482 Visa Cost: All Fees for Workers, Dependants, and Employers (2026)

A common shock for first-time 482 applicants is discovering that the "visa fee" is only one layer of a multi-tier cost structure. The total bill is divided between employer-paid charges (which the worker is legally prohibited from reimbursing) and applicant-paid charges. Getting this wrong has legal consequences — employers who recover their costs from workers face civil penalties up to $396,000 per breach.

Here is every cost you need to plan for, updated for 2025-2026.

Visa Application Charges (Paid by the Applicant)

Visa Application Charges (VAC) were updated on 1 July 2025 and are indexed annually.

The onshore surcharge applies if you lodge while you are already in Australia on a substantive visa. It is in addition to the standard VAC, not instead of it.

If you are bringing dependants, these charges add up quickly. Two adults plus one child would pay $3,210 + $3,210 + $805 = $7,225 in visa application charges alone.

Employer-Mandatory Charges

These costs are the employer's legal responsibility. The employer cannot ask you to contribute to them, offset them against your salary, or recover them through any arrangement. Attempting to do so is a serious breach of sponsorship obligations.

For a four-year visa from a large employer, the SAF levy alone is $7,200. This is a non-refundable government charge — if the nomination is refused (even for a minor paperwork error), the levy is not returned. This is one reason employers treat the LMT compliance process so seriously.

Combined employer-mandatory costs for a new SBS application plus a four-year nomination at a large employer: $420 + $330 + $7,200 = $7,950.

The CSIT Salary Floor and AMSR Rule

The Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) is the minimum annual salary your employer must pay you. For 2025-2026, the CSIT is $76,515. From 1 July 2026, it rises to $79,499.

However, the CSIT is a floor — not the correct salary. Your employer must pay whichever is higher:

• The CSIT ($76,515), or
• The Annual Market Salary Rate (AMSR) — what an equivalent Australian worker earns for the same role in the same location

If the market rate for your role is $95,000, your employer must pay $95,000. Nominations are regularly refused because the employer meets the CSIT but the Department determines the genuine market rate is higher. This is the most common salary-related refusal reason.

For the Specialist Skills stream, the threshold is the SSIT: $141,210 (rising to $146,717 in July 2026).

Additional Costs to Budget For

Health Examination

You must undergo a medical examination through an official panel physician (eMedical/HAP ID system). The cost varies by provider and by what examinations are required. Budget approximately $300 to $450 per adult applicant. Family applicants are assessed individually, so a family of three might pay $900 to $1,350 in total for health checks.

Police Clearances

You need police clearances from every country where you have lived for 12 months or more in the past ten years. Australian Federal Police clearances cost approximately $42 per person. International clearances vary widely — some countries issue them for free, others charge $50 to $200+. Budget $100 to $400 depending on your history.

Skills Assessment (If Required)

Not all applicants need one, but if your occupation or nationality combination requires a skills assessment, the fees are substantial:

Priority processing, which reduces wait times to 2 to 4 weeks, costs an additional $150 to $500 depending on the authority.

Migration Agent Fees (Optional)

Professional migration agent fees for end-to-end management of a 482 application range from $3,000 to $8,000 for most cases. Some firms charge separately for the SBS, nomination, and visa stages. A "DIY check" service where a migration agent reviews your application before lodgement is available from some providers for $1,000 to $2,000.

Total Cost Estimate: Family of Three (2026)

This estimate assumes the employer already holds SBS approval, the visa is for a two-year period, and no skills assessment is required. A four-year visa from a large employer adds roughly $3,600 more in SAF levy.

The Dependent Functional English Charge

Adult dependants who cannot demonstrate Functional English (approximately IELTS 4.5 overall) trigger a Second Instalment Visa Application Charge (VAC2) of $4,890. This is payable before the visa is granted — it is not optional. If your partner needs to pay this, budget for it upfront.

Who Can Pay What

To be explicit about the legal boundary:

Employer must pay (cannot be recovered from the worker):

• Standard Business Sponsorship fee ($420)
• Nomination fee ($330)
• Skilling Australians Fund levy ($1,200 to $1,800 per year)

Either party can pay:

• Visa Application Charge ($3,210 per adult applicant)
• Second instalment charge (VAC2) if applicable

Worker typically pays:

• Health examinations
• Police clearances
• Skills assessment fees
• English test fees
• Migration agent fees

For a complete document checklist and walkthrough of each payment stage, see the Australia TSS 482 Visa Guide.

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