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Australia work visa for Indians: the 482 sponsored route and other options

Most Indians go through an employer-sponsored Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa. An approved employer must nominate you, pay at least the market salary and the income threshold, and you need a year of relevant experience, any required skills assessment, English, health and character checks. Indians aged 18 to 30 may also try the MATES ballot.

How can an Indian get a work visa for Australia?

Which Australian work routes exist for Indians

The Department of Home Affairs now calls the main employer-sponsored temporary visa the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482). Older pages and agent sites still use the previous name, Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS). This guide uses the names shown on the Department's pages in October 2026, and every figure should be confirmed on the official page before you act.

Route	What the Department's page says	Who it suits
Skills in Demand 482, Core Skills stream	Employer sponsors a worker for an occupation on the Core Skills Occupation List; stay up to 4 years (5 for Hong Kong passport holders).	Skilled workers with a sponsoring Australian employer
Skills in Demand 482, Specialist Skills stream	Occupation in ANZSCO Major Groups 1, 2, 4, 5 or 6, with a salary that meets the Specialist Skills Income Threshold.	Higher-paid specialists and managers
Employer Nomination Scheme 186	Lets skilled workers nominated by their employer live and work in Australia permanently.	Workers moving from a temporary visa to permanent residence
MATES (subclass 403 stream)	Indian passport holders aged 18 to 30, selected in a ballot; stay up to 2 years.	Recent Indian graduates from eligible institutions
Temporary Graduate 485	Aged 35 or under (exceptions apply), held a Student visa in the last 6 months, recent CRICOS-registered qualification.	Indians who have just finished study in Australia

Skills in Demand 482: what the official pages say

As shown by Home Affairs in October 2026, a Core Skills applicant must be nominated for an occupation on the Core Skills Occupation List and be paid the Annual Market Salary Rate for that occupation, and no less than the Core Skills Income Threshold.
The same page requires at least 1 year of relevant work experience in the nominated occupation or a related field, a skills assessment if your occupation needs one, and English language proficiency unless exempt.
You may work in Australia for your sponsor for up to 4 years, or up to 5 years for Hong Kong passport holders, and may apply for permanent residence if eligible.
The Department's salary page shows the Core Skills Income Threshold as AUD79,423 for nominations lodged between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027, and the Specialist Skills Income Threshold as AUD146,576 for the same period.
The salary page also says that if the worker is paid under AUD250,000 a year, the employer must show the market rate was worked out correctly and that the worker is not paid less than an Australian would be. Thresholds are indexed every 1 July, so check the figure for the date your employer lodges.
You must start employment within 90 days of entering Australia, or of visa grant if you are already in Australia, and work only in the nominated occupation for the nominating business or, in some cases, an associated entity.

Employer sponsorship: the order things happen

Find an Australian employer who wants to hire you. The visa is employer-led, so an offer comes first. Browse current openings and submit your CV if you want us to match it against roles, but read how to get a job abroad from India before paying anyone.
The employer must be an approved sponsor, or at least have applied to become a Standard business sponsor, before it can nominate you. It then lodges a nomination for your position and occupation.
Ask the employer for the Transaction Reference Number of the nomination. The Department says you need it when you lodge the visa application online.
Check whether your occupation needs a mandatory skills assessment, and arrange English test results, health examinations and police certificates (details below).
Lodge the visa application online. The Department says you can only be helped by a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner or an exempt person if you appoint someone for immigration assistance.
Wait for the decision and keep the grant letter. The visa is linked digitally to your passport and you can check conditions through VEVO, so no label goes in your passport.

Skills assessment and experience

As shown by Home Affairs in October 2026, some primary 482 applicants must have a mandatory skills assessment, by Trades Recognition Australia or VETASSESS depending on the occupation. Where it is mandatory it must be commenced before you submit the visa application, or the application will not be valid, and it must have been undertaken or commenced within the 3 years before you apply.

Even where an assessment is not mandatory, the Department still expects evidence of skills: qualifications, any registration or licence, employer references on letterhead with dates of service, and a CV covering at least the last 5 years. Work experience should generally be within the last 5 years, and part-time or casual work must add up to at least 12 months full-time. A skills assessment is not the same as registration with a professional regulator.

The Core Skills Occupation List is published through the Department's skilled occupation list page, which also says the 2022 version of ANZSCO is used for the 482 and 186 visas. Always check your exact ANZSCO code against that list, because a job title on an offer letter does not decide eligibility.

