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The 2025 Skills in Demand Report released by Jobs and Skills Australia in May 2026 provides a data-driven assessment of the reformed 482 visa program since it was established in December 2024.
The report evaluates the performance of the three Skills in Demand visa streams—the Core Skills, Specialist Skills, and Labour Agreement Streams. Read more about the visa framework here.
Key findings from the report:
- Indexed salary thresholds are strengthening nominated remuneration outcomes
- The transition to the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) has resulted in modest shifts in occupational composition
- Increased usage of Labour Agreements reflects growing employer demand for flexible migration pathways
The data suggests the SID visa program aligns with the Government’s Migration Strategy objectives in supporting businesses to address targeted skill shortages.
Interstaff examines these findings in greater detail, exploring snapshots of each stream and their influence in the labour market.
Salary impacts
The SID visa framework requires sponsored workers to be paid market-aligned salaries comparable to Australian employees, while also meeting the minimum income threshold applicable to their visa stream—either the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) or Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT). Read more here.
Under the SID reforms, the CSIT replaced the former Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) and continued annual indexation that was introduced in 2023.
Department of Home Affairs data in the report indicates these changes have driven an increase in employer-sponsored salaries. Exceptions apply where Labour Agreements allow for negotiated concessions to the standard income requirements.
2013-2023: TSMIT set at $53,900
Highest distribution of salaries remained at almost exactly the TSMIT.
Post 1 July 2023: Annual Indexation
Market responds with salaries increasing to align with indexed thresholds.
Source: Department of Home Affairs data, 2025 Skills in Demand Report – Jobs and Skills Australia.
Industry impacts
The report also shows a steady increase in the volume of temporary skilled visas granted for most industries since 2018-19.
Sustained growth across industries suggests the minimum income thresholds have not been set at too high of a level for businesses.
↑ 22%
Average increase in temporary skilled visas granted year-on-year from 2018-19 to
2024-25.
15 of 19
Major industry groups recorded an increase in temporary skilled visa grants from 2023-24 to 2024-25.
| Industry | Percentage change in 457/482 visa grants 2023-24 to 2024-25 |
|---|---|
| Accommodation and Food Services | ↑ 125% |
| Public Administration and Safety | ↑ 75% |
| Arts and Recreation Services | ↑ 64% |
| Administrative and Support Services | ↑ 55% |
| Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services | ↑ 49% |
Source: Department of Home Affairs data, 2025 Skills in Demand Report – Jobs and Skills Australia.
Many of the top occupations for temporary skilled visa grants were recorded as having a national shortage rating in 2024.
This suggests the SID visa program is easing skill shortages as intended, although Jobs and Skills Australia noted further review is needed for Chefs, Cafe and Restaurant Managers, and Cooks, where no consistent link was found between skilled migration and vacancy levels.
Most visas were granted for occupations that were also listed on historical skilled migration occupation lists, suggesting the introduction of the CSOL in December 2024 had little impact on recent growth in visa grants.
At a Glance
SID Visa: Core Skills Stream and the labour market
Core Skills Stream occupational profile
- Applicant’s occupation must be listed on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL), which covers a broad range of occupations across several industries.
- Applicants must be paid the market salary rate of an equivalent Australian and at least the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT).
Top 5 industries: Core Skills
- Health Care and Social Assistance
- Professional, Scientific & Technical
- Other Services
- Accommodation and Food Services
- Construction
Business use trends
78%
of SID Visas were granted through the Core Skills Stream of the SID Visa from Dec 2024 to June 2025.
Skill level
52.8%
of Core Skills Stream SID Visa grants were for Skill Level 1 occupations from Dec 2024 to Sep 2025.
- 23.9% were granted for Skill Level 3
- 21.1% were granted for Skill Level 2
Read about ANZSCO Skill Levels on the Australian Bureau of Statistics website.
Occupation group
49.5%
of Core Skills Stream SID visa grants were for ‘Professionals’ from Dec 2024 to Sep 2025.
39.6% were granted to ‘Technicians and Trades Workers’.
Read about ANZSCO Major Groups on the Australian Bureau of Statistics website.
| Top 10 occupations for Core Skills Stream SID visa grants: 7 Dec 2024 to 30 Sep 2025 |
|---|
| 1. Chef |
| 2. Resident Medical Officer |
| 3. Motor Mechanic (General) |
| 4. Mechanical Engineering Technician |
| 5. Software Engineer |
| 6. Child Care Worker |
| 7. Registered Nurse (Aged Care) |
| 8. Cook |
| 9. ICT Business Analyst |
| 10. Accountant (General) |
Department of Home Affairs data, 2025 Skills in Demand Report – Jobs and Skills Australia.
SID Visa: Specialist Skills Stream and the labour market
Specialist Skills Stream occupational profile
- For highly paid skilled cohorts. Must be paid the market salary rate of an equivalent Australian and at least the Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT).
