Skills in Demand Visa Streams Explained: Specialist, Core, and Essential

As of December 2024, Australia’s employer-sponsored skilled migration program has entered a new phase. The Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) now replaces the former TSS visa framework, offering more flexibility for skilled workers and employers alike.

The reform introduces three distinct visa streams—Specialist Skills, Core Skills, and Essential Skills—each designed to target a specific segment of the labour market. For applicants, the stream you fall under determines your salary threshold, eligibility, and long-term migration options. For employers, it shapes your nomination obligations and compliance standards.

Understanding the differences between these streams is crucial to selecting the right pathway for your role, industry, and long-term goals.

If you’re unsure where you fit, speak with our team for tailored advice on stream selection and sponsorship obligations.

What Is the Skills in Demand Visa?

The Skills in Demand visa is Australia’s reformed pathway for skilled migration under subclass 482. It provides a structured way for employers to fill workforce gaps with overseas talent while offering visa holders greater mobility and clearer pathways to permanent residency.

While the subclass 482 designation remains, the visa now reflects updated salary thresholds, a simplified stream system, and streamlined access to permanent residence through the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186).

For a full explanation of how the subclass 482 visa works—including eligibility criteria, employer obligations, and step-by-step sponsorship requirements—you can explore our comprehensive overview of the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa.

The Three Streams of the Skills in Demand Visa

Each stream within the SID visa is tailored to distinct occupational and economic needs, based on the role’s salary, national skill shortage priority, and sector-level demand.

1. Specialist Skills Stream

The Specialist Skills stream is targeted at high-income earners who bring unique, in-demand expertise to the Australian economy. It is specifically designed for senior professionals whose remuneration reflects niche or advanced capability.

To be eligible, the role must offer a base salary of at least AUD $135,000 per year, excluding superannuation. Unlike other streams, this one does not require the occupation to appear on any government-endorsed skilled list.

This stream suits roles such as:

  • CTOs and tech founders
  • Senior engineers and data specialists
  • Finance or legal experts working in highly specialised niches

The absence of an occupation list allows employers to nominate workers whose roles may not fit neatly into ANZSCO codes but who clearly add strategic value. For highly competitive sectors like advanced technology or finance, this stream reduces the red tape and expedites talent acquisition.

Visa holders under this stream are still required to meet English language criteria and character requirements, and they enjoy a clear pathway to permanent residency through subclass 186.

2. Core Skills Stream

The Core Skills stream will likely apply to the majority of applicants. It is designed for workers in occupations experiencing consistent national demand, and includes roles across infrastructure, hospitality, health, and professional services.

Eligibility under this stream depends on:

  • The role being listed on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL)
  • A base salary of at least AUD $73,150
  • Labour Market Testing (LMT) compliance, unless exemptions apply

This stream reflects the structure of the former medium-term TSS visa, but introduces more transparency in salary thresholds and occupation approval. The CSOL is designed to be evidence-driven, adapting to real-time labour needs.

Example occupations include:

  • Registered nurses and aged care clinical leads
  • Chefs and hotel managers
  • Electricians and construction supervisors
  • IT system analysts and software developers

The Core Skills stream offers a pathway to permanent residency after two years, provided all employment and nomination criteria continue to be met. More on this can be found in our guide to the 482 to permanent residency pathway, which outlines key transition steps and sponsorship requirements.

This stream remains tightly linked to employer responsibility. The business must prove the position is genuine and meets salary benchmarking. Inconsistent or unsupported roles continue to be a leading cause of nomination refusal.

3. Essential Skills Stream

Still in development, the Essential Skills stream is designed to provide migration access to workers in lower-paid but socially critical sectors, such as aged care, disability support, and other community-based services.

While the final policy is expected in late 2025, this stream will:

  • Cater to roles with salaries below the Core Skills threshold
  • Operate via labour agreements, possibly by sector or region
  • Include additional layers of compliance and employer obligations

This stream fills a long-standing gap in Australia’s migration system, recognising that critical roles—especially in care sectors—often fall outside traditional skilled occupation frameworks due to lower pay structures.

Initial insights suggest that applicants in this stream will have tightly regulated work rights and pathways to PR, but will also benefit from improved visa protections, including work condition enforcement and sectoral support.

If you’re in the care industry and considering hiring internationally, it’s worth preparing now. Employers should review current staffing needs and begin consultation on future sponsorship options.

Navigating Stream Selection: Practical Considerations

Understanding where you or your employees fit isn’t just about salary—although that’s a key threshold. It’s about:

  • Whether the occupation appears on the CSOL
  • The role’s strategic contribution to business or public need
  • The compliance burden associated with employer sponsorship
  • Whether permanent residency is a key part of the worker’s long-term plan

Each stream also affects visa duration, renewal terms, and transfer conditions. Under current rules, SID visa holders have up to 180 days to find a new employer if their sponsorship ends—a major upgrade from the previous 60-day rule.

Applicants unsure of where their role fits should book a free consultation with a migration lawyer early, especially if applying for occupations with overlapping ANZSCO codes or flexible job titles.

Employer Obligations Under the SID Visa

For employers, stream selection also determines:

  • Whether LMT is required
  • How market salary is assessed
  • What compliance monitoring applies post-approval
  • When permanent residency sponsorship obligations begin

Incorrect stream selection or poor document preparation can result in nomination refusal, which automatically invalidates any linked visa application.

If you’re an employer looking to sponsor an overseas worker, it’s important to understand both the stream-specific nomination rules and the evolving criteria in Australia’s skilled migration framework. Our legal team supports businesses through every step of this process, from assessing the right stream to managing compliance long-term.

To understand how these changes affect your workforce planning, explore our guide on how to sponsor an employee under subclass 482.

Final Thoughts

The Skills in Demand visa represents a more refined and responsive approach to skilled migration. By introducing the Specialist, Core, and Essential Skills streams, the government aims to match visa settings more closely with Australia’s actual labour needs—while still preserving fairness and access to permanent residency.

Whether you’re applying for a visa or sponsoring staff, knowing your stream is crucial to avoiding delays, meeting salary compliance, and securing long-term outcomes.

For personalised advice on selecting the right stream and preparing a strong application, book your free consultation with AIM Lawyers today.