English, health, character and costs

English: primary applicants must show minimum English unless exempt, and the Department says test results can be no more than 3 years old. The 482 pages we fetched did not list the score table, so check the English requirements page before booking a test.
Health: you and secondary applicants must meet the health requirement, and the Department says results are generally valid for 12 months. It suggests organising examinations before you lodge.
Health insurance: the Department says you must keep adequate health cover for your whole stay, and that maintaining it is a condition of the visa.
Character: applicants aged 16 and over need police certificates from every country where they spent a total of 12 months or more in the last 10 years since turning 16, including India, unless an accredited sponsor's good-character reference applies.
Costs: the fetched pages show visa charges only through the Visa Pricing Estimator, so we do not quote a figure. Budget separately for English tests, health checks, police certificates and biometrics, which the Department lists as other costs.
Paying for sponsorship: the Department says you must not have, in the past 3 years, asked for, offered, received or provided a benefit in return for a sponsorship event.

Processing times: read them as a moving target

The Department says to use its visa processing time guide, which is based on recently decided applications and is not specific to your case. Its 482 page notice in October 2026 says it was processing applications lodged in: February 2026 for Construction, Healthcare, Teaching, Agriculture, Aquaculture, Fishing and Resources sectors; July 2026 for the Specialist Skills stream; January 2026 for applicants in Australia; and October 2025 for applicants who lodged from outside Australia. The notice warns that dates and timeframes may fluctuate. Do not resign, book flights or sell assets on the basis of a date quoted by anyone else.

For the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186), the same Department notice showed July 2024 for primary applicants who lodged from outside Australia, so permanent routes can take much longer than a temporary visa.

MATES for young Indian graduates

As shown by Home Affairs in October 2026, the MATES stream lets Indian graduates and early-career professionals live and work in Australia for up to 2 years, but only after being randomly selected in a ballot. You must hold a valid Indian passport, be 18 to 30 inclusive, and have graduated within two years of the ballot opening from a Top 100 institution on the 2024 NIRF India Rankings Overall list, with a Bachelor-level or higher qualification in a listed industry such as ICT, engineering, mining, renewable energy, artificial intelligence, fintech or agricultural technology.

If selected you have 30 days from selection to lodge. The page lists IELTS overall 6.0 with at least 5 in each component, among other accepted tests, and says that without a job offer you must show enough money, usually about AUD5,000 for your initial stay. Ballot rules change, so use the Department's own ballot page rather than a third party.

Scam warnings and what Indian applicants should check

Be wary of any offer that sells a sponsorship or asks you to pay the employer for a nomination. The Department's 482 criteria include a rule against paying for visa sponsorship, and the visa can be refused if you or a family member did.
Verify the employer is an approved sponsor and that the nomination exists, then match the job title and salary on your contract to the nominated occupation and threshold.
A visitor or study visa is not a work visa. Do not travel on one expecting to switch to sponsorship later without checking the Department's rules first.
Use only a registered migration agent or legal practitioner for visa advice, and see overseas job scam warning signs.
For Indian-side agent checks, read how to check whether a recruitment agency is MEA registered. Comparing with another country? See the UK Skilled Worker visa guide.
Keep your passport, your signed contract and every receipt. Ask for a written copy of the nomination details before you resign from your current job.

Where Job Spectra fits

Job Spectra is operated by Spectravault Group LLP, with offices in Deira Dubai, Bengaluru and Sugauli, Bihar. We do not yet hold an eMigrate recruiting-agent registration, so we do not recruit Indian workers for Australian employers, and we cannot lodge visas or give legal immigration advice. Our no-upfront-job-fees policy is explained on the Trust Center. Use this guide to prepare questions for an employer or a registered migration agent.

Official sources

Last reviewed 2026-10-19. Information only, not legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

Is the TSS visa still the Australian work visa?

The Department of Home Affairs now names the employer-sponsored temporary visa the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482). Older pages and agent sites may still say Temporary Skill Shortage, so check the current name and rules on the official page.

Can I get an Australian work visa without a job offer?

For the 482 you need an employer to nominate you first, so an offer comes before the visa application. The MATES stream is different: you apply only after being selected in a ballot, and the page says you may show an employment offer or enough funds.

What salary must the employer pay for a 482 visa?

As shown by Home Affairs in October 2026, Core Skills nominations lodged from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027 need at least AUD79,423, and Specialist Skills nominations need AUD146,576. The employer must also pay the market rate. Thresholds change each 1 July.

Do I need a skills assessment for the 482 visa?

Only some primary applicants do. The Department says a mandatory assessment, by Trades Recognition Australia or VETASSESS depending on the occupation, must be commenced before you lodge. Otherwise you still provide qualifications, references and a CV.

How long can I stay on a 482 visa?

The Department's page says up to 4 years, or 5 years for Hong Kong passport holders, for the period your employer nominates. If eligible you may apply for permanent residence, for example through the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186).

Can my family come with me?

You can include family members who meet the Department's definition, such as your partner and dependent children, in the application. The Department says you cannot add them after you submit, and they must meet health and character requirements.

Should I pay an agent to arrange sponsorship?

Do not pay anyone for a sponsorship or nomination. The Department's criteria say a benefit paid for sponsorship can make you ineligible. For visa help, appoint only a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person.