EMPLOYER SPONSORED VISAS

AT A GLANCE

SC#	Name	Type	Duration	PR Pathway
482	Skills in Demand	Temporary, employer sponsored	Up to 4 yrs (Core) / 5 yrs (Specialist)	Via 186 TRT, after 2 yrs
186	Employer Nomination Scheme	Permanent, employer sponsored	Permanent	Is the PR outcome
494	Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional	Provisional, regional employer sponsored	Up to 5 yrs	Via 191, after 3 yrs regional work
191	Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional)	Permanent, from 494/491	Permanent	Is the PR outcome
407	Training	Temporary, occupational training	Up to 2 yrs	None — not a work-visa pathway
400	Temp Work (Short Stay Specialist)	Temporary, highly specialised	Up to 3 months, rarely 6	None
858	National Innovation Visa	Permanent or provisional	Varies by stream	Direct PR for eligible streams

SUBCLASS 482 (SKILLS IN DEMAND) VISA

Field	Detail
Streams	Core Skills · Specialist Skills · Labour Agreement (expected rebrand to “Essential Skills” during 2026)
Core Skills stream	Occupation on CSOL (456+ occupations). Min salary $76,515, rising to $79,499 from 1 July 2026. Up to 4 years.
Specialist Skills stream	No occupation list requirement. Min salary $141,210, rising to $146,717 from 1 July 2026. Up to 5 years, priority processing (~7 days median).
Labour Agreement stream	For employers with a formal Labour Agreement/DAMA — covers occupations and salaries outside standard streams.
Work experience	At least 1 year full-time relevant experience in the last 5 years.
English	Generally IELTS 5.0 overall, no band below 4.5, or equivalent.
Sponsor requirement	Approved Standard Business Sponsor (or Accredited Sponsor), SAF levy obligation met.
Path to PR	Subclass 186 via TRT stream after 2 years full-time work with the sponsoring employer.

SKILLS IN DEMAND VISA

What it is

In plain terms: this is the visa an Australian employer uses to bring a skilled worker over from overseas for a genuine, ongoing job they can’t fill locally. It’s temporary, not permanent — but for most people who end up staying in Australia long-term, this is the visa they start on. If you’re the employer, it’s how you legally sponsor someone. If you’re the worker, it’s what lets you live and work in Australia for your sponsor, generally for up to 4 or 5 years depending on the stream, with a clear route to
permanent residency built in if you and the employer both want to make it permanent later.

Replaced the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa on 7 December 2024. The primary route for employers to sponsor overseas workers into genuine skilled vacancies they can’t fill locally.

482 — eligibility criteria in detail

Sponsoring employer

Must hold current approval as a Standard Business Sponsor (or Accredited Sponsor for priority processing), demonstrated by evidence the business is lawfully operating and actively trading.

Nominated occupation

The role must sit on the CSOL for Core Skills, or clear the Specialist Skills Income Threshold with no occupation-list restriction; some occupations also carry a mandatory skills assessment under the relevant legislative instrument, which generally must be started before the visa application is lodged.

Labour Market Testing (LMT)

The position generally must have been genuinely advertised to the Australian labour market before nomination, unless an international trade obligation exemption applies (e.g. certain free trade agreement countries).

Work experience

At least 1 year of full-time relevant experience in the nominated occupation (or a closely related one) within the last 5 years.

Skills and qualifications

Formal qualifications and/or experience consistent with the nominated occupation; mandatory skills assessments apply to a defined list of trade and other occupations

English language

Competent English as a baseline (broadly IELTS 5.0 overall, no band below 4.5), with some streams and occupations requiring a higher standard.

Health and character

Standard medical examination through an approved panel physician, and police clearance certificates covering every country lived in for 12 months or more in the past 10 years

No cost to the worker

The applicant must not have paid, or agreed to pay, for the sponsorship, nomination, or the position itself; this is a zero-tolerance requirement under the Migration Act's prohibited-payment provisions, and applies regardless of what any private agreement between employer and worker says.

Stage	What happens
1. Sponsorship	Employer applies for (or renews) approval as a Standard Business Sponsor.
2. Nomination	Employer nominates the specific position, providing evidence of genuine need, LMT, and salary compliance.
3. Visa application	The nominated worker lodges the visa application, with family members able to apply concurrently as secondary applicants.

Visa conditions typically include a work condition tying the visa holder to the approved occupation and sponsor, and a requirement to maintain health insurance for the duration of the visa. Visa holders who lose their sponsoring employer generally have a defined period to find a new sponsor, transfer their nomination, or depart, rather than immediately becoming unlawful.

