Employer-sponsored · Subclass 482 · Labour Agreement stream
Subclass 482 Labour Agreement Stream — the visa for DAMA and industry agreements
The Labour Agreement stream is the 482 for employers who have a labour agreement with the Australian Government. That means a DAMA, an industry labour agreement or a company-specific one. The agreement, not the standard rules, sets the occupation, salary, English and age terms.
What is the 482 Labour Agreement stream?
The 482 Labour Agreement stream is the Skills in Demand visa for workers nominated under a labour agreement. The agreement is between an employer and the Australian Government. The agreement names the occupations and can concede salary, English and age. It is the route to a DAMA visa and to occupations that are not on the Core Skills Occupation List.
Key facts
- The agreement governs. The nominated occupation must be the subject of a labour agreement between the Australian Government and the sponsor. The agreement must authorise a 482 holder in that occupation.
- Concessions come from the agreement, not the visa. Salary below the CSIT, English below the standard level, an age concession for the 186. Each exists only if the agreement grants it. "No concessions" means the standard level.
- Experience: 12 months, or the period the agreement sets. The standard rule applies unless the agreement specifies otherwise. The agreement can also require a skills assessment.
- The sponsor is the agreement party, not a Standard Business Sponsor. A DAMA employer is endorsed by the region's Designated Area Representative first.
- Work only for the nominating employer. Your visa condition allows no work for an associated entity in this stream.
- PR through the Subclass 186. Usually its Labour Agreement stream, where the agreement provides one. Terms differ by agreement.
- Thirteen DAMAs and a set of industry agreements. Industry agreements cover set industries, such as aged care. Each agreement has its own occupation list and concessions.
Who can use the Labour Agreement stream?
Only a worker nominated by an employer that is party to a labour agreement with the Australian Government. There are three kinds. A Designated Area Migration Agreement covers a region — the Northern Territory, Far North Queensland, the Pilbara, South Australia and others — and any endorsed employer in it. An industry labour agreement covers an industry on fixed terms. A company-specific agreement is negotiated by one employer where nothing else fits. Each agreement lists its occupations and states its concessions; if your occupation or concession is not in the agreement, this stream cannot supply it. Searchers call it the 482 visa labour agreement, the visa 482 labour agreement or the labour agreement visa Australia offers regional employers — it is one stream, and the agreement decides everything.
A labour agreement sponsor is the party to the agreement itself, not a Standard Business Sponsor. For a DAMA employer, the region's Designated Area Representative endorses the business first, and the 482 DAMA visa requirements then follow the agreement's occupation list and concessions.
What we see in practice
From our Sydney practice, the labour agreement visa is the answer for two kinds of client: the occupation is not on the Core Skills Occupation List, or the salary or English cannot reach the standard level. The cost is time — an employer without an agreement negotiates one first, and a DAMA endorsement adds a step before the nomination.
What concessions can a labour agreement give?
| Setting | Standard 482 rule | Under a labour agreement |
|---|---|---|
| Occupation | CSOL (Core) or Major Group 1/2/4/5/6 (Specialist) | The agreement's own occupation list — can include occupations on no list at all |
| Salary | CSIT $79,423 or SSIT $146,576; the nominated salary must also be at least the annual market salary rate for the job — the test is the greater of the two — for nominations lodged 1 Jul 2026 to 30 Jun 2027 | Set by the agreement; DAMAs typically allow a stated percentage below the threshold, market rate still applies |
| English | IELTS 5.0 each component | As the agreement specifies; "no concessions" means the standard level |
| Experience | 12 months in the last 5 years | 12 months, or the period the agreement sets |
| Age at the 186 | Under 45 at application, with exemptions | An age concession only if the agreement grants one — confirm agreement by agreement |
| Employer | Sponsor or an associated entity | The nominating employer only |
The exact percentages, English levels and age settings are agreement-specific and change when agreements are renewed. We read the current agreement, never a summary, before advising — see our DAMA programs page for each region.
What are the 482 visa requirements for the Labour Agreement stream?
- An approved nomination under the work agreement.
