482 Visa Sponsorship in Australia: What Employers Need to Know Before 1 July 2026
Many Australian businesses are still struggling to find suitable staff locally. For employers in industries such as hospitality, trades, healthcare, aged care, construction and professional services, as well as businesses operating in regional areas, employer sponsored migration can still be an important way to fill genuine skills gaps.
However, the employer sponsored visa system has changed significantly over the last few years. Since 7 December 2024, the former Temporary Skill Shortage visa has been replaced by the Skills in Demand visa, while the visa remains within subclass 482. Although many employers, workers and advisers still refer to “482 sponsorship” or even the “TSS visa”, the current framework is now the Skills in Demand visa. For employers looking at sponsorship in 2026, the more practical questions are now whether the role fits an eligible occupation, whether the salary meets the current threshold and market salary requirements, and whether the pathway can support temporary or permanent sponsorship.
With further salary threshold increases expected from 1 July 2026, now is a good time for employers to review their sponsorship plans.
482 sponsorship in 2026: the current Skills in Demand framework
For most employers in 2026, the main temporary employer sponsored pathway remains the Skills in Demand visa, subclass 482. Although the terminology has changed from the former TSS visa, the practical exercise for employers remains familiar: identifying a genuine skilled role, matching it to the correct occupation, offering compliant salary arrangements, and ensuring the worker has the required skills and experience.
Home Affairs states that the Skills in Demand visa generally allows a worker to stay in Australia for up to 4 years, or up to 5 years for Hong Kong passport holders.
The main streams include:
· the Core Skills stream, which is the most common stream for many skilled occupations;
· the Specialist Skills stream, generally for higher earning specialist roles; and
· the Labour Agreement stream, where standard visa programs are not available and the employer has negotiated a labour agreement with the Department of Home Affairs.
For most employers, the first question is whether the proposed role is on the relevant skilled occupation list and whether the duties genuinely match the nominated occupation.
Occupation choice is critical
Choosing the right occupation is one of the most important parts of any employer sponsored visa application.
It is not enough to simply choose the occupation that sounds closest to the job title. Home Affairs looks at the actual duties, responsibilities, skill level and qualifications or experience required for the position.
The current skilled occupation list identifies eligible occupations by ANZSCO code and also identifies caveats that may exclude the use of certain occupations in some circumstances. Home Affairs also uses ANZSCO 2022 for the Skills in Demand visa and subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme visa.
This is particularly important where a role has changed over time, or where a business uses internal job titles that do not neatly align with ANZSCO. For example, roles described as manager, coordinator, specialist or consultant may need careful assessment before a nomination is lodged.
Salary thresholds are increasing
Salary is now one of the most important issues in employer sponsored migration.
For the 2025-26 financial year, the Core Skills Income Threshold is $76,515, calculated by reference to guaranteed annual earnings and excluding superannuation. The Specialist Skills Income Threshold is $141,210, also excluding superannuation. Home Affairs confirms that salary thresholds apply to employer nominations and are assessed by reference to the relevant nomination period.
From 1 July 2026, the reported indexed thresholds (excluding superannuation) are:
· Core Skills Income Threshold: $79,499.
· Specialist Skills Income Threshold: $146,717.
These figures have been reported by professional advisory sources based on the annual indexation formula. Employers should always confirm the final current threshold before lodging any nomination.
The practical point is not that every application needs to be rushed before 1 July 2026. Rather, if a proposed salary is close to the current threshold, employers should review the position early so they understand whether the nomination remains viable after indexation. A nomination lodged before 1 July 2026 may be assessed against the current threshold, while a nomination lodged after 1 July 2026 may need to satisfy the higher indexed threshold.
Paying above the threshold may not be enough
A common misunderstanding is that an employer only needs to pay more than the minimum income threshold.
That is not correct.
The nominated salary also needs to satisfy the annual market salary rate requirement. In practical terms, this means the proposed overseas worker should be paid at least what an equivalent Australian worker would earn for performing equivalent work in the same workplace and location.
This is a separate issue from the income threshold. A salary may be above the Core Skills Income Threshold but still create a problem if the evidence suggests that the proper market rate for the role is higher.
Employers should therefore be careful about simply setting the salary at or just above the minimum threshold. The salary should be benchmarked against the role, the business, the location, any applicable award or enterprise agreement, existing Australian employees in comparable roles, and any relevant market salary evidence.
This issue can be especially important for small businesses, hospitality businesses, franchise businesses, regional employers and businesses with mixed duties roles. It is also important where a worker is performing a more senior role than their job title suggests, or where the business has Australian employees doing similar work on different pay arrangements.
Labour market testing may be required
For many employer sponsored visa applications, the employer must show that it has tested the Australian labour market before nominating an overseas worker, unless an exemption applies. In many standard cases, this will involve advertising the position in Australia for at least four weeks in at least two advertisements.
Labour market testing needs to be done carefully. Problems can arise where advertisements are too old, too short, contain inconsistent salary details, use a different job title, or do not properly describe the position being nominated.
Employers should obtain advice before advertising if they are unsure whether the advertisement will meet the visa requirements. Trying to fix labour market testing after the fact can delay the application or create unnecessary risk.
Temporary sponsorship can lead to permanent residence
Employer sponsorship is not always just a temporary solution.
In some cases, a worker sponsored under the subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa may later be eligible for permanent residence through the subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme visa. Home Affairs describes the subclass 186 visa as a permanent visa for skilled workers nominated by their employer.
The subclass 186 visa can be available through different streams, including:
· the Temporary Residence Transition stream, often used by workers who have already worked for their sponsor in Australia; and
· the Direct Entry stream, which may be available in some cases without first holding a 482 visa.
The best pathway depends on the occupation, the worker’s age, English, skills, qualifications, work history and the employer’s ability to nominate the role.
For employers, it is often worth thinking about the permanent residence pathway from the beginning. If the business wants to retain the employee long term, the temporary visa strategy should be aligned with a possible subclass 186 pathway wherever possible.
Common mistakes employers make
Some of the most common issues we see in employer sponsored matters include:
· choosing the wrong occupation;
· assuming a job title is enough without checking the actual duties;
· offering a salary that meets the threshold but not the market salary rate;
· advertising incorrectly for labour market testing;
· waiting until the employee’s current visa is close to expiry;
· failing to check whether the employee has enough experience for the nominated role;
· not planning for a permanent residence pathway early enough;
· overlooking sponsorship compliance obligations after the visa is granted.
These issues are often avoidable with early advice.
Sponsorship is a process, not just a form
Employer sponsorship usually involves three separate steps:
1. the employer becoming an approved sponsor, if it is not already one;
2. the employer nominating the position; and
3. the employee applying for the visa.
Each step has its own requirements. The employer needs to be a genuine operating business. The role must be genuine. The salary must meet the relevant requirements. The applicant must have the required skills, qualifications, experience, English, health and character clearance.
Employers should also remember that sponsorship obligations continue after the visa is granted. Sponsorship is not simply a lodgement exercise. It carries ongoing compliance responsibilities.
What employers should do before 1 July 2026
If your business is considering sponsoring an overseas worker, now is a good time to:
· review whether the proposed occupation is eligible;
· check whether the proposed salary will remain sufficient after 1 July 2026;
· review whether labour market testing is required;
· confirm whether the worker has the required qualifications and experience;
· consider whether a temporary 482 visa or permanent 186 visa is the better option;
· start early if the worker’s current visa is expiring.
Leaving the process too late can create avoidable stress, especially where salary thresholds change, advertisements need to be re-run, or documents need to be obtained from overseas.
Our view
Employer sponsorship remains a valuable pathway for Australian businesses that cannot source appropriately skilled workers locally. However, it is no longer something employers should treat as a simple form-filling exercise.
The key issues are usually practical ones: choosing the correct occupation, ensuring the duties genuinely fit that occupation, checking the salary against both the income threshold and the annual market salary rate, preparing labour market testing correctly, and considering whether the pathway can support permanent residence in the future.
For employers, the safest approach is to review the position early, particularly where the worker’s current visa is expiring, the proposed salary is close to the threshold, or the business is hoping to retain the worker permanently.
How we can help
At TooRoo Migration Lawyers, we assist employers and skilled workers with employer sponsored visa pathways, including subclass 482 Skills in Demand visas and subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme visas.
We can help assess whether a role is eligible, advise on salary and occupation issues, prepare sponsorship and nomination applications, and guide both the employer and employee through the visa process.
This article is general information only and is not legal or migration advice. Visa eligibility and strategy depend on the employer, the nominated position, the worker’s circumstances and the law at the time of decision.
TooRoo Migration Lawyers regularly publishes articles on Australian visa and migration law changes. Oliver Jones is an Australian immigration lawyer who writes about Australian immigration developments and assists employers and skilled workers with employer sponsorship, skilled visa strategy and visa planning.
If you would like advice about sponsoring an overseas worker, applying for a subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa, or planning a pathway to permanent residence through employer sponsorship, please contact us to arrange a consultation.
