We still see it in files every month. An applicant delays lodging because a forum post said they need two years of experience. A worker stays in a job they want to leave because they believe changing sponsors resets their clock. Each of those statements was true under the Temporary Skill Shortage visa. None of them is true now.
The Skills in Demand visa replaced the TSS framework on 7 December 2024. The subclass number stayed at 482, which is why so much old advice survives online. The rules underneath it changed substantially, and the July 2026 indexation moved the figures again. This guide sets out what changed, rule by rule.
Short answer: The subclass 482 visa is now the Skills in Demand visa. Experience fell from two years to one, and every stream now leads to permanent residence. The streams were rebuilt around a $79,423 Core Skills threshold and a $146,576 Specialist Skills threshold.
The rules, old and new
| Rule | Under the TSS visa | Under the Skills in Demand visa |
|---|---|---|
| Streams | Short-term, medium-term and labour agreement | Core Skills, Specialist Skills and labour agreement |
| Occupation lists | Short-term and medium-term lists | Single Core Skills Occupation List of 456 occupations; none for Specialist Skills |
| Work experience | Two years | One year in the occupation or a related field, within the last five years |
| Salary floor | One threshold for all streams | $79,423 Core Skills, $146,576 Specialist Skills, plus market rate |
| Path to permanent residence | Medium-term stream only, after three years | All streams, after two years |
| Time with previous sponsors | Did not count towards permanent residence | Counts, provided each sponsor was approved |
| Time to find a new sponsor | 60 days | Up to 180 days per period, 365 days in total |
| Labour market testing | Workforce Australia posting required | Workforce Australia no longer required; applies to both standard streams |
| English re-sits | Single sitting only | Single component re-sit allowed for tests from 13 September 2025 |
Figures verified against Home Affairs visa pricing and the current income threshold instrument as at 1 July 2026.
What each change means in practice
One year of experience, not two
This is the change that most often causes needless delay. The requirement is one year of full-time equivalent work in the nominated occupation or a related field. Part-time and casual work count pro rata. The work must fall within the five years before the application. Recent graduates with a year of relevant employment are now eligible where they were not before.
Two streams built around salary
The old short-term and medium-term lists are gone. Instead, the Core Skills stream uses one consolidated list and one threshold. The Specialist Skills stream uses a much higher threshold and no list at all. As a result, the first question is now about pay rather than about which list the occupation sits on. Our 482 visa page sets out both streams in full.
Permanent residence for everyone
Under the TSS visa, short-term stream holders had no employer-sponsored route to permanent residence. Now every 482 holder can be nominated for the subclass 186 visa after two years of sponsored work. The age limit of 45 at lodgement and the salary threshold still apply, and the 186 visa page explains both.
Mobility between sponsors
Two changes work together here. A worker whose employment ends now has up to 180 days to find a new sponsor, and can work for other employers meanwhile. Time with each approved sponsor then counts towards the two years for permanent residence. Together, these changes mean a worker is no longer tied to one employer to keep their pathway alive.
Are you working from old advice?
Tick any statement you have been told. Each one reflects the old rules, and your browser will remember your answers so you can raise them at a consultation.
If you ticked any of these, the advice predates December 2024 or July 2026. Book a consultation through our contact page and we will map the current rules against your situation.
What did not change
The structure is the same. A business must still be approved as a sponsor. The position must still be nominated and approved, and the worker must still meet the visa criteria. The sponsor still cannot recover its charges from the worker. Health, character and health insurance requirements are unchanged. The visa is still temporary, and its length still follows the period in the approved nomination.
The genuine position test is also unchanged. Because the experience threshold is lower, the Department looks harder at whether the role is real and whether the applicant can do it.
Two people, two positions
Your existing visa continues on its original terms until it expires. However, any new nomination or visa application is assessed under the current rules. That is usually good news. A short-term stream holder can now be nominated for the 186 visa after two years of sponsored work. Time with earlier approved sponsors counts. Check the current thresholds before the employer lodges, because the 2024 salary may sit below $79,423.
Everything is assessed under the Skills in Demand rules. Confirm the stream first, using salary and occupation. Then count your experience against the one-year rule and the five-year window. Sit the English test early, because results last three years and a single component can be re-sat. Finally, make sure the employer’s advertising meets the current labour market testing instrument rather than the old Workforce Australia rule.
The figures that moved in July 2026
The Core Skills Income Threshold rose to $79,423 and the Specialist Skills Income Threshold to $146,576 for nominations lodged from 1 July 2026. The visa application charge is $4,015 for the main applicant, $4,015 for each adult dependant and $1,005 for each child. The employer’s nomination charge is $330 and the Skilling Australians Fund levy is $1,200 or $1,800 per year, depending on turnover.
These figures index every July. The threshold that applies is the one in force on the day the nomination is lodged. A nomination that slips from June to July can face a higher floor. Our guide to the three dates that decide a 482 to 186 transition shows how the same threshold follows a worker to the permanent stage.
Frequently asked questions
Did my TSS visa automatically become a Skills in Demand visa?
No. A visa granted under the TSS rules continues on its own terms until it expires. The new rules apply to nominations and applications lodged from 7 December 2024, including any application to extend or transition.
Does time on a TSS visa count towards the 186 two-year requirement?
Yes. Sponsored work on a 482 visa counts whether it was granted under the TSS or Skills in Demand rules. The sponsor must have been approved and the work must have been in the nominated occupation.
Is the Skills in Demand visa harder to get than the TSS visa was?
The applicant criteria are generally easier, with one year of experience instead of two. The employer side is stricter on salary, because the thresholds have risen and the market rate test applies alongside them.
What happened to the short-term stream two-year limit?
It no longer applies. The old rule that short-term stream holders could only renew once onshore is gone. There is no cap on the number of 482 visas a person can hold in sequence.
Can I still use a skills assessment obtained under the old rules?
Yes, provided it remains within its validity period and relates to the nominated occupation. The assessment requirement itself was not changed by the reforms and still depends on the occupation and passport.
This article is general information about Australian migration law as at 2 September 2026. It is not legal advice. Rules and figures change, and eligibility turns on your own facts, so obtain advice before acting.