482 Visa Requirements 2026: Salary, English and Who's Eligible

The 482 visa requirements are the rules a skilled worker and their employer must meet before Home Affairs will grant a Skills in Demand visa. They cover your occupation, salary, work experience, English level and health and character.

The tricky part is knowing which version of the rules applies to you, with the salary thresholds rising again on 1 July 2026.

This guide explains each requirement in plain terms, including the current figures from Home Affairs. If you'd rather hand the whole application to someone else, our 482 visa service covers pricing and how we manage it from start to finish.‍

Key takeaways:

• From 1 July 2026, Core Skills roles must pay at least AUD79,423 and Specialist Skills roles at least AUD146,576
• The pay must match what an Australian would earn in the same job, known as the annual market salary rate
• You need at least one year of relevant work experience in the last five years 
• Most applicants need an English test result such as IELTS 5.0 in each band, unless an exemption applies
• There is no age limit for the 482 visa
• The July 2026 increase doesn't affect people who already hold a 482 visa.

The three 482 visa streams at a glance

The 482 visa has three streams, and the stream decides which occupation and salary rules apply to you. Most applicants fall into the Core Skills or Specialist Skills stream.

482 visa salary requirements

The 482 visa salary requirements have two parts. Your pay must be at or above the income threshold for your stream, and no less than what an Australian worker would earn in the same role. Both tests apply. Meeting one but not the other means the nomination will be refused.

The income thresholds for 2026–27

The income thresholds for nominations lodged between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027 are:

• Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT): AUD79,423, up from AUD76,515
• Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT): AUD146,576, up from AUD141,210.

Both rose by 3.8%, in line with growth in average Australian earnings. Home Affairs indexes the thresholds every 1 July, so the figure that applies is the one in force on the day the nomination is lodged.‍

Matilda Tip: Searching for 'TSMIT 2026'? For the 482 visa, the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) was replaced by the CSIT and SSIT in December 2024. TSMIT still exists, but it now only applies to the regional subclass 494 and subclass 187 visas. In 2026–27, it happens to be the same as the CSIT at AUD79,423.

The annual market salary rate

The annual market salary rate (AMSR) is what an Australian citizen or permanent resident earns, or would earn, for the same full-time work at the same workplace and location. It stops sponsored workers being paid less than local staff.

How your employer proves the AMSR depends on their situation:

• If they already employ an Australian in an equivalent role, they use that person's pay, shown through payslips or contracts
• If an award or enterprise agreement covers the role, the pay can't be lower than the rate it sets
• If neither applies, they use evidence such as Jobs and Skills Australia data, comparable job ads or a reputable salary survey.

Home Affairs may refuse nominations that rely only on generic salary data. The AMSR test doesn't apply where the salary is AUD250,000 or more.

Non-monetary benefits, such as accommodation or a car, don't count towards the threshold. Your employer must provide them on top of the required salary.

Already on a 482? What the July 2026 increase means

If you already hold a 482 visa, the new thresholds don't apply to you. Home Affairs has confirmed the increase doesn't affect existing visa holders or nominations lodged before 1 July 2026.

It does matter the next time an employer lodges a nomination for you. That includes changing employers or applying for a new 482. Any new nomination must meet the threshold in force when it's lodged, so a Core Skills role paying close to AUD76,515 would need a pay rise first.

See our guide to changing employers on a 482 visa for how that process works.

Occupation requirements

Your occupation decides which stream you can use. For the Core Skills stream, the role must be on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL).

The Specialist Skills stream doesn't use a list. Instead, the role can be in most skilled occupation groups, but not trades, admin workers or labourers. That's why a high salary alone won't move a tradie into the Specialist Skills stream.

The job duties must also match the official description of the occupation. Case officers check this closely, and a mismatch is one of the most common reasons nominations fail.

Work experience and skills assessment

You need at least one year of relevant work experience in your nominated occupation, or a closely related field, gained within the last five years. Part-time or casual work counts if it adds up to the equivalent of 12 months full-time, and it doesn't need to be continuous.