Sponsor obligations

Approval as a sponsor is not a one-off formality — it carries ongoing legal obligations that continue for the life of the
sponsorship, including after the visa holder starts work:

Pay the visa holder at least the same terms and conditions of employment that would apply to an Australian worker doing equivalent work in the same workplace (no undercutting).
Cover the costs of sponsorship, nomination, migration agent fees, and the Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy — these can never be recovered from the employee.
Keep accurate records of the sponsorship and provide them to the Department on request.
Cooperate with Department inspectors, including site visits.
Notify the Department of specified changes in circumstances (e.g. the employee ceasing employment) within the required timeframe.
Not engage in discriminatory recruitment practices against Australian workers because of the sponsorship arrangement.

SUBCLASS 186 PERMANANT RESIDENCY VISA

Field	Detail
Direct Entry (DE)	For skilled workers without enough time on a 482/457 to use TRT. Positive skills assessment, ~3 years' experience, occupation on CSOL.
Temporary Residence Transition (TRT)	For 482/457 holders who've worked full-time for the nominating employer 2+ years. Usually no fresh skills assessment.
Labour Agreement (LA)	For workers nominated under a specific employer or regional labour agreement (incl. DAMA).
Salary threshold	Min $76,515, rising to $79,499 from 1 July 2026, plus Annual Market Salary Rate.
Age limit	Generally under 45 at application, with exemptions for academics, government researchers, high-income or regional cases.
Employer costs	SAF levy $3,000 (small) / $5,000 (larger) per nomination, plus $540 nomination fee — always the employer's cost.
Processing (indicative)	Labour Agreement stream fastest (~5–9 months). Direct Entry and TRT currently 12–19 months.

EMPLOYER NOMINATION SCHEME

What it is

This is Australia’s main permanent employer-sponsored visa — the one that actually grants permanent residency, rather than just a temporary stay. Unlike the 482, there’s no waiting period once it’s granted: the person is a permanent resident from day one, full stop. It exists for two different situations. Most commonly, it’s used to make permanent a worker who’s already been on a 482 for a couple of years and has proven themselves — the employer just formalises what’s already working (TRT stream). It can also be used to sponsor someone straight into a permanent role without that history, provided they can pass a skills assessment (Direct Entry stream).

Australia’s primary permanent employer sponsored visa — PR on grant, no points test.

Field	Detail
Direct Entry (DE)	For skilled workers without enough time on a 482/457 to use TRT. Positive skills assessment, ~3 years' experience, occupation on CSOL.
Temporary Residence Transition (TRT)	For 482/457 holders who've worked full-time for the nominating employer 2+ years. Usually no fresh skills assessment.
Labour Agreement (LA)	For workers nominated under a specific employer or regional labour agreement (incl. DAMA).
Salary threshold	Min $76,515, rising to $79,499 from 1 July 2026, plus Annual Market Salary Rate.
Age limit	Generally under 45 at application, with exemptions for academics, government researchers, high-income or regional cases.
Employer costs	SAF levy $3,000 (small) / $5,000 (larger) per nomination, plus $540 nomination fee — always the employer's cost.
Processing (indicative)	Labour Agreement stream fastest (~5–9 months). Direct Entry and TRT currently 12–19 months.

EMPLOYER NOMINATION SCHEME

What it is

Australia’s primary permanent employer sponsored visa — PR on grant, no points test.

Item	Detail
Application structure	Two linked applications — the employer's nomination, and the worker's visa application — generally lodged together or in close sequence.
Employer costs	$540 nomination fee plus the SAF levy ($3,000 small business / $5,000 larger business), paid by the employer and never recoverable from the worker.
Visa outcome	Permanent residence from the date of grant (if onshore) or first entry (if offshore) — no further visa required, though a Resident Return visa is needed after the initial 5-year travel facility to keep travel rights current.
Family members	Eligible partners and dependent children can be included in the same application.

Across all three streams, the position itself must satisfy a genuine and ongoing need test — the Department can refuse a nomination where the role does not appear to be a legitimate, continuing position within the business, independent of whether the applicant personally meets the criteria. Standard health and character requirements apply, including police clearances from every country lived in for 12 months or more in the past decade.

186 — stream-by-stream eligibility in detail

Direct Entry

Requires a positive skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority (e.g. Engineers Australia, ACS, VETASSESS, TRA), generally around 3 years' relevant full-time experience, the nominated occupation on the CSOL, Competent English, and the applicant under 45 at time of application (exemptions apply for academics, researchers, scientists, certain high-income earners and some existing visa holders).

