Renewing a visa 482: can Core Skills be applied for again?
Many visa 482 holders reach near the end of their visa period and ask: can I apply again? The answer is yes — there is no rule limiting you to holding a visa 482 only once. But “applying again” here is not renewing the old visa — it is applying for a new visa 482 with a fresh nomination from the business.
A visa 482 is not “renewed” but “granted again”
The Australian visa system does not have a concept of renewal in the sense of adding more time. When the visa 482 is about to expire, if you want to keep working in this status, you lodge an entirely new visa 482 application — the same process as the first time: the business needs to nominate (nomination), and you lodge the visa application. The new visa, once granted, will have its own period according to the stream and the conditions of that application.
The application charge for the new application is still calculated at the current rate — the main charge is currently 4,015 AUD — together with the SAF levy that the business must pay.
Conditions for being granted again
There is no law limiting the number of times a visa 482 can be granted. But each new application must still satisfy the full conditions:
- The business is still an approved sponsor (Standard Business Sponsor)
- The occupation is still on the Core Skills Occupation List at the time of lodgement
- You still meet the requirements on experience, English, health and character
- The new nomination must be approved by DHA before the visa is assessed
If the occupation list changes or the business no longer wants to sponsor, the plan may change — this is a point many people take for granted.
Why many people choose 186 TRT over re-applying for a 482
Re-applying for a 482 is valid, but it keeps you in temporary residence status. If you have already worked 1 year with your current employer and want permanent residence, the TRT stream of the visa 186 is a more natural next step — and allows you to move directly to permanent residence without going through a 482 again.
The 482 to 186 TRT pathway has its own conditions on the work period, age and other factors. The article on visa 482 to PR explains this in more detail.
Changing employer before expiry
If you want to apply for a new 482 with a different employer (not the same business), you can also do that — but you need to make sure the new employer is an eligible sponsor and the new nomination is approved before the old visa expires. The time to find a new employer while still holding the visa 482 is 180 days from when the employment relationship with the previous employer ends.
Plan early
Because each 482 application must go through all three steps (SBS, nomination, visa), the assessment time is not short. If you leave it until close to the expiry date to begin, the risk of a gap in lawful status is higher. Ideally, start preparing the new nomination a few months before the current visa expires.
Your specific situation — especially if there are factors such as a change of position, a gap in experience, or weighing up re-applying for a 482 versus moving to a 186 — should be looked at by a registered migration agent (MARA).