Working in Australia on a Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482): rules, salary, visa

Open Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482)

Open. Workers are nominated by an Australian employer; the Core Skills and Specialist Skills salary thresholds are updated every 1 July.

Status as of 7 October 2026 Department of Home Affairs, Australia

Summary

  • The Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) has Core Skills, Specialist Skills and Labour Agreement streams.
  • Core Skills nominations must meet the Core Skills Income Threshold, and Specialist Skills nominations the Specialist Skills Income Threshold.
  • Thresholds are updated every 1 July; the figures for nominations from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027 are in the table on this page.
  • Home Affairs refuses a nomination if the employer intends to pay the overseas worker less than an equivalent Australian worker.
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On this page
  1. What are the requirements?
  2. What does it cost and who pays?
  3. How much does it pay?
  4. Which visa is used?
  5. What are the steps?
  6. Which schools or training lead to Australia?
  7. How are the Skills in Demand salary thresholds set?
  8. What are the warning signs of offers to Australia through this route?
Official routes, who runs them, and their legal basis
Route Run by Official link Who pays placement costs Legal basis
Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) Independent PMI (no agency), legal-entity employer Official source There is no placement agency; the applicant pays the visa fee and other requirements unless the employer covers them. Do not pay a placement fee to any middleman. See the cost rules Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id)

See this route in the comparison table

What do you need to work in Australia through Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482)?

Placement channels from Indonesia for working in Australia through Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482): Independent PMI (no agency), legal-entity employer.

Placement channels from Indonesia
Independent PMI (no agency), legal-entity employer An independent migrant worker goes without an agency, only to a legal-entity employer, and must report to the labour office and the Indonesian mission. This is not the same as an individual employer (a household), or an individual who places migrant workers, which is banned.
Job types
Core Skills stream: skilled jobs paying at least the Core Skills Income Threshold, Specialist Skills stream: jobs paying above the Specialist Skills Income Threshold, Labour Agreement stream

What does working in Australia through Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) cost, and who pays?

The Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) route to Australia uses no placement agency: you pay the visa fee and other requirements unless the employer covers them, and no middleman is owed a placement fee.

  1. Law 18/2017 Article 30(1): Indonesian migrant workers may not be charged placement costs. Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id)
  2. Ministerial Regulation P2MI 17/2025: the employer bears placement costs. A worker may be charged only costs that are written and itemised in the Placement Agreement. Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id)
  3. Any request for money outside that document, in cash or to a personal account, is a red flag.

Cost rules for this route

  • Benefits for sponsorship: Asking for, receiving, offering or giving a benefit for visa sponsorship carries criminal and civil penalties in Australia, including for applicants. Department of Home Affairs, Australia

What is the minimum pay for working in Australia through Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482)?

The official pay floor for the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) route in Australia is AUD 79,423.00 per year, in force from 1 July 2026 (Department of Home Affairs, Australia). This is the legal minimum in Australia, not an offered wage.

Official floor
Area or group Official floor Approximate rupiah value
Skills in Demand, Core Skills Applies to: Core Skills Income Threshold: minimum annual salary for Skills in Demand (subclass 482) Core Skills stream nominations lodged 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027 AUD 79,423.00 per year In force from about IDR 989,372,708 rate as of 8 October 2026
Skills in Demand, Specialist Skills Applies to: Specialist Skills Income Threshold for Skills in Demand (subclass 482) Specialist Skills stream nominations lodged 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027 AUD 146,576.00 per year In force from about IDR 1,825,897,965 rate as of 8 October 2026

Department of Home Affairs, Australia

Which visa do you need to work in Australia through Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482)?

Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482): Temporary work visa for skilled workers sponsored and nominated by an Australian employer. Official source

What are the steps to work in Australia through Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482)?

  1. Get a job offer from an Australian employer willing to sponsor you and nominate your position.
  2. Make sure the annual salary meets your stream's threshold for nominations lodged between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027.
  3. Apply for the visa after nomination, with skills and English documents as Home Affairs requires.
  4. Report as an independent migrant worker to the labour office and the Indonesian mission under Law 18/2017 Article 63.

The order and timings are editor estimates, not promises.

Which schools or training lead to Australia?

The education and training routes linked to working in Australia through Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482): Bachelor's degree (S1) in Indonesia, D3 vocational diploma in Indonesia, BNSP competency certification in Indonesia, Language tests for working abroad.

How are the Skills in Demand salary thresholds set?

Home Affairs sets the Core Skills Income Threshold and the Specialist Skills Income Threshold, and both are indexed every 1 July. The threshold for the date the nomination is lodged applies. On top of that, the overseas worker may not be paid less than an equivalent Australian worker.

What are the warning signs of offers to Australia through this route?

  • Someone asks for money to get you 'sponsored' or nominated by an Australian employer. Australia has criminal and civil penalties for asking for, receiving, offering or giving a benefit for visa sponsorship.Department of Home Affairs, Australia
  • The salary offered is below your stream's threshold for the current nomination year, or lower than an equivalent Australian worker's.Department of Home Affairs, Australia
  • A job offer expects an upfront payment or giving back part of your pay to the employer or a middleman.
  • The agent handling your visa is not a registered migration agent.Department of Home Affairs, Australia
  • An individual recruiter claims they can send or place you. Law 18/2017 Article 69 bars individuals from placing Indonesian migrant workers.Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id)

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Frequently asked questions

Can an overseas worker be paid less than an Australian worker?

No. Home Affairs says a nomination will be refused if the employer intends to pay the nominated overseas worker less than an equivalent Australian worker.

Can I pay an employer to sponsor me?

No. Since December 2015 Australia has criminal and civil penalties for anyone who asks for, receives, offers or provides a benefit for visa sponsorship. Applicants who give a benefit to get a job are also in breach.

Who wrote and reviewed this page?

Sources

The facts on this page come from these sources. Dates show when we opened them.

  1. Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) (Home Affairs) Department of Home Affairs, Australia · accessed
  2. Salary requirements for sponsored workers (Home Affairs) Department of Home Affairs, Australia · accessed
  3. Work visa scams (Home Affairs) Department of Home Affairs, Australia · accessed
  4. Undang-Undang Nomor 18 Tahun 2017 tentang Pelindungan Pekerja Migran Indonesia Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) · UU 18/2017 · accessed
  5. Peraturan Menteri P2MI/Kepala BP2MI Nomor 17 Tahun 2025 tentang Biaya Penempatan Pekerja Migran Indonesia Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) · Permen P2MI 17/2025 · accessed
How to cite

KarirAman (2026). Working in Australia on a Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482): rules, salary, visa. Updated 7 October 2026. https://kariraman.com/en/work-abroad/australia/skills-in-demand-visa-482/

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