Australia Skills in Demand Visa: Sponsored Work Visa for Indians

Key Facts at a Glance

These facts show why the Australia Skills in Demand visa attracts skilled workers from Kerala in 2026.

Launched

7 December 2024, as the main employer sponsored Australia visa

Visa length

Up to four years, with family members included

Core Skills stream salary floor

A$79,499 from 1 July 2026

Specialist Skills stream salary floor

A$146,717 from 1 July 2026

Decision time

Usually 2 to 5 months after lodgement

Main applicant charge

A$4,015 from 1 July 2026

What Is the Australia Skills in Demand Visa?

The Australia Skills in Demand visa lets an approved Australian business fill a skilled role with an overseas worker. The employer nominates you for a specific job, and you apply for the visa once that nomination is lodged. Unlike points-tested migration, you need a job offer from an Australian employer first, and no invitation round is involved. It is quicker than the points route, but it ties you to your sponsor at the start.

The Three Streams of Subclass 482

Subclass 482 now has three streams. Each suits a different kind of worker.

• Core Skills stream: Best for most sponsored workers, with a job on the Core Skills Occupation List. Salary rule: Core Skills Income Threshold or Annual Market Salary Rate, whichever is higher.
• Specialist Skills stream: Best for higher earners, across a wide range of occupations with some exclusions. Salary rule: Specialist Skills Income Threshold or the market rate, whichever is higher.
• Labour Agreement stream: Best for employers with a formal agreement with the Australian Government. Salary rule: Set by the agreement, so we read it first.

Most Kerala applicants use the Core Skills stream. It covers many trades, engineering, technical and care roles.

Work Visa →  ·  PR Visa →  ·  Australia hub →

Skills in Demand Visa Eligibility: Who Qualifies?

Skills in Demand visa eligibility rests on six checks.

• Sponsor: an approved sponsor must nominate you for a genuine position
• Occupation: your job matches an occupation on the national list, or fits the Specialist Skills stream
• Experience: the work experience requirement is usually one year of relevant, recent experience in the same field
• English: the English requirement is usually IELTS 5 overall with 4.5 in each section, or an equal PTE, TOEFL or OET score
• Licences: regulated trades and professions may need Australian registration or a licence before you start work
• Health and character checks: a medical examination and police certificates for you and your family

Core Skills Occupation List and Your ANZSCO Code

The Core Skills Occupation List is managed by Jobs and Skills Australia and holds roughly 450 occupations. It includes engineers, electricians, welders, motor mechanics, chefs, IT staff and many care roles. Find your ANZSCO code first, because the code decides your stream, your salary floor and your sponsor’s paperwork. The list changes, so we check the current Core Skills Occupation List before you pay for any test. Nurses are registered separately, so our Nursing Careers team handles them. Higher earners may fit the Specialist Skills stream instead.

Nursing Careers →  ·  Welders →  ·  Mechanics →  ·  CNC Machinists →  ·  IT Professionals →

Salary Rules: Thresholds and Market Rate

Your pay must meet the higher of two figures: the income threshold for your stream, or the Annual Market Salary Rate for the same job in the same place. Check that your job is on the Core Skills Occupation List first. From 1 July 2026, the Core Skills Income Threshold is A$79,499 and the Specialist Skills Income Threshold is A$146,717. Both are indexed every 1 July.

How Employer Nomination and Sponsorship Work

Skills in Demand visa from India applicants move through three legal steps.

• The business becomes an approved sponsor with the Department of Home Affairs
• The employer lodges an employer nomination for your role, proving a genuine position and a lawful salary
• Most employers complete labour market testing, which means advertising the job locally, and pay the Skilling Australians Fund levy

After approval, you lodge the visa application. Sponsor obligations continue during your stay: the employer must pay the agreed salary, keep records and report major changes. In employer sponsored Australia hiring, you should never pay for sponsorship or nomination.

Skills in Demand Visa Processing Time and Timeline

The Skills in Demand visa processing time is usually 2 to 5 months after lodgement, shorter for complete applications and longer in busy periods. A realistic plan from Kerala looks like this.

