Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) purpose
Lets employers bring in skilled workers where they cannot source an appropriately skilled Australian worker.
Source: Home Affairs: Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) (retrieved 4 October 2026)
For employers hiring overseas
Hire overseas workers in Australia: an employer guide
To hire an overseas worker on an employer-sponsored visa, an Australian business generally needs to be an approved sponsor, test the local labour market, nominate a position and pay at least the required salary. CrossNation finds and shortlists sponsorship-ready overseas candidates. It does not sponsor anyone or lodge visa paperwork.
By CrossNation Editorial Team. Sources checked 4 October 2026.
Official data
Key facts from official sources
Core Skills Income Threshold
AUD 79,423 for nomination applications lodged from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027.
Source: Home Affairs: Salary requirements to nominate a worker (retrieved 4 October 2026)
Labour market testing advertisements
Two valid advertisements are required instead of three since 11 December 2023.
Source: Home Affairs: Labour market testing (retrieved 4 October 2026)
Standard business sponsorship period
Five years from the date the sponsorship is approved.
Source: Home Affairs: Standard business sponsor (retrieved 4 October 2026)
Employer guide
What you need to know
What does hiring from overseas involve for an employer?
Three separate decisions sit behind every overseas hire. The first is yours: whether you want this person in the role. The second is professional registration or licensing, which decides whether they can lawfully do the work here, for example Ahpra registration for nurses or a state licence for electricians. The third is Home Affairs: whether your business is an approved sponsor, whether the nomination is approved and whether the worker is granted a visa. A recruiter can help with the first and can screen for awareness of the second. The third belongs to you and your registered migration agent. Treat them as three parallel tracks with their own evidence, because a strong CV does not shorten a regulator's process.
What does CrossNation do, and what does it not do?
CrossNation is a recruitment agency. We take the role, location and start date, search for sponsorship-ready overseas candidates alongside candidates who already have work rights in Australia, and send you a shortlist. We do not sponsor workers, nominate positions, lodge visa applications or decide outcomes, and we are not a registered migration agent. The fee is 12% of the candidate's annual salary, charged only when a placement succeeds, and placements carry a 90-day placement guarantee. If no placement is made, there is no fee.
Which guide do you need first?
If you have never sponsored before, start with the standard business sponsor guide and the labour market testing guide. If you already sponsor and want to know what you owe Home Affairs, read the sponsor obligations guide. If the role is in a sector that often falls outside the standard lists, such as direct care, read the labour agreements and DAMA guide. Sector pages cover nursing, chefs and cooks, care and disability support, and trades and FIFO roles. The Pacific scheme page explains PALM, which the OECD says covers sectors such as agriculture, meat processing, tourism and aged care.
What should you have ready before you brief a recruiter?
A clear position description helps with every stage. Write down the duties, the location, the hours and the salary you can offer, because the nominated salary has to meet Home Affairs thresholds and the market salary rate for the role. Note whether the role needs registration, a licence or a screening check, and whether you already hold sponsor approval or a labour agreement. Decide early who inside the business will own the Home Affairs paperwork and which registered migration agent you will use. A clean brief lets us screen candidates against the real constraints instead of a job title.
Overseas hiring guides
- Labour market testingLabour market testing for sponsoring employers: the four-week, four-month advertising rule, two advertisements, and where to check current Home Affairs rules.
- Standard business sponsorWhat Home Affairs asks of a standard business sponsor: legal establishment, no adverse information, a record of employing locally and a five-year approval.
- Sponsor obligationsWhat sponsoring a worker commits an employer to: why obligations exist, when they start, record-keeping and the 28-day notification example from Home Affairs.
- Skills in Demand visa (482)The 482 visa for employers: Core Skills, Specialist Skills and Labour Agreement streams, the AUD 79,423 and AUD 146,576 thresholds, and the market salary rule.
- Labour agreements and DAMAsLabour agreements, the Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement and Designated Area Migration Agreements explained for employers, with the WA DAMA regions.
- Hire overseas nursesBefore hiring internationally qualified nurses: NMBA registration stages, the streamlined standard for eligible registered nurses, and how it sits beside the visa.
- Hire overseas chefs and cooksHiring overseas chefs and cooks: why Specialist Skills is not available for trades groups, the Core Skills route, venue type and salary checks before you source.
- Hire overseas care and disability workersAged care and NDIS providers hiring overseas care workers: the Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement, NDIS worker screening and what to check first.
- Hire overseas trades and FIFO workersHiring overseas tradespeople and FIFO workers: skills assessment and licences, why trades cannot use Specialist Skills, the Core Skills threshold and WA DAMAs.
- PALM scheme and seasonal workersInformation on the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme for employers: the subclass 403 stream, contract lengths and where to apply officially.
- Overseas hiring FAQPlain answers to common employer questions on hiring overseas workers: sponsorship, salary thresholds, advertising rules, agreements and what a recruiter does.
Tell us the role, location and start date
The fee is 12% of the candidate's annual salary, charged only when a placement succeeds.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can CrossNation sponsor an overseas worker for my business?
No. The employer is the sponsor. CrossNation recruits and shortlists candidates and does not sponsor, nominate or lodge visa applications. Your business needs its own approval from Home Affairs.
Is CrossNation a registered migration agent?
No. CrossNation is a recruitment agency. Speak to a registered migration agent about sponsorship, nominations and visa applications.
What does it cost to hire through CrossNation?
The fee is 12% of the candidate's annual salary and is charged only when a placement succeeds. Government charges, migration agent fees and registration costs are separate and are set by those bodies.
Do you only recruit overseas candidates?
No. We also recruit candidates who already live in Australia with work rights. Many employers run both searches for the same role.
Which sectors can you recruit for?
We recruit across all major sectors and roles for employers in every state and territory. The sector guides on this site cover nursing, chefs and cooks, care and disability support, and trades and FIFO roles in more detail.
Will a shortlisted candidate definitely get a visa?
No. Visa decisions are made by Home Affairs. A shortlist is a recruitment step, not a visa outcome.