Western Australian businesses in mining services, construction, healthcare, hospitality and technology continue to struggle to fill skilled roles. For many, the answer is sponsoring an overseas worker. The main route is the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482), which replaced the Temporary Skill Shortage visa on 7 December 2024.
The three streams
- Specialist Skills stream for higher-paid roles, where the worker's salary meets a high income threshold.
- Core Skills stream for occupations on the Core Skills Occupation List, with a lower salary threshold.
- Labour Agreement stream for employers with a formal labour agreement with the Government.
Which stream you use depends on the occupation, the salary and the worker's qualifications and experience.
The three steps
- Standard Business Sponsorship: the business applies to be an approved sponsor and must show it is lawfully operating and has a genuine need.
- Nomination: the sponsor nominates the position and the worker. The role must be an eligible occupation, and the sponsor must pay at least the market salary and the relevant income threshold.
- Visa application: the worker applies, with evidence of skills, experience, English and character.
Salary rules
Thresholds are indexed each 1 July. Different figures apply to each stream and online summaries often disagree, so check the current figures with Home Affairs, or with us, before you make an offer. Paying below the nominated rate is a sponsor breach.
A pathway to permanent residence
For many workers, the 482 is the first step. After working for their sponsor for the required period, generally two years, many holders can be nominated for the permanent Employer Nomination Scheme (186) visa through the Temporary Residence Transition stream. The regional 494 visa can lead to the permanent 191 visa after three years.
Sponsor obligations, now with real penalties
Sponsoring is a continuing commitment. Employers must:
- pay the nominated salary and provide equivalent conditions to those of Australian workers;
- keep records and notify Home Affairs of certain changes;
- cooperate with monitoring; and
- pay reasonable return travel costs if asked.
Since 1 July 2024, it has also been a criminal offence to coerce or exploit a temporary visa holder at work, and employers can be banned from employing more visa holders. Breaches can also lead to sanctions, fines or a ban on sponsoring.
Where businesses go wrong
- Treating the employment contract and the nomination as separate documents, then finding they do not match.
- Failing to notify Home Affairs of changes such as a new role or a changed salary.
- Not realising that visa conditions follow the worker into the business: duties and hours must reflect what was nominated.
Because we are commercial as well as migration lawyers, we look at the sponsorship, the employment contract and the compliance program together.
Sponsorship consultation · Employer sponsored visas
General information only, current at November 2026. Thresholds and processing priorities change; it is not legal advice.
