482 Visa Documents Checklist: What to Prepare Before You Lodge

The 482 Skills in Demand visa application is refused more often for documentation problems than for genuine eligibility issues. A missing reference letter, an English test result that expired three weeks before lodgement, or police clearances that don't cover a country you lived in four years ago — any of these can stop the application or trigger a request for further information that delays your visa by months.

This checklist covers what both the worker and the employer need to have ready, and some of the less obvious requirements that catch applicants out.

Worker Documents: Identity and Civil Documents

Passport

A colour scan of the full photo/biodata page, plus any pages with visas if you have lived or worked in other countries. The scan must be legible and not cropped. If your passport has less than six months validity, renew it before lodging — some countries require a valid passport with sufficient remaining validity.

Birth Certificate

Full birth certificate, not an extract. If your name has changed through marriage or deed poll, include documentation of all name changes.

Marriage Certificate or Relationship Evidence

Required for any secondary applicant (partner or de facto partner) to be included. For de facto relationships, additional evidence of the relationship is required.

Worker Documents: Skills and Work Experience

Degree Certificates and Academic Transcripts

Original-level scans of all degrees, diplomas, or certificates. Certified copies are required in most cases — a migration agent or a Notary Public can certify copies. Transcripts (the full list of subjects and results, not just the graduation certificate) are required for each qualification.

Employment References

This is where many applications run into problems. References must come from each employer in your nominated occupation over the past five years (or however long is needed to demonstrate one year of relevant experience). Each reference must include:

• Official company letterhead
• Your full name
• Your position title and ANZSCO-equivalent description of duties
• Start and end dates of employment (specific dates, not just years)
• Whether employment was full-time, part-time, or casual
• Your salary or remuneration
• Signature from a direct manager or HR representative, with their contact details

Vague references that say "worked in IT" without specifying duties are regularly rejected. References should use language that maps to the ANZSCO description of your occupation code.

Skills Assessment Certificate (If Required)

If your occupation or nationality combination requires a mandatory skills assessment, this must be completed before lodging. The assessment certificate must be less than three years old at the time of lodgement. Checking the validity date carefully is important — an assessment completed 34 months ago with a 36-month validity may expire before the visa is granted.

Worker Documents: English Language

English Test Results

IELTS, PTE Academic, or TOEFL iBT results from a test taken within the past three years. The Test Report Form (TRF) reference number is sufficient for IELTS; for PTE and TOEFL, print or download the official score report.

Results must show the overall score and each individual component score (reading, writing, listening, speaking for IELTS). An overall score that meets the minimum but has a component below the minimum is a refusal.

Passport Exemption Evidence

If you hold a UK, USA, Canadian, New Zealand, or Irish passport, you are exempt from the English test requirement. Your passport is the evidence — no additional documents are required.

Worker Documents: Health and Character

Medical Examination

You must be examined by a Departmental panel physician (a specific list of approved practitioners, not your regular GP). The examination is booked through the HAP ID system after lodging your visa application — you will receive your HAP ID once you lodge, and then book your appointment.

Because of this sequencing, you cannot submit medical results before lodgement. The Department will wait for your results to come through the eMedical system. Standard chest X-ray is required for most applicants; additional tests may be required based on your health history.

If you are including dependants in your application, every included person 11 years of age or older must also undergo the medical examination.

Police Clearances

Obtain police clearance certificates from every country where you have lived for 12 months or more in the last ten years. This catches people who spent a year or two in a third country between home and Australia. Requirements by country:

• Australia: Australian Federal Police National Police Check ($42, available online, delivered digitally)
• Most other countries: National police certificate from the relevant authority — allow 4 to 8 weeks for countries with slower processing times

Clearances should ideally be obtained within three months of lodging. A clearance that is six months old when you lodge may be fine; one that is 11 months old risks being considered stale by the case officer.

Employer Documents: Nomination Stage

Standard Business Sponsorship (SBS) Approval Evidence

The employer must already hold an active SBS approval or lodge for one simultaneously. The ImmiAccount will link the SBS application to the nomination.

Position Description

A detailed description of the role being nominated, including:

• ANZSCO occupation code
• Essential duties and responsibilities (mapped to the ANZSCO description)
• Required qualifications and experience
• Reporting structure within the business
• Business justification for the role

Labour Market Testing (LMT) Evidence

Unless an exemption applies, the employer must provide evidence of genuine advertising conducted on at least two national job boards for at least 28 consecutive days, within the four months before the nomination is lodged. LMT evidence typically includes:

• Screenshots of the advertisements (with date stamps)
• Copies of all applications received
• Evidence that all Australian citizen and permanent resident applicants were genuinely considered

Salary Benchmarking Evidence

Proof that the nominated salary meets both the CSIT ($76,515) and the Annual Market Salary Rate (AMSR). For the AMSR, at least two independent sources are required if no equivalent Australian employee exists in the business. Acceptable sources include:

• SEEK, LinkedIn, or Indeed salary data reports for equivalent roles
• Hays Salary Guide for the relevant year
• Job advertisements for comparable roles from the past six months

Financial Evidence

Recent financial statements, business activity statements, or a letter from the company's accountant confirming the business can pay the nominated salary.

Checklist Summary

Worker must have before lodging:

• [ ] Valid passport (scan, all relevant pages)
• [ ] Birth certificate (and name change documents if applicable)
• [ ] Degree certificates and full academic transcripts
• [ ] Employment references from all relevant employers (last 5 years, full-time equivalent)
• [ ] English test results (or passport exemption)
• [ ] Skills assessment certificate (if required — check before starting)
• [ ] Police clearances from all countries (10-year lookback)
• [ ] HAP ID obtained after lodgement; medical appointment booked immediately

Employer must prepare for nomination:

• [ ] SBS approval (current, or application simultaneous)
• [ ] Position description with ANZSCO code and mapped duties
• [ ] LMT evidence (ads, dates, response log — or exemption evidence)
• [ ] Salary benchmarking documentation (at least 2 sources for AMSR)
• [ ] Financial evidence (ability to pay)

For a downloadable version of this checklist with space to track completion status for each item — plus employer-specific templates for LMT and position descriptions — see the Australia TSS 482 Visa Guide.

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