To be eligible for a Subclass 482 visa, an applicant must be nominated by an approved Standard Business Sponsor for a specific skilled position, and must meet several individual eligibility requirements that apply regardless of which stream the nomination falls under.
Work experience is a core requirement – applicants must have at least one year of relevant full-time work experience gained in the five years preceding the application, in the nominated occupation or a closely related field. This is assessed against the worker’s actual duties and employment history, not simply their job title.
The Department will refer to the ANZSCO to identify the required skill level. They may also consider whether the specialisation (major) in a degree is relevant to the nomination occupation. For example, for someone with a Bachelor of Laws, they might still not meet the qualification requirement for the occupation of architect. Nonetheless, we had successfully secured visas for clients where their degree might not be considered highly relevant on face value. Some occupation might require licencing or registration, this is also a key consideration when preparing the application.
For a English language proficiency must be demonstrated through an approved test, unless an exemption applies – passport holders from some English-speaking countries are exempt from sitting a formal test. Health and character requirements apply to all applicants and to relevant members of their family unit included in the application. These are assessed at the visa stage rather than at nomination, but it is worth obtaining health examinations and police clearances early in the process to avoid delays.
One aspect of eligibility that we see cause issues for applicants is the work experience requirement when the nominated occupation is different from the applicant’s previous job titles. The Department looks at whether the duties actually performed match the occupation being nominated – not just whether the titles align. How the work experience is documented and presented in the application matters significantly.