Temporary Skill Shortage Visa 482
Short Term - Temporary Skill Shortage visa
This visa enables employers to address labour shortages by bringing in skilled workers where employers can’t source an appropriately skilled Australian worker.
Overview of Temporary Skill Shortage Visa 482
Stay
You can stay for up to 2 years or up to 4 years if an International Trade Obligation (ITO) applies. Hong Kong passport holders may stay up to 5 years.
Cost
From AUD1,265
Processing times
- 75% of applications: 6 months
- 90% of applications: 9 months
With this visa, you can
- work in Australia for up to 2 years or up to 4 years if an International Trade Obligation (ITO) applies. Hong Kong passport holders may stay up to 5 years
- travel to and from Australia as many times as you want while the visa is valid
- if eligible, apply for permanent residence
You must
- be nominated to work in an occupation on the list of eligible short-term skilled occupations
- have at least 2 years relevant work experience in your nominated occupation or a related field
- have a relevant skills assessment if this is required for your occupation
- work only for your sponsor or associated entity, unless you are exempt
- meet minimum standards of English language proficiency unless you are exempt from needing to show this
About The Temporary Skill Shortage visa subclass 482
With this visa, you can
- work in Australia for up to 2 for your sponsor or work in Australia for up to 4 years if an International Trade Obligation (ITO) applies, or up to 5 years if you are a Hong Kong passport holder
- study (you won’t receive government assistance)
- travel to and from Australia as many times as you want while the visa is valid
- if eligible, apply for permanent residence
For this stream of the visa, you must be sponsored to work in an occupation listed on the Short term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL).
Your visa will come with conditions attached to it. To see your conditions refer to your visa grant letter or use VEVO.
Cost
The visa costs AUD1,265 for the main applicant and for each dependent 18 years and over.
It costs AUD320 for each dependent under 18 years old.
You will have to pay other costs for English language tests, health checks, police certificates and biometrics.
To work out what your visa will cost use the Visa Pricing Estimator
The estimator does not take into account the other costs.
How long you can stay
This is a temporary visa. You can stay in Australia for the period of time your employer nominates you for. This will be:
- up to 2 years in most cases
- up to 4 years if an ITO applies but the maximum length will depend on the actual ITO relevant to your circumstances
- up to 5 years if you are a Hong Kong passport holder
For further information on recent changes regarding Hong Kong passport holders read New visa options for Hong Kong
Broadly, an ITO applies if:
- you are an intra-corporate transferee:
- your company is based in a World Trade Organization (WTO) Member country or territory
- you are an Executive or Senior Manager occupation
- you are from a WTO Member country or territory, or
- you are a citizen/national of China and an intra-corporate transferee, an independent executive or contractual service supplier, or
- you are an intra-corporate transferee from a Singapore based company and a Singapore citizen/permanent resident, or
- you are an intra-corporate transferee from a Thailand based company and a Thai citizen/national, or
- your Thailand based business wants to start a business in Australia:
- you are an Executive or Senior Manager occupation
- you are a Thai citizen/national
- you are a contractual service supplier and you are a Thai citizen/national
Stay longer
If your visa is expiring and you want to stay in Australia to work for your existing employer:
- your employer will need to submit a new nomination
- you must apply for a new visa.
Your employer may be able to sponsor you for permanent residence through the:
- Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186)
- Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (subclass 187)
You might be eligible for other skilled work visas. Use our visa finder to find out options for work.
Current temporary skilled visa holders from Hong Kong will be eligible for an extension of 5 years (from 9 July 2020) in addition to the time they’ve already been in Australia.
Current and future temporary skilled visa holders from Hong Kong will also have a pathway to permanent residency after 5 years.
Include other family members
You can include other family members (called ‘secondary applicants’) in your visa application. The family members you can add will depend on whether you currently hold a subclass 457 or TSS visa.
You have not previously held a subclass 457 or TSS visa
If you have not previously held a subclass 457 or TSS visa, the secondary applicants you can include in your visa application are those who are members of the family unit.
