Commonwealth of Australia · Processing time
Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482): how long does it take?
By Sam Parks · Last checked:
Home Affairs publishes 50th and 90th percentile windows per stream. Short-term / Medium-term Skills Shortage typically resolves at 2–8 weeks; accredited sponsors see faster outcomes.
How long does the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) take to process in Australia?
The typical published decision window is 2 weeks – 8 weeks from a complete application. Home Affairs publishes 50th and 90th percentile windows per stream. Short-term / Medium-term Skills Shortage typically resolves at 2–8 weeks; accredited sponsors see faster outcomes.
Verified against Home Affairs — Global visa processing times on 1 June 2026.
Typical wait
2 weeks – 8 weeks
from complete application
80th percentile
49 days
Last checked
1 June 2026
Reality vs official timing
- Official clock
- Published percentile available
- Delay trigger
- After 7 weeks (published percentile)
- Source checked
- 1 June 2026
Use 2 weeks – 8 weeks as the usual decision band and 7 weeks as the delay trigger where the authority publishes a percentile figure.
What is the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482)?
Employer-sponsored temporary work visa for skilled roles an Australian employer cannot fill locally.
The Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482) was rebuilt into the Skills in Demand visa from 7 December 2024. The current streams are Specialist Skills, Core Skills, and Labour Agreement. Core Skills cases must use an occupation on the Core Skills Occupation List and meet both AMSR and CSIT; Specialist Skills cases use the higher SSIT and occupation-major-group limits.
- Sponsorship: You need a job offer or employer sponsor in Commonwealth of Australia.
- Settlement: This route can lead to permanent residence.
- Typical permit length: Up to 4 years; Hong Kong passport holders may be granted up to 5 years.
- Indicative government fees: AUD 4,015 main applicant VAC from 1 July 2026, plus employer-side sponsor, nomination and SAF costs.
How to read this estimate
The 2 weeks – 8 weeks window is the time Home Affairs — Global visa processing times typically associates with the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) — measured from a complete, correctly-lodged application through to a decision, not from when you start gathering documents. The 49-day figure is the 80th percentile: roughly 8 in 10 applications are decided by then. The most complex one in five take longer.
- Collecting documents, getting qualifications recognised, and booking consular appointments all happen before the clock starts.
- If the authority requests more information, the clock pauses until you reply — so a fast, complete response keeps your place in the queue.
- Processing times shift with application volumes and policy changes. The Home Affairs — Global visa processing times page linked below is the only figure that is current on the day you apply.
Official source
Home Affairs — Global visa processing times
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-processing-times/global-visa-processing-times
Cite or reuse this dataset
This figure is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. Cite the Visa Atlas page for the compiled, dated dataset, and cite the official source for the underlying government rule.
Suggested citation
Visa Atlas, "Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) processing time dataset", https://visaatlas.org/processing-times/australia/subclass-482-tss. Last verified 1 June 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/processing-times
Primary source (1)
Frequently asked questions
How long does the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) take to process?+
The typical wait is 2 weeks – 8 weeks from submitting a complete application. Home Affairs publishes 50th and 90th percentile windows per stream. Short-term / Medium-term Skills Shortage typically resolves at 2–8 weeks; accredited sponsors see faster outcomes. These figures come from Home Affairs — Global visa processing times and were last verified on 2026-06-01. Always confirm on the primary source before you apply.
When does the 2 weeks – 8 weeks clock start?+
The clock starts when Home Affairs — Global visa processing times receives a complete, valid application — not when you begin collecting documents. Gathering evidence, getting qualifications recognised, and booking consular appointments all happen before the window starts.
Is there a way to speed up the decision?+
Some Australia routes offer a priority or premium service for an additional fee. Check the linked primary source for current options — availability changes and varies by consular post.
What makes an application take longer than expected?+
The most common reasons for delays beyond the published window are: missing or incorrect documents, a request for more information (which pauses the clock until you reply), background or medical checks, and consular appointment backlogs in your country. Submitting a complete, well-organised application on day one is the single biggest thing you can do to stay inside the published window.
When should I treat my Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) application as delayed?+
Wait until you have passed the upper end of the published window (2 weeks – 8 weeks — the 49-day figure) before treating it as delayed. At that point, a single polite status enquiry through the official channel is reasonable. Do not chase repeatedly, as this tends to slow a case rather than speed it up.
Next steps
Reviewed by Sam Parks, Editor and lead researcher.