Temporary Residence Transition (TRT)

For 482/457 holders who have worked full-time for the nominating employer for at least 2 years within the last 3 years, in the same or a closely related position to the one held on their temporary visa. No fresh skills assessment is generally required, and there is no upper age limit on this stream.

Labour Agreement

For workers nominated under a specific employer or regional labour agreement, where terms (occupation, age, English, salary) are set by the agreement itself rather than the standard criteria.

SUBCLASS 494 REGIONAL PROVISIONAL VISA / SUBCLASS 191 REGIONAL PERMANANT VISA

Field	Detail
Who it's for	Skilled workers with a genuine job offer in a designated regional area — outside Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane.
Requirements	Relevant occupation, formal skills assessment, 3+ years' experience, Competent English (IELTS 6.0 each band), Labour Market Testing, Regional Certifying Body approval.
Salary threshold	TSMIT — $79,423 from 1 July 2026.
Visa conditions	Holders must live, work and study only in designated regional areas.
Path to PR — 191	After 3 years on 494/491, meeting income requirements — no fresh employer nomination required.

494 & 191 — REGIONAL PATHWAY

What it is

This one exists because regional Australia has it harder than the big cities when it comes to finding skilled staff — smaller local populations mean a much thinner pool of workers to hire from. The 494 lets a regional employer sponsor someone from overseas the same way the 482 does, but it’s specifically tied to a regional location, and it comes with a genuine, built-in route to permanent residency (the 191) after a few years — something the 482 doesn’t offer on its own without an extra step. It’s a package deal: come work in a regional area for a set period, and permanent residency is the reward, not a separate application you have to compete for.

The 494 is a 5-year provisional visa for regional employers who can’t fill a genuine skilled vacancy locally, with a defined route to PR. Replaced the old RSMS (subclass 187) in November 2019.

494 — eligibility and process in detail

“Designated regional area” is broader than it sounds — it covers all of Australia except Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, which means Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, Canberra, the Gold Coast and Newcastle all currently qualify as regional for this visa. This makes the 494 a genuinely practical option for employers outside the three largest cities, not just remote or rural businesses.

Employer approval

The business must be an approved Standard Business Sponsor operating in a designated regional area.

Regional Certifying Body (RCB) assessment

The relevant state or territory RCB must certify the nomination, confirming both the genuine regional need and that the salary offered reflects the regional market rate. Certification from the RCB is a mandatory step, separate from Department approval.

Occupation and skills assessment

The role must sit on the applicable regional occupation list, with a positive skills assessment and at least 3 years' relevant full-time experience.

English

Competent English, broadly IELTS 6.0 in each of the four components.

Salary

Must meet the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) and the Annual Market Salary Rate for the role, whichever is higher.

Labour Market Testing

the position generally must have been tested against the local labour market before nomination. Stage W

Visa conditions require the holder to live, work and study only within a designated regional area for the life of the visa — this
is actively monitored, and breaching it can jeopardise both the visa and the eventual 191 pathway.

Stage	What happens
1. Sponsorship	Employer secures (or already holds) Standard Business Sponsor approval.
2. RCB certification	The Regional Certifying Body assesses and certifies the nomination — a step unique to this visa.
3. Nomination	Employer formally nominates the position, evidencing genuine need, location and salary compliance.
4. Visa application	The worker applies, providing skills, experience, English, health and character evidence.

The 191 pathway in detail

After holding the 494 (or 491) for at least 3 years, complying with the regional-living condition throughout, and meeting a minimum taxable income threshold across the qualifying period (evidenced through ATO Notices of Assessment), holders become eligible for permanent residence via Subclass 191 — without needing a fresh employer nomination. The specific income threshold is indexed and should be confirmed against current Department settings before advising a client on timing.

SUBCLASS 407 TRAINING VISA

Field	Detail
Training types	Occupational registration/licensing training · structured skills training · training that builds capacity for use overseas.
Sponsor	An approved Temporary Activities Sponsor.
Duration	Typically up to 2 years.
2026 change	For applications lodged from 11 March 2026, sponsorship and training nomination must both be approved before lodgement (except Commonwealth agency sponsors).
English	Generally functional — IELTS 4.5 overall, no band below 4.0.
Path to PR	None directly — a training pathway, not a migration one.

TRAINING VISA (SUBCLASS 407)

What it is

This is easy to confuse with a work visa because it does let you work — but the whole point of it is training, not labour. It’s for someone who genuinely needs structured, hands-on experience in Australia to develop a skill, gain a qualification, or become eligible for registration in their field, sponsored by an Australian business or organisation. It’s not meant to plug a staffing gap, and the Department checks closely for employers trying to use it that way instead of properly sponsoring someone on a 482.