• Week 1: Free assessment, ANZSCO check and stream choice
• Weeks 2 to 6: English test, document collection and any licence step
• Months 1 to 6: Job search with Australian employers, which varies widely by occupation
• 2 to 6 weeks: Sponsor approval and nomination, if the employer is not already approved
• Within 2 weeks of nomination: Visa lodged with documents
• 2 to 4 weeks: Health examination and police certificates
• 4 to 12 weeks: Decision for most complete applications

For employer sponsored Australia work, plan for 2 to 5 months from a signed job offer to landing, plus the time it takes to find the job.

What the Australia Skills in Demand Visa Costs

The Skills in Demand visa cost has three parts, and the government charge is the largest. Budget early.

• Visa application charge (Paid by you): A$4,015 for the main applicant from 1 July 2026, with a separate charge for each family member
• Nomination fee, levy and job advertising (Paid by employer): Paid by the employer and not by you
• English test, translations, medicals and police certificates (Paid by you): Paid by you

A refused application is generally not refunded, so lodge only when everything is complete.

Fees →  ·  Cost calculator →

Skills in Demand Visa Documents Checklist

Prepare the Skills in Demand visa documents early, because Home Affairs asks for proof of every claim.

• Signed contract or job offer, with the employer’s nomination details
• Degree certificates, trade certificates and experience letters
• Licence or registration proof, where your trade needs one
• Police certificates from each country where you lived for 12 months or more
• Health examination results from an approved panel doctor
• Marriage and birth certificates for family members

Visa Documentation →

Family: Dependants and Partner Work Rights

You can include your spouse and children as dependants in the application. Partner work rights are generous, because a partner can usually work and study in Australia, and children can attend school.

Dependent Visa →

Changing Jobs on the Visa

A subclass 482 visa is tied to your sponsor at the start, but it is more flexible than the older sponsored visa. If your job ends, you generally have up to 180 days to find a new sponsor, leave Australia or apply for another visa. You can change employer when the new business nominates you and the role is approved.

Pathway to Permanent Residence

The Australia Skills in Demand visa can be a stepping stone to settlement. After two years with the same employer, many holders can apply for permanent residence through the Temporary Residence Transition stream of subclass 186, if the employer nominates them. Subclass 186 has its own age limit, generally under 45, and the same Core Skills Income Threshold applies.

Subclass 189 →  ·  Subclass 491 →

Finding a Genuine Employer from Kerala

Regional employers often hire sponsored workers faster, and living costs are lower outside Sydney and Melbourne. Before accepting any employer sponsored Australia job, ask for a written offer showing the role, salary, location and sponsor approval. Never pay anyone for a guaranteed job or visa, because no honest adviser can promise one. Only a registered migration agent may give paid Australian visa advice, and you can verify their number on the OMARA register.

Avoid Visa Fraud →

Example: How a Typical Plan Is Made

This is an illustrative example, not a client record.

• Profile: a 29-year-old motor mechanic from Thrissur with four years of experience and PTE 58 in each skill
• Week 1: free assessment confirms the Core Skills stream and a market salary near A$80,000
• Months 2 to 4: job applications and interviews with Australian employers
• Month 5: employer nominates, and the visa is lodged within two weeks
• Result: a clear six-month plan, with costs, from first call to landing

Why Choose Mount Bell for the Australia Skills in Demand Visa

• Honest pathway advice

  An honest comparison of employer sponsored Australia and points-tested routes, with no reason to push one.

• Licensed & verifiable

  A licence you can check, and offices you can visit in Thrissur and Kochi.

Free assessment →  ·  Success stories →

Frequently Asked Questions

Speak to an Adviser

Talk to a Mount Bell adviser about the Australia Skills in Demand visa for your profile. The first assessment is free.

• Call: +91 9207014777
• Thrissur landline: +91 487 2221317
• Email: edu@mountbell.com
• Book a free assessment →

Thrissur Office (HQ)
Fair Trade Center, TUDA Road, Ashwini Jn, Thrissur, Kerala 680022

Kochi Office
Mathewsons Centre Point, 5th Floor, Metro Pillar No. 485, Palarivattom P O, Mamangalam, Edappally Road, Kochi, Kerala 682025

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