You currently hold a subclass 457 or TSS visa
If you currently hold a subclass 457 or TSS visa and you are applying for a subsequent subclass TSS visa, the secondary applicants who can be included in your application are::
- one of the members of the family unit, or
- a person who currently holds a subclass 457 or TSS visa that was granted on the basis that they were a member of the family unit at the time, and is currently one of the following:
- your spouse or de facto partner
- your or your spouse’s or de facto partner’s child or step-child who is not engaged, married or in a de facto relationship, and is:
- younger than 23
- aged 23 or older and fully or mostly reliant on you or your partner because they cannot work, due to a partial or total physical or mental disability
- is a dependent child of your or your spouse or de facto partner’s child or step-child
To be granted the visa, secondary applicants must be included in the main applicant’s nomination, or provide written evidence that the sponsor who nominated the main applicant agrees that the secondary applicant can be a secondary sponsored person.
Secondary applicants who apply for the visa must meet our health and character requirements.
You can’t add family members to your visa application after it has been submitted.
If you have submitted your visa application and it is being processed by the Department, family members that were not included in your visa application can lodge a subsequent entrant application.
Alternatively, if we have granted you a visa, family members may apply to join you in Australia later as a subsequent entrant.
Apply from
Usually, you can be in or outside Australia when you apply for this visa, but not in immigration clearance.
However, you must be outside Australia if all the following apply:
- you have held more than one TSS visa in the Short-term stream
- you hold a TSS visa in the Short-term stream and you were in Australia when you applied for that visa
- applying outside Australia is not inconsistent with an ITO
If you are applying in Australia, you must hold:
- a substantive visa, or
- a Bridging visa A, Bridging visa B or Bridging visa C
Processing time
We assess applications on a case-by-case basis, and actual processing times can vary due to individual circumstances including:
- whether you have lodged a complete application, including all necessary supporting documents
- how quickly you respond to any requests for additional information
- how long it takes to perform required checks on the supporting information provided
- how long it takes to receive additional information from external agencies, particularly in relation to health, character, and national security requirements
We might ask for more information. We are not obligated to request further information or documents and can make a decision on the information provided. It is your responsibility to ensure all relevant supporting/evidentiary documentation is attached to your application.
Your obligations
You and your family must meet all visa conditions and obey Australian laws.
You must begin your employment within 90 days of:
- entering Australia, if you are outside Australia when grant the visa
- the visa grant date, if you are in Australia when we grant the visa
Travel
You can travel outside Australia and return as many times as you want while the visa is valid.
The time you spend outside Australia does not extend the visa.
Visa label
We will digitally link your visa to your passport. You will not get a label in your passport.
If we grant you a visa, we will send you a grant notification letter containing the visa grant number. You can use this number to check your visa details and conditions through VEVO.
Work
Conditions attached to this visa include that you work in Australia only in the occupation you were nominated for and only for your nominating business or in some circumstances, an associated entity of the business.
Your family can also live, study and work in Australia.
Eligibility for subclass 482 Temporary Skill Shortage visa
Be this age
There is no age requirement for this visa.
Be the holder of an appropriate visa
If you are applying in Australia, you must hold:
- a substantive visa or
- a Bridging visa A, Bridging visa B or Bridging visa C
Have complied with previous visa conditions
If you are in Australia at the time of decision, you must have substantially complied with any conditions that apply or applied to your last substantive visa or bridging visa held.
Be nominated by an approved sponsor
Before you can apply for a TSS visa, your proposed employer will need to submit a nomination application for you. They will only be able to do this if they are an approved sponsor or have at least submitted an application to become a Standard business sponsor.
Your employer must have nominated you to fill an occupation specified on the Short-Term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL).
Work for your nominating employer
Australian business sponsor
You must be employed:
- in your nominated occupation and
- in that business or an associated entity.
Overseas business sponsor
You must be employed:
- in your nominated occupation and
- in that business only (not an associated entity)
You might be exempt from this criterion if you have a certain occupation.
Have relevant skills, qualifications and employment background to perform occupation
If you are the primary visa applicant, you must demonstrate that you have the skills and experience necessary to perform the nominated occupation.
Some applicants must undertake a skills assessment to demonstrate this – see Have a positive skills assessment below.
If it is not mandatory for you to undertake a skills assessment, you are still required to provide other evidence to demonstrate that you meet these requirement. – see Skills and occupation documents under Step by Step tab.
Medical Practitioners
If the nominated occupation is a medical practitioner, you must have your qualifications recognised by the relevant authority in Australia for the registration of medical practitioners as entitling you to practice as a medical practitioner.
Have worked in your nominated occupation or a related field for at least 2 years
You must have at least 2 years relevant work experience in the nominated occupation or a related field.