407 — the three streams in detail

Every application requires a Training Plan (Deed of Agreement) setting out the specific skills gap, a week-by-week or month-by-month activity breakdown, and how the training builds on the applicant’s existing background — generic or templated training plans are a common cause of refusal. At least 70% of the training must generally be workplace-based rather than classroom-based. This visa is explicitly not a substitute for standard employer sponsorship. If the real purpose is filling an ongoing labour gap rather than training, the Department will look to refuse it and direct the employer toward the 482 instead.

Functional English is the standard requirement (broadly IELTS 4.5 overall, no band below 4.0). Family members can be included, though their work rights while in Australia on a 407 are capped (broadly 40 hours per fortnight).

Occupational training for registration or licensing

For training genuinely necessary to gain registration, membership or licensing in an occupation, in Australia or the applicant’s home country

Skills stream (structured workplace training)

The most commonly used stream, for workers wanting to upgrade their skills in an occupation they already work in, generally requiring 12 months of relevant full-time work or study experience in the past 24 months.

Professional development stream

For overseas managers or professionals sent to Australia by their overseas employer for formal, often classroom-based, professional development.

SUBCLASS 400 TEMPORARY WORK - SHORT STAY SPECIALIST

"Highly specialised" is the test

Not formally defined in legislation, but generally understood as skills, knowledge or experience at a level genuinely scarce in the Australian labour market, typically (though not exclusively) among managers, professionals, technicians and trades workers.

Non-ongoing and short-term

The work must be likely to be completed within a continuous period of around six months or less, and cannot be used to fill an ongoing position.

Business invitation, not sponsorship

The Australian business doesn't need to be an approved sponsor, but must demonstrate the genuine need and invite the specialist for a defined project or contract.

No Labour Market Testing or skills assessment

In most cases, and generally no English test — the evidentiary focus is entirely on proving the specialised nature of the work and the worker's fit for it.

Skill transfer expectation

Department guidance looks favourably on arrangements that include some transfer of skills to Australian employees during the engagement.

Cumulative time limit

Total time spent in Australia across one or more subclass 400 visas generally cannot exceed six months within any 12-month period.

SUBCLASS 400 & LABOUR AGREEMENTS

What it is: picture a technician flying in for two weeks to commission a piece of machinery nobody in Australia knows how to work on, or a specialist brought in for one specific, defined project. That’s what this visa is for — genuinely specialised, short, one-off work, not an ongoing job. It’s the fastest and lightest-touch visa on this page because the scope of what it allows is so narrow: no sponsorship approval process, but also no path to anything longer, and the Department watches closely for businesses trying to stretch it into something it isn’t.

Reserved for genuinely specialised, non-ongoing work — short executive assignments, one-off specialist projects, equipment installation/servicing. Usually up to 3 months, occasionally 6. No sponsorship required, but not a pathway — misuse can jeopardise an employer’s broader sponsorship standing.

Family members can be included in the application. Because the criteria are comparatively light-touch, the Department scrutinises subclass 400 applications closely for signs the role is really a disguised ongoing position that should be sponsored under the 482 instead.

Labour agreements & DAMA

Priority 1

Exceptional candidates from any sector who are recognised global experts, typically evidenced by top-of-field international awards.

Priority 2

Candidates nominated by an expert Australian Commonwealth, State or Territory Government agency on the approved nomination form.

Priority 3

Candidates with exceptional and outstanding achievements in a Tier One priority sector (broadly: critical technologies, health industries, and renewables/low emissions technology).

Priority 4

Candidates with exceptional and outstanding achievements in a Tier Two priority sector (a broader list spanning agrifood and agtech, space and advanced manufacturing, resources technology, defence and autonomous systems, quantum computing, cybersecurity, financial services and fintech, infrastructure, digital health, and education technology, among others).

494 & 191 — REGIONAL PATHWAY

What it is

This one is different from every other visa on this page — it’s not about filling a job at all. It’s for people who are already exceptional at what they do: internationally recognised researchers, founders, elite athletes, artists, or specialists in a field Australia has decided matters strategically. There’s no employer sponsoring you and no points test — instead, you put your case forward, and the Department decides whether to invite you to apply based on how strong that case is. It’s competitive, it’s selective, and most people simply aren’t eligible for it — but for the small number who are, it’s one of the most direct routes to permanent residency in the entire system.

Permanent or provisional pathway for people with an internationally recognised reputation for exceptional achievement.

The National Innovation Visa replaced the Global Talent visa on 7 December 2024. It is invitation-only: candidates first lodge an Expression of Interest, and the Department extends invitations to apply according to a four-tier priority system, from highest to lowest priority: