SID Work (482)

The Australian Skills in Demand Visa (SID) (Subclass 482) allows an Applicant who is a Skilled Worker to live and work in Australia temporarily (of up to 4 years).

The Applicant needs an Australian Employer/Business to Sponsor them for the duration of their visa. Before applying for this Visa, the Employer/Business must apply to become a Standard Business Sponsor (Stage 1) and then Nominate the Applicant (Stage 2). Applying for this Visa is the final step (Stage 3).

Depending on the circumstances and the occupation, the Skilled Worker may be able to apply for a Permanent Employer Nomination Scheme Visa (Subclass 186) after 2 years.

The Work Visa program is very complex with a number of eligibility criteria, so we recommend that you book a complimentary consultation with Andreas Athanasiou by scrolling to the Booking section at the bottom of this page.

You can have everything explained to you so you can make the right decision and not apply for the wrong subclass, which would cost you money, time and the opportunity to re-apply immediately, in some cases.

ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible to apply for a Skills in Demand Visa (SID) (Subclass 482), the Applicant must:

Be in or outside Australia to apply.
Not hold certain Visas.
Have complied with previous Visa conditions.
Be nominated by an approved Sponsor/Business.
Be employed by the Sponsor/Business in the nominated occupation.
Choose an occupation that is on the relevant Occupations' List.
Have the relevant Skills to perform in the chosen occupation.
Have the relevant Employment background to perform in the chosen occupation.
Have at least 1 year of verifiable experience in that occupation.
Have the relevant Qualifications to perform in the chosen occupation (in some cases).
Have a positive Skills Assessment (in some cases).
Have health insurance (some exemptions).
Meet the English language criteria (some exemptions).
Meet the character requirements.
Meet the health requirements.
Be a genuine Applicant for entry and stay as a short term visa holder.

The abovementioned criteria are the bare minimum. More information will need to be provided by the Applicant and the Sponsor/Business to confirm eligibility. Please contact our Office for a complimentary consultation to discuss your matter.

STREAMS OF THE SID VISA (SUBCLASS 482)

Stream 1: Specialist Skills Stream, for Applicants in any ANZSCO occupation with the specialist skills income threshold of $135,000 or more (excluding occupations in ANZSCO Major Groups 3, 7 and 8 which encompasses trade workers, machinery operators and drivers, and labourers).

Stream 2: Core Skills Stream, for Applicants with the core skills income threshold of $73,150, in line with the current Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) for the now-defunct TSS visa, in a Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL).

Stream 3: Labour Agreement Stream, which carries over existing settings from the now-defunct TSS visa while further development of the proposed Essential Skills stream takes place.

PREREQUISITE: APPROVAL OF A SPONSOR/BUSINESS

Stage 1 involves the Sponsor/Business applying to become a Standard Business Sponsor (SBS). To become a Standard Business Sponsor, the business must be legally established and currently operating.

Stage 2 involves the Sponsor/Business submitting a Nomination Application for the Application to fill an occupation specified on the relevant Occupation List. They will only be able to do this if they are an approved Sponsor or have at least submitted an SBS Application. Some occupations may contain certain caveats.

Only then the Applicant is able to apply for the Skills in Demand Visa (SID) (Subclass 482), which is Stage 3.

The process for the 2 first stages that involve the Sponsor/Business can be very complicated. More information on these stages can be found here.

CORE SKILLS OCCUPATION LIST (CSOL)

The CSOL lists approximately 450 occupations which are open to Applicants under the Core Skills stream.

Some common occupations in the CSOL include Cooks, Pastry Cooks, Primary School Teachers, Roof Tilers, Veterinary Nurses, Hairdressers, Accountants, Registered Nurses, Motor Mechanics, Chefs, Cabinet Makers, Painting Trades Workers, Airconditioning and Mechanical Services Plumbers, Carpenters, Engineers, etc.

Please keep in mind that the Skilled Occupation List may change periodically. This includes including new occupations or removing occupations altogether. Furthermore, some occupations are not available to all Applicants; many occupations depend on the Applicant's country of Passport.

A copy of this list can be found in this link.