Such work experience must be completed while working in the nominated occupation or performing tasks at the same skill level in a related field.
Work experience gained in a related field would involve tasks which are the same or closely related to those of the nominated position you intend to work as outlined in the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO).
Generally, you should have gained your experience on a full-time basis within the last 5 years. The period does not need to be continuous. We might consider equivalent part-time work. We do not consider casual work.
Other ways you may be able to demonstrate your work experience could include where you have gained your experience:
- as part of a Masters and/or PhD – for relevant occupations, such as medical and research occupations
- while studying through a formal arrangement such as a clinical or industry placement, internship or apprenticeship
If the formal arrangement as specified above was:
- part of a CRICOS registered course, the study must have been relevant to the nominated occupation. For example, medical practitioners could count experience gained through internships or their final year of medical training, including periods of clinical placements.
- not part of a CRICOS registered course, the study must have been undertaken at the skill level of the relevant occupation
Have a positive skills assessment
Some primary TSS visa applicants must undergo a mandatory skills assessment as part of the visa application process. Applicants who fit into this category and the type of assessment required are outlined in the IMMI 18/039: Mandatory Skills Assessment—Subclass 482 Visa. Depending on your nominated occupation, this will be a skills assessment by Trades Recognition Australia or VETASSESS.
Important: where a mandatory skills assessment is required, it must be commenced before submitting your visa application or your application will not be valid and will not be processed. As a result, you will be asked to provide a relevant skills assessment reference number when completing your application form.
The mandatory skills assessment must have been undertaken or commenced within the 3 year period ending immediately before the day the TSS visa application is made.
You are encouraged to complete the skills assessment process before submitting your visa application to reduce processing delays.
Note:
- we can request a skills assessment as part of the visa application process even where it is not mandatory. We will request it in writing where this is the case
- a relevant skills assessment is different to being registered with an appropriate regulatory body
Exemption to a mandatory skills assessment
You might be eligible to claim an exemption. Relevant exemptions are recorded under Part 2, section 7 of the IMMI 18/039: Mandatory Skills Assessment—Subclass 482 Visa.
Have health insurance
Primary and secondary visa applicants are personally liable for healthcare costs while in Australia. Health insurance helps limit your financial liability.
You must maintain adequate health cover for the whole of your intended period of stay if you are granted this visa. Your insurance should cover you for medically necessary treatment, including transport. It will be a condition of the visa that you maintain adequate health insurance while you remain in Australia.
Reciprocal healthcare agreements
Some countries have a reciprocal healthcare agreement with Australia. Find out more from Services Australia about reciprocal healthcare agreement
Meet our health requirement
You and any secondary applicants who apply for a TSS visa must meet the health requirement. The results of health examinations are generally valid for 12 months.
Important: You should organise your health examinations upfront before lodging a visa application to reduce processing times.
Meet our character requirement
You and family members aged 16 years and over who apply for the visa with you must meet our character requirement.
Important: if you are sponsored by an accredited sponsor, you are not required to obtain police certificates from countries other than Australia provided you attach a reference from your accredited sponsor confirming that you are of good character and that you have not been convicted of any criminal offences. You must still, however, provide any required Australian police clearances where applicable or when requested to do so.
Be a genuine applicant for entry and stay as a short term visa holder
You must be a genuine applicant for entry and stay in Australia as a short term visa holder and have a genuine intention to stay in Australia temporarily and to comply with visa conditions attached to your visa– that is, you must be a ‘genuine temporary entrant (GTE)’.
Have not contravened ‘paying for visa sponsorship’ legislative provisions
Paying for visa sponsorship refers to asking for, offering, receiving or providing a benefit in return for a sponsorship related event, whether the event occurs or not. You or any secondary applicants must not have, in the past 3 years, engaged in any such conduct. You may still satisfy this criterion if you have engaged in such conduct, and the Minister considers it reasonable to disregard it.
Have this level of English language
Primary visa applicants must meet certain minimum standards of English language proficiency unless exemptions apply.
Not have had a visa cancelled or a previous application refused
You might not be eligible for this visa if you have had a visa cancelled or refused while you were in Australia.
Have no debt to the Australian government
If you or any family members (including those who don’t apply for the visa with you) owe the Australian government money, you or they must have paid it back or arranged to pay it back.
Sign the Australian values statement
If you and any secondary applicants are 18 years of age or older, you must confirm that you will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws when you agree to or sign an Australian Values Statement.
