s decision. Migration and visa advice is provided by Sunil Choudhary, Registered Migration Agent (MARN 2418425).
Sources, policy vintage and legal reference
Research basis: Department of Home Affairs Procedural Instruction VM-7173 · LEGEND 3 October 2025, provided to A2MS. Departmental policy is guidance, not legislation. The older policy version is checked against the operative Act, Regulations and Home Affairs public guidance; current instruments and application-date rules prevail. Last editorial review: 7 November 2026.
Still looking for a role or checking a job offer? Find sponsorship vacancies and check the employer before preparing your application.