- The occupation is the subject of the agreement and the agreement authorises a 482 holder in it.
- Experience — twelve months in the last five years, or the period the agreement specifies.
- Skills, qualifications and any skills assessment the agreement requires, within three years of the assessment.
- English at the level the agreement specifies.
- Health insurance, health, character and the integrity test.
The common criteria, conditions 8607 and 8501, family inclusion and the application sequence are on the Subclass 482 guide.
How do you apply, and what conditions apply?
- SponsorshipThe employer is approved as a Standard Business Sponsor, or is party to a labour agreement. Approval lasts five years.
- NominationThe employer nominates you for the position and tests the labour market where the law requires it. It pays the Skilling Australians Fund levy and shows the salary evidence. The sponsor cannot recover these costs from you.
- Visa applicationYou lodge against the approved nomination. Onshore, you must hold a substantive visa or a Bridging A, B or C.
Conditions 8607 and 8501. You work only in the nominated occupation and only for the sponsor, and start within 90 days. Exempt-list occupations are not tied to one employer. You may be out of work for up to 180 consecutive days, and 365 in total across the visa. You must hold health insurance throughout. The full text of both conditions, and the change-of-employer rule, is on the Subclass 482 guide.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Skills in Demand (Subclass 482) – Labour Agreement Stream?
It is the 482 stream for workers nominated under a labour agreement between an employer and the Australian Government. That means a DAMA, an industry agreement or a company-specific one. The agreement sets the occupations and any concessions on salary, English and age.
Who is eligible for this visa?
A worker nominated by an employer that is party to a work agreement, for an occupation the agreement names. You meet the experience, skills and English terms the agreement specifies. The common 482 criteria apply: health insurance, health, character and the integrity test. There is no age limit for the 482 itself.
Can my family join me in Australia?
Yes. Your spouse or de facto partner and children under 23 can be included as secondary applicants. So can older children dependent through incapacity. They must be listed on the nomination or accepted by the sponsor in writing.
How long can I stay in Australia on this visa?
For the period of stay proposed in the nomination, up to four years in practice and as the agreement allows. BN(O) passport holders, and holders of a Hong Kong passport of a specified class, receive five years.
Can I apply for permanent residency with this visa?
Usually, yes. The common route is the Subclass 186 Labour Agreement stream, where the agreement provides one, after the period it sets. Terms differ by agreement. We confirm the pathway in the agreement before you rely on it.
Is English proficiency required for this visa?
At the level the labour agreement specifies. Where the agreement says "no concessions", the standard level applies. That is IELTS 5.0 in each component or the equivalent.
What is a DAMA visa?
A DAMA is a Designated Area Migration Agreement between the Australian Government and a regional body. An employer endorsed under it nominates workers in the 482 Labour Agreement stream, the 494 or the 186. The DAMA sets the concessions. Thirteen regions currently hold one.
A labour agreement visa is only as good as the agreement. Read yours before you plan around it.
A free eligibility check tells you whether your occupation and salary fit a DAMA or industry agreement. It also shows whether a standard 482 stream is the faster route.
Visa Advisor is a MARA-registered visa agent in Sydney, NSW. We act for 482 applicants and sponsoring employers across Australia and offshore.
Sources and last checked dates
- Migration Regulations 1994 — Schedule 2 Part 482, Schedule 1 item 1240, regulation 2.72 and Schedule 8 conditions 8607 and 8501, Compilation No. 288, 1 July 2026 (F2026C00667) confirmed current 16 September 2026 open ↗
- Migration (English Language Test Requirements for Subclass 482 Visas) Instrument 2025 — LIN 25/082, F2025L01066 confirmed in force 16 September 2026 open ↗
- Department of Home Affairs — Skills in Demand visa, Labour agreement stream checked 8 September 2026 open ↗
- Department of Home Affairs — salary requirements to nominate a worker (CSIT $79,423 · SSIT $146,576, nominations lodged from 1 July 2026) verified 19 August 2026 open ↗
Income thresholds, occupation lists, labour agreement terms and processing times change during a programme year. Confirm the current figure with the source before acting on anything on this page.