- Eligibility is not limited to an occupation list. Commonly used for niche or highly specialised roles. Trades, machinery operation, driving, and manual labour roles are excluded and ineligible for the stream. Read more.
Top industries: Specialist Skills
- Professional, Scientific and Technical
- Health Care and Social Assistance
- Other Services
- Information Media & Telecommunications
- Financial and Insurance Services
Business use trends
5.62%
of Specialist Skills Stream SID Visa grants were for occupations not listed for the Core Skills Stream.
These included:
- ICT Support Engineer
- Financial Dealers
- Customer Service Manager
- Financial Investment Manager
- Specialist Managers
- Ship’s Master
- Air Traffic Controller
- Ship’s Officer
Skill level
97%
of Specialist Skills Stream SID Visa grants were for Skill Level 1 occupations from Dec 2024 to Sep 2025.
Occupation groups
65.4%
of Specialist Skills Stream SID Visa grants were for ‘Professionals’ from Dec 2024 to Sep 2025.
32.6% were granted to ‘Managers’.
| Top 10 occupations for Specialist Skills Stream SID visa grants: 7 Dec 2024 to 30 Sep 2025 |
|---|
| 1. General Practitioner |
| 2. Corporate General Manager |
| 3. Management Consultant |
| 4. Sales and Marketing Manager |
| 5. Software Engineer |
| 6. ICT Business Analyst |
| 7. Engineering Manager |
| 8. Resident Medical Officer |
| 9. Finance Manager |
| 10. Chief Executive or Managing Director |
Source: Department of Home Affairs data, 2025 Skills in Demand Report – Jobs and Skills Australia.
SID Visa: Labour Agreement Stream and the labour market
Labour Agreement Stream occupational profile
- For applicants in sectors or regional areas with persistent workforce shortages. Labour Agreements are formal agreements between an Australian employer and the Commonwealth.
- Labour Agreements are accessed across four categories—industry, company-specific, project and Designated Area Migration Agreements (DAMAs).
- Concessions may be available for visa requirements that usually apply for occupation, salary, skills, work experience, English language and age. Read more.
Salary insights
Nominated salaries for Labour Agreement Stream 482 visas were concentrated below the salary thresholds, with a low incidence of higher salaries.
This reflects a workforce with diverse skill levels, regional dynamics, and the application of salary concessions.
Business use trends
20.9%
of 482 visa grants in the Northern Territory were via the Labour Agreement Stream from Jan 2022 to Sep 2025.
14.2% of 482 visa grants were via the Labour Agreement stream in South Australia.
Skill level
36.6%
of Labour Agreement Stream 482 visa grants were for unspecified occupations (non-ANZSCO) from Jan 2022 to Sep 2025.
This reflects the use of concessions to access occupations outside standard skill occupation lists.
- 39.8% were granted for Skill Level 4
- 11.8% were granted for Skill Level 1
- 6.4% were granted for Skill Level 3
Occupation groups
26.2%
of Labour Agreement Stream 482 visa grants were for ‘Community and Personal Service Workers’ from Jan 2022 to Sep 2025.
- 10.9% granted to ‘Professionals’
- 9.4% granted to ‘Labourers’
- 8.3% granted to ‘Technicians & Trades Workers’
Other trends
4th ranking
was allocated to non-ANZSCO ‘occupations specified in Labour Agreements’ in the list of top 10 occupations for 457/482 visa grants in 2024-25.
This reflects the scale of usage of the Labour Agreement stream in the 482 visa program.
Source: Department of Home Affairs data, 2025 Skills in Demand Report – Jobs and Skills Australia.
How effective is Australia’s skilled migration program?
The 2025 Skills in Demand Report indicates the Core and Specialist Skills Streams of the SID visa program are predominantly used for higher skill occupation groups (Skill Level 1).
While the higher income threshold required by the Specialist Skills Stream helps to meet objectives in the government’s Migration Strategy to streamline visa processing to highly paid skilled applicants, this visa stream option appears to be underused compared to the Core Skills Stream.
Given the faster visa processing times, it is more advantageous for an employer to use the Specialist Skills Stream in cases where the higher income threshold can be met.
As noted in the report, businesses appear to be meeting indexed income thresholds, even where this requires paying above the average weekly earnings rates listed on Jobs and Skills Australia.
For example, for Chefs, which are among the top five occupations in the 2024-25 SID visa program, Jobs and Skills Australia data shows the average weekly earnings rate is $1,423, which is lower than the current Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) of $76,515 (due to be indexed further on 1 July 2026).
This suggests strong demand and business need, with employers willing to pay a premium for specific skills. However, as thresholds rise further, it will be interesting to see whether market rates will keep at pace with the indexed thresholds.
Sustainable people strategy: Global talent
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