SKILLS, QUALIFICATION & EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

The Applicant must demonstrate that they have the skills and experience necessary to perform the nominated occupation, and that they have at least 1 year of verifiable experience in the occupation. The experience must be full time (or an equivalent period of part time or casual work), and must have been undertaken within 5 years immediately before the lodgement of the Visa application.

Documents they may provide include (but not limited to):

Copies of relevant Qualification Certificates and Testamurs.
Copies of any required registration/licensing (if applicable).
Previous Employment References.
Updated Curriculum Vitae.
Payslips.
Bank Statements showing wages going into the account.
Superannuation Documents (if applicable).

Some Applicants are also required to undertake a Skills Assessment to demonstrate their Skills (in some cases).

ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

If the Applicant is a Passport holder from New Zealand, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States of America, then they do not need to undertake an English Language Test.

If the Applicant does not hold a Passport from any of the abovenamed countries, or do not meet any of the other exemptions, then they must achieve the following test scores in one single attempt in one test (within 3 years of applying for the Visa):

International English Language Testing System (IELTS): Overall Band Score of at least 5.0 with a Score of at least 5.0 in each of the test components.
Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic): Overall Band Score of at least 36 with a Score of at least 36 in each of the test components.
Occupational English Test (OET): Score at least 'B' in each of the four components.
Test of English as a Foreign Language Test (TOEFL iBT): Total score of at least 35 with a score of at least 4 for each of the test components of listening and reading, and a score of at least 14 for each of the test components of speaking and writing.
Cambridge C1 Advanced Test: Overall test score of at least 154 with a score of at least 154 in each of the test components.

AFTER THE VISA LODGEMENT

If the Applicant is overseas when they apply for this Visa, it is recommended that they wait overseas for a decision.

If the Applicant is in Australia when they apply for the Visa, and depending on the current Visa they hold, they will receive a Bridging Visa A (BVA) the day that they apply for the Skills in Demand Visa (SID) (Subclass 482).

This BVA will come into effect the day after their current substantive Visa ends. With this BVA, they can remain in Australia until a decision is made on the Skills in Demand Visa (SID) (Subclass 482). If they wish to travel overseas, they must apply for a Bridging Visa B (BVB) beforehand.

The approximate processing time for a decision: The DHA’s indication is between 1 month and 5 months for a decision. However, this changes on a monthly basis.

A large number of previous Work Visa applications that Andreas Athanasiou has lodged have been granted in a shorter period, due to the detailed and thorough decision-ready applications he has submitted.

VISA APPLICATION CHARGE (VAC)

The DHA charges $3,115 (AUD) for a Skills in Demand Visa (SID) (Subclass 482). You can include members of your family unit as secondary Applicants (additional DHA fees apply).

The DHA may also charge a Subsequent Temporary Application Charge (STAC) of $700 per Applicant (depends on the circumstances).

There may be other additional costs, such as:

The Professional Fees of the Firm that has been appointed (if applicable).
Immigration Health Examinations.
Criminal History Certificates.
Health Insurance.
Translations of Documents (if applicable).
Skills Assessment (if applicable).
Bank Surcharges.

AFTER THE VISA DECISION & PATHWAY TO A PERMANENT VISA

If the Skills in Demand Visa (SID) (Subclass 482) is granted, then the Applicant is a Temporary Resident of Australia.

During this time, they can live, work (for the Sponsor/Business only, and by complying with all visa conditions) and travel within Australia and overseas without any restrictions.

After 2 years of working for the Sponsor/Business (and follow all visa conditions), then they MAYbe eligible for the Employer Nomination Scheme Visa (Subclass 186) (Temporary Residence Transition Stream).

More information on the Employer Nomination Scheme Visa (Subclass 186) can be found through this link or by clicking below.

Frequently Asked Questions (Work Visas)

How does the Applicant prove that they have the relevant Skills, Qualifications and Employment Background?

The Applicant must demonstrate that they have the Skills, Qualifications and Experience necessary to perform the nominated occupation.

Applicants may need to provide a satisfactory combination of the following to the DHA:

Copies of relevant Qualification Certificates and Testamurs
Copies of any required registration/licensing
Previous Employment References
Updated Curriculum Vitae
Payslips
Bank Statements showing wages going into the account
Superannuation Documents
English Language Tests

In some cases, Applicants may be required to provide a Skills Assessment to demonstrate their Skills.