Australia 482 for Malaysians: start with the current visa name
For new applications, the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) replaced the former Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa on 7 December 2024. Do not use an older TSS checklist, salary figure or permanent-residence claim as if it automatically applies to a new 482 application.
This guide is a Malaysia-focused starting point for the Core Skills stream. It is not a grant prediction, and it cannot replace the official requirements that apply to the employer, nominated role and applicant on the date of application.
Which Skills in Demand stream applies?
Home Affairs lists Core Skills, Specialist Skills and Labour Agreement streams under the Skills in Demand visa. The right stream depends on the nominated role and the employer's circumstances. A job title alone is not enough to decide the stream.
For a Core Skills case, confirm the current official requirements before lodging the nomination or visa application. The Core Skills Occupation List, salary settings and other program rules can change.
Core Skills 482 checks for the employer and applicant
Use the official pages to verify each point against the current application, rather than treating this as a universal checklist:
- the employer's sponsorship and nomination position;
- whether the nominated occupation is eligible for the applicable stream, including the current Core Skills Occupation List where relevant;
- current salary requirements and the Annual Market Salary Rate for the nominated role;
- the applicant's relevant work experience — Home Affairs states that the Skills in Demand visa requires at least one year of relevant work experience;
- English-language requirements, unless an official exemption applies;
- any skills assessment required for the occupation or applicant's circumstances; and
- health, character and all other requests made through the official process.
Only provide information and documents that are complete and truthful. The Department may assess evidence differently depending on the employer, role and individual history.
What Malaysian applicants should prepare before relying on an adviser or job offer
Ask for the information needed to check the official route: the employer's legal details, the proposed occupation and duties, the salary arrangement, the stream being used, and the evidence that supports your own experience and qualifications. A verbal promise that a role is “482 eligible” is not an official decision.
If your documents were issued in Malaysia or another country, follow any current Home Affairs instructions for translations, identity documents and certified material where they apply. Do not invent a document requirement because it appeared in a social-media post or an old TSS guide.
Does a 482 visa guarantee permanent residence?
No. A Skills in Demand 482 application and any later permanent-visa pathway are separate matters with their own current requirements. Do not rely on a promise that a 482 grant will automatically lead to subclass 186 or another permanent visa. Check the official rules that apply at the time you consider any later pathway.
Fees and processing time: check on the day, not in an old article
Fees and processing times can change and are not a result guarantee. Use Home Affairs' current tools and the official visa page immediately before making a payment, lodging an application or committing to travel.
Official sources
- Department of Home Affairs: Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482)
- Department of Home Affairs: Skills in Demand, Core Skills stream
- Department of Home Affairs: former TSS visa notice
