Subclass 482 visa: processing priorities and subsequent temporary application charge

The Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa is a temporary skilled visa that lets Australian employers sponsor overseas workers for occupations on the relevant skilled occupation list. Under Ministerial Direction 119, which came into effect on 25 July 2026, subclass 482 applications are now included in the skilled visa processing priority framework, which prioritises applications by occupation and by whether the applicant is in Australia at the time of application. The subsequent temporary application charge (STAC) may also apply if you are in Australia and have previously held or applied for certain temporary visas, including the subclass 482, while in Australia. The charge is payable in addition to the base application charge, and the exact amount depends on the visa pricing table for your application. You must verify the current fee and your specific circumstances against the official visa pricing table, because the charge is calculated individually for each applicant and is based on their personal visa history.

What the subclass 482 visa is

The Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa is a temporary visa that allows Australian employers to sponsor skilled workers. It replaced the Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) visa in the official guidance, which lists both subclasses separately. Under Ministerial Direction 119, the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa is explicitly included in the skilled visa processing priority framework, along with the Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) visa.

This means that if you are applying for a subclass 482 visa, your application will be processed according to the priorities set out in Ministerial Direction 119, which came into effect on 25 July 2026 and replaced all processing priorities under Ministerial Direction 105. The official guidance states that Ministerial Direction 119 applies to all on-hand applications, including for the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) program, which was not previously included under Ministerial Direction 105.

Processing priorities under Ministerial Direction 119

Ministerial Direction 119 prioritises skilled nomination and visa applications according to both occupation and the location of the applicant at the time of application. The official guidance sets out five priority levels, in descending order:

Priority	Category	Applicant location
1	Law enforcement or defence interests	In Australia
2	Law enforcement or defence interests	Outside Australia
3	Construction, healthcare, and teaching occupations	In Australia
4	All other occupations	In Australia
5	All other occupations	Outside Australia

This means that if your occupation supports Australia’s law enforcement or defence interests and you are in Australia at the time of application, your application receives the highest priority. If you are outside Australia, it receives the second priority. Applications relating to construction, healthcare, and teaching occupations receive the third priority if the applicant is in Australia, and the fourth priority applies to all other occupations where the applicant is in Australia. The fifth and final priority is given to all other applications where the applicant is outside Australia.

It is important to note that the official guidance does not provide processing times for the subclass 482 visa specifically. For an indication of processing times, you should use the visa processing time guide tool on the Department of Home Affairs website, which shows processing times for recently decided applications. The official guidance also notes that the median processing time for Skilled (Temporary) visas was 98 days as of July 2026, but this is a median figure across the category and does not guarantee your individual processing time.

Subsequent temporary application charge

The subsequent temporary application charge (STAC) is a charge that applies to certain temporary visas, and it is payable by each person in your application based on their individual visa history. The official guidance explicitly lists the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa in Table 1, which sets out the temporary visas being applied for that are liable for the charge. This means that if you are applying for a subclass 482 visa, the STAC may apply to you.

The charge is payable in addition to any other visa charges that apply to your visa application at the time of lodgement. It is not paid for bridging visas, criminal justice or enforcement visas, or permanent visas.

When the STAC does not apply

The official guidance sets out several exemptions from the subsequent temporary application charge. The charge will not be charged for applications where at least one of the following applies:

• The base application charge for your application is nil
• The visa pricing table does not show a subsequent temporary application charge
• The visa pricing table shows the subsequent temporary application charge as nil
• The visa pricing table shows the subsequent temporary application charge as N/A
• The applicant is outside Australia while making their substantive temporary visa application
• The applicant is making their first substantive temporary visa application in Australia
• The subsequent temporary application charge formula evaluates the charge to nil

A substantive visa is defined in the official guidance as a visa other than a bridging visa, a criminal justice visa, or an enforcement visa. If you are applying for a subclass 482 visa from outside Australia, the STAC will not apply. If you are in Australia and this is your first substantive temporary visa application in Australia, the STAC will also not apply.