Some occupations also need a skills assessment from Trades Recognition Australia or VETASSESS. Where it's mandatory, you must have started the assessment before you apply, or the application won't be valid.

Matilda Tip: Ask past employers for references on company letterhead that list your exact dates, hours and duties. References that don't line up with the occupation description are a frequent cause of delays.

482 visa English requirements

The 482 visa English requirements apply to most primary applicants, who must take an approved English test within three years before applying. For tests taken on or after 13 September 2025, the minimum scores include:

Tests taken entirely online or at home aren't accepted. You're exempt from the test if any of these apply:

• You hold a passport from the UK, the US, Canada, New Zealand or Ireland
• You've completed at least five years of full-time study taught in English, at secondary level or above
• You're employed by an overseas business that is transferring you, and you'll earn at least AUD96,400.

Age, health, insurance and character

There is no age limit for the 482 visa. Age does matter later if you want permanent residency, because the subclass 186 visa generally requires you to be under 45.

You, and any family members on the application, must also:

• Hold adequate health insurance for your whole stay, which is a condition of the visa
• Meet the health requirement, usually through a medical exam
• Meet the character requirement if aged 16 or over, which can include police certificates
• Have no unpaid debts to the Australian government
• Not have paid, or offered to pay, anyone for your sponsorship.

What your employer has to do

The 482 visa requirements apply to your employer as well as to you. Before you can apply, your employer must:

• Be an approved sponsor, or have applied to become one
• Lodge a nomination for your specific role
• Show they tested the local labour market, usually with at least two job ads that ran for four weeks within the four months before nominating, unless exemptions apply
• Pay the Skilling Australians Fund levy.

Our guide on how to sponsor an employee walks employers through each step. Once you're on the visa, your employer also takes on ongoing sponsorship obligations.

Costs, processing and next steps

The government visa charge starts at AUD4,015 for the main applicant, with separate fees for sponsorship and nomination. Our 482 visa page sets out the full government fees alongside our fixed fees. For current wait times, see our guide to employer-sponsored visa timelines.

Once granted, you must follow the conditions of the visa, including working only for your sponsor. Our guide to 482 visa conditions explains what you can and can't do.

How Matilda helps with your 482 visa

Our registered migration agents and lawyers prepare employer-sponsored applications to be decision-ready from day one. That means checking the occupation match, building salary evidence that holds up against the market rate test and making sure references and English results meet the current rules before anything is lodged.

We also track the yearly threshold changes and occupation list updates, so your application is built on this year's rules, not last year's.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the minimum salary for a 482 visa in 2026?

For nominations lodged from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, the minimum is AUD79,423 for the Core Skills stream and AUD146,576 for the Specialist Skills stream. The salary must also be no less than the annual market salary rate, which is what an Australian would earn in the same role. 

Is TSMIT still used for the 482 visa?

No. For the 482 visa, TSMIT was replaced by the Core Skills Income Threshold and Specialist Skills Income Threshold in December 2024. TSMIT now only applies to the subclass 494 and 187 visas.

Does the July 2026 salary increase affect my current 482 visa?

No. Home Affairs has confirmed the increase doesn't apply to existing visa holders or to nominations lodged before 1 July 2026. It only applies when an employer lodges a new nomination, such as when you change employers.

Is there an age limit for the 482 visa?

There is no age limit for the 482 visa. However, if you plan to move to permanent residency through the subclass 186 visa, you will generally need to be under 45 when you apply.

What IELTS score do I need for a 482 visa?

For tests taken on or after 13 September 2025, you need at least 5.0 in each of the four IELTS components. Passport holders from the UK, US, Canada, New Zealand and Ireland are exempt.

Do I need health insurance on a 482 visa?

Yes. You must hold adequate health insurance for your whole stay in Australia, and keeping it is a condition of the visa. This applies to family members on the visa too.

Ready to start your 482 visa?

The 482 visa requirements change every July, so it pays to check your situation against this year's rules before anyone lodges.

For applicants: Check your eligibility and book a consultation with our team.‍

For employers: Find out how we handle sponsorship and nominations from start to finish.