What Happened to the 482 Medium-term Stream? (2026 Guide)

You may have searched for the medium-term stream 482 because an employer, a friend or an old guide mentioned it. Or you may hold one of these visas right now and wonder where it stands.

The answer is simpler than it looks. The medium-term stream closed to new applications on 7 December 2024, but visas already granted in that stream stay valid on their own terms.

The Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) took its place. Most roles that once used the medium-term stream now fit the Core Skills stream or the Specialist Skills stream.

The new visa asks for less work experience than the old stream did, and it still has no age limit.

This guide explains what the old stream was, what replaced it and what happens if you still hold one. It also covers 2026 costs and shows how 482 holders reach permanent residency through the 186 visa.

If you hold a medium-term 482 visa and want to plan your next step, a MARA-registered migration agent (MARN 2518738) at The Migration can review your dates and options. Book a 482 visa review.

Is the 482 Medium-term Stream Still Open in 2026?

No. The medium-term stream closed to new applications on 7 December 2024, when the Skills in Demand (SID) visa replaced the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa. Home Affairs now lists the old stream under repealed visas.

The subclass number did not change, which is why the term still shows up so often. The visa is still the 482 visa. Only its name and its streams are new.

• TSS visa applications lodged before 7 December 2024 are decided under the rules in force when they were lodged.
• If an employer lodged a TSS nomination before that date and no visa application followed, the approved nomination counts as a SID nomination.
• Every new 482 application from 7 December 2024 is a SID application, in one of the 482 visa streams.

So when people talk about the “482 medium-term stream” in 2026, they usually mean a SID visa in a role that would once have been medium-term. That raises a fair question: what exactly was the old stream?

What Was the Medium-term Stream?

The medium-term stream was the longer-stay stream of the TSS 482 visa, for occupations on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL). It allowed a stay of up to 4 years, and holders could apply again in Australia.

Sources: Migration Regulations 1994, compilation in force on 6 December 2024 (reg 2.73 and Schedule 2, clauses 482.231 and 482.511), and the Home Affairs SID pages, read 3 November 2026.

The MLTSSL still exists for some other visas. If you want to see how the lists differ, read MLTSSL, STSOL, ROL and CSOL explained. Roles on the old short-term list (STSOL) have their own story, covered in the 482 short-term stream guide.

What Replaced the Medium-term Stream?

Three SID streams replaced it: Core Skills, Specialist Skills and Labour Agreement. Your occupation and salary decide which one fits. Family members apply through the subsequent entrant route.

Core Skills stream

• Your occupation must be on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL), shown on the Home Affairs skilled occupation list.
• Your salary must be at least the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) of AUD 79,423 for nominations lodged from 1 July 2026.
• Most former MLTSSL roles now sit in this stream. See the 482 Core Skills stream page.

Specialist Skills stream

• Any ANZSCO occupation can qualify, except trades workers, machinery operators and drivers, and labourers.
• Your salary must be at least the Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT) of AUD 146,576 for nominations lodged from 1 July 2026.
• Professionals on high salaries often use this stream. See the 482 Specialist Skills stream page.

Labour Agreement stream

• The employer must hold a work agreement with the Australian Government.
• The agreement sets the occupations and terms. See the 482 Labour Agreement stream page.

In both main streams, the salary must also meet the Annual Market Salary Rate (AMSR). That is what an Australian worker in the same role would earn. The AMSR guide shows how employers set it. Next, it helps to know who the visa suits today.

Who Is the 482 Visa For Now?

The 482 visa is for skilled workers with at least 1 year of relevant experience and a genuine job offer from an approved Australian sponsor. There is no age limit. The exact rules depend on the stream.

Occupation and skills

• Your occupation must fit the stream: the CSOL for Core Skills, or an eligible ANZSCO job for Specialist Skills.
• You need the skills, qualifications and experience to do the job. Some roles also need a skills assessment or a licence.

Work experience

• You need at least 1 year of relevant work experience in the nominated occupation or a related field.
• That is half the 2 years the old medium-term stream asked for.

English language ability

• Unless you are exempt, you need an IELTS score of at least 5.0 in each band, or an equal score in another accepted test.
• Tests taken from 13 September 2025 use new score tables, and your test must be no more than 3 years old. Check the Home Affairs English page.

Health and character

• You and any family members on the application must meet health and character rules. That can mean medical exams and police checks.
• You must hold suitable health insurance while you are in Australia.

Employer sponsorship and nomination

• Your employer must be an approved sponsor, or apply to become one.
• The employer then nominates you for a genuine role at or above the CSIT or SSIT and the AMSR.
• Employers must keep to their sponsor duties, such as keeping records and giving you the same terms as local staff. The employer sponsorship guide walks through it.

That covers new applicants. Existing medium-term holders are in a different position.

What If You Still Hold a Medium-term 482 Visa?

Your medium-term 482 visa stays valid until it expires, and it keeps the conditions it was granted with. The SID changes did not cancel or shorten any visa granted before 7 December 2024.