How the STAC is calculated

The subsequent temporary application charge is calculated for each applicant through a four-step process set out in the official guidance:

1. Are you in Australia applying for a visa of a kind specified in Table 1? If yes, go to step 2. If no, the charge is $0.
2. Do you hold, or was the last substantive visa you held, a visa of a kind specified in Table 2? If yes, go to step 3. If no, the charge is $0.
3. Did you apply for a visa specified in Table 2 when you were in Australia? If yes, go to step 4. If no, the charge is $0.
4. Do any of these situations apply?
   • Was the Table 2 visa for a new-born child, born after the primary applicant applied for the visa?
   • Was the Table 2 visa granted to the applicant by operation of law?
   • Was the Table 2 visa granted as a result of the Minister exercising ministerial intervention powers?
   • Was the Table 2 visa granted without the applicant making an application?
   • Was the Table 2 visa a student visa required because an education provider defaulted and could no longer deliver a course?

If any of these situations apply, the charge for the applicant is $0. If none apply, the subsequent temporary application charge applies to the applicant.

Table 1 lists the temporary visas being applied for that are liable for the charge, and includes the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa, along with the Temporary Activity (subclass 408), Training (subclass 407), Student (subclass 500), Student Guardian (subclass 590), and Visitor (subclass 600) visas.

Table 2 lists the previous visas applied for in Australia that count towards the charge. This includes the Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) visa and the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa, as well as the Training and Research (subclass 402) visa, Training visa (subclass 407), Temporary Activity visa (subclass 408), Working Holiday (subclass 417), Work and Holiday (subclass 462), Student visa (subclass 500), Student Guardian visa (subclass 590), Visitor visa (subclass 600), and several others.

Example of when the STAC is paid

The official guidance provides a worked example that illustrates how the charge operates. In the example, an applicant named Fritz applies for and is granted a Visitor (subclass 600) visa in his home country. The subsequent temporary application charge does not apply because the visa was granted while the applicant was outside Australia.

While in Australia and before the Visitor visa expires, Fritz applies for a further Visitor (subclass 600) visa. He does not have to pay the STAC because the visa he currently holds was applied for when he was outside Australia.

Before that Visitor visa expires, Fritz applies for another Visitor (subclass 600) visa. This is the second temporary visa he is applying for while in Australia. He now has to pay the STAC because:

• He is applying for a visa that is liable for the charge
• He is applying for the visa while in Australia
• The visa he currently holds counts towards the charge and was applied for while he was in Australia

The example notes that if Fritz had left Australia before the expiry of the first Visitor visa he applied for while in Australia, and applied for a further Visitor visa in his home country or another location outside Australia, the STAC would not have applied.

This example demonstrates the general principle: the charge applies when you are in Australia, you have previously held a Table 2 visa that was applied for in Australia, and you are now applying for a Table 1 visa while in Australia.

What this means for subclass 482 applicants

If you are applying for a Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa from outside Australia, the subsequent temporary application charge will not apply to you. If you are in Australia and this is your first substantive temporary visa application in Australia, the charge will also not apply.

However, if you are in Australia and you have previously held a temporary visa that was applied for in Australia, such as a Student visa, a Visitor visa, or a previous subclass 482 visa, the STAC may apply to your subclass 482 application. The exact amount is not specified in the official guidance, and you must consult the Visa Pricing Table to verify which charges apply to you.

The official guidance also states that the charge is based on each individual applicant’s visa history, and it is payable by each person in the application. This means that if you have family members included in your application, each person may be subject to the charge depending on their own visa history.

What to do next

Before you lodge your subclass 482 visa application, you should take the following steps:

1. Check the Visa Pricing Table on the Department of Home Affairs website to verify the base application charge and whether a subsequent temporary application charge applies to your situation. The official guidance explicitly states that you should consult the Visa Pricing Table to verify which charges apply to you.

2. Review your visa history to determine whether you have held any of the visas listed in Table 2 that were applied for while you were in Australia. If you have, the STAC may apply to your subclass 482 application.

3. Use the visa processing time guide tool to get an indication of current processing times for the subclass 482 visa. The official guidance states that this tool shows processing times for recently decided applications and is a guide only, not specific to your application.

4. Ensure your application is complete before lodgement. The official guidance notes that lodging a complete application helps avoid delays, and for employer-sponsored visas, submitting complete nomination and visa applications at the same time can support more efficient processing.

The official guidance does not provide specific requirements for the subclass 482 visa, such as occupation lists, sponsorship obligations, or visa conditions. You must verify these requirements on the official subclass 482 visa page on the Department of Home Affairs website, which contains the step-by-step application process and the specific criteria you must meet.