The law spells this out for the main work condition. Condition 8607, as it stood just before 7 December 2024, still applies to visas granted before that date. It also applies to visas granted later from applications lodged before it.

What stays the same

• You keep working in your nominated occupation for your sponsor, as your grant letter says.
• If your job ends, you can stop working for up to 180 days at a time and 365 days in total across the visa. In that time you can look for a new sponsor, apply for another visa or plan to leave.
• Your visa end date does not change. A 4-year medium-term visa granted in late 2024 can run until late 2028.

What changes when you renew or switch

• You cannot renew in the medium-term stream. A new 482 visa means a new SID application, usually in the Core Skills or Specialist Skills stream.
• A new application made in Australia attracts a subsequent temporary application charge of AUD 700, unless an exemption applies.
• If you plan to change employers, check how the new nomination links to your current visa before you move. A registered agent can confirm this for your case.

If you have lost your job, the guide to losing your job on a 482 visa explains the 180 days step by step. You can check your current conditions any time through VEVO.

Holding an old medium-term visa while the rules around it change can feel unclear. A MARA-registered migration agent (MARN 2518738) at The Migration can map your visa end date against a renewal or a move to permanent residency. Book a consultation.

Can a Medium-term 482 Visa Lead to PR?

Yes. Medium-term holders, like all 482 holders, can apply for permanent residency through the 186 Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream after 2 years of sponsored work. The Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186) is a permanent visa.

A question the team hears often from medium-term holders is whether their old visa still counts toward PR. It does. Home Affairs counts time on 457 and 482 visas, old or new.

• You need at least 2 years of eligible sponsored employment in the 3 years before you apply.
• If you held several 457 or 482 visas in those 3 years, sponsored work counts in any occupation you were approved for.
• If you changed employers, time can count from the date an approved nomination was lodged, if you had started working there before it was approved.
• Your employer must be willing and able to nominate you for the permanent role.
• You must usually be under 45 when you apply, though some exemptions apply. Health, character and English rules apply too.

Home Affairs lists 186 TRT processing at 22 months for 50% of applications and 24 months for 90%, as at 2 November 2026. If your employer cannot nominate you, the 494 visa and other employer-sponsored visas may be options. Before you plan around dates, it helps to know today’s costs and timeframes.

How Much Does a 482 Visa Cost and How Long Does It Take in 2026?

A 482 visa costs AUD 4,015 for the main applicant as at 2 November 2026. Specialist Skills applications take 59 days for 50% and 3 months for 90%. Core Skills applications take 6 months and 9 months.

Government charges

• Health checks, English tests and police checks cost extra.
• Confirm fees with the Home Affairs visa pricing estimator before you lodge.

Processing times

• Figures come from Home Affairs processing times, updated 2 November 2026.
• The tool still lists “Short-term” and “Medium-term” streams, but shows no times for them, because they are closed.
• Some applications are decided ahead of others. The 482 priority rules guide explains the order.

Most delays come from avoidable gaps in the file rather than from the queue. The next section lists the ones that come up most.

What Problems Come Up Most Often?

The most common problems are the wrong occupation code, a salary below the threshold, and weak evidence of experience. Most of them can be managed if they are caught before lodging.

• Choosing an occupation that does not match the real duties, which can cause trouble later at the PR stage.
• A salary below the CSIT, SSIT or AMSR, or weak evidence of the market rate.
• Missing documents to prove the required work experience.
• Details that do not match across forms, reference letters and skills assessments.
• Changes at the sponsor, such as a restructure, a sale of the business or the role ending.
• Assuming a medium-term visa can be renewed in the same stream.

If any of these sound familiar, a MARA-registered migration agent (MARN 2518738) at The Migration can check your occupation, salary and documents before anything is lodged. Book a 482 case check.

How The Migration Helps Medium-term 482 Visa Holders

Many people who contact The Migration about the medium-term stream already hold a 482 visa. What they want to know is how much time is left, and what the cleanest next step is.

The Migration has worked with employer-sponsored visa clients and their sponsors for 7+ years. Its MARA-registered migration agents (MARN 2518738) give the advice, and you can confirm registration on the MARA public register.

• Visa timeline check: the team maps your visa end date, your sponsored work so far and the 2-year TRT mark.
• Stream match: the agents check whether a renewal fits the Core Skills or Specialist Skills stream.
• Sponsor support: the team guides employers through sponsorship, nomination and salary evidence.
• PR planning: the agents line up the 186 TRT nomination and visa so there is no gap between visas.

Read more about the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) on the main service page.

Conclusion

The medium-term stream 482 closed on 7 December 2024, but the 482 visa did not go away. New applications now use the Core Skills, Specialist Skills or Labour Agreement stream, with 1 year of experience instead of 2.

If you still hold a medium-term visa, it runs to its end date on its own conditions. From there, the usual routes are a new SID visa or permanent residency through the 186 TRT stream after 2 years of sponsored work.

Want a clear plan for your visa end date, renewal or PR? Book a consultation with a MARA-registered migration agent (MARN 2518738) at The Migration.

Frequently asked questions