482 to 186 Visa: How the New 1-Year Experience Rule Changes the Timeline for Recent Graduates

If you're finishing up a degree in Australia on a Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) visa, there's a change worth knowing about. The amount of work experience you need to qualify for a Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand) visa has dropped from two years to one year for most occupations. For graduates trying to move from study, to work, to permanent residency, that's a real shift in how soon the pathway can start.

This article walks through what actually changed, how it affects the road from a 485 visa to a 482 visa and eventually a Subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme) permanent visa, and what both graduates and employers should check before relying on it.

What Changed: The 482 Work Experience Requirement

The Subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa replaced the old Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa in December 2024, and the government has continued to adjust its settings since then. One of the most practical changes for recent graduates is the work experience requirement.

Most applicants for the Core Skills stream now need at least one year of relevant work experience in the last five years, rather than the two years previously required. The experience generally needs to be in a role closely related to the nominated occupation — a broad industry background isn't enough on its own; the actual duties need to match.

This matters because two years is a long time to sit on a 485 visa waiting to qualify for sponsorship. One year brings the pathway forward significantly, especially for graduates who start relevant work soon after finishing their studies.

Why This Matters for Recent Graduates on a 485 Visa

If you're on a 485 visa, your goal is usually to convert study into a long-term migration outcome before your temporary graduate visa runs out. Historically, the two-year experience rule created a genuine bottleneck: graduates would find relevant work, but couldn't be nominated for a 482 visa until they'd clocked two full years in the role.

With the requirement now at one year for most occupations, a graduate who lands a relevant job soon after finishing their degree can realistically become eligible for 482 sponsorship within roughly 12 months of consistent, relevant employment — rather than 24.

That said, "eligible" doesn't mean "guaranteed." Employers still need to be an approved sponsor, the role still needs to match an eligible occupation, and the salary still needs to meet the relevant income threshold. This is where a proper case-by-case assessment matters more than a general rule of thumb.

The 482 to 186 Pathway, Step by Step

For most graduates, the 482 visa isn't the end goal — it's the bridge to permanent residency through the Subclass 186 visa. Here's the general shape of that pathway:

1. Study and 485 visa — You complete your degree and are granted a Temporary Graduate visa, which allows you to live and work in Australia while you gain relevant experience.

2. Find relevant work — You take on a role connected to your nominated occupation, ideally with an employer who has (or is willing to seek) sponsor approval.

3. 482 sponsorship and nomination — Your employer applies to become an approved sponsor (if not already) and nominates you for the Core Skills or Specialist Skills stream, depending on your occupation and salary.

4. 482 visa granted — Once approved, you move from the 485 visa to the 482 visa, tied to your sponsoring employer.

5. Work toward the 186 Transition Stream — After a further qualifying period of full-time employment with an approved sponsor in the same occupation, you may become eligible to be nominated for permanent residency through the 186 Transition Stream.

Each of these steps has its own eligibility conditions, and the details vary by occupation, so this sequence is a general guide rather than a guarantee of outcome.

The Transition Stream: What Still Needs Time

While the initial 482 experience requirement has dropped, it's important not to conflate that with the 186 Transition Stream timeline, which is separate. The Transition Stream generally requires a set period of full-time employment with an approved sponsor in the nominated occupation before permanent residency nomination becomes possible.

In other words, the one-year rule speeds up how quickly you can get onto a 482 visa. It doesn't shorten the separate period of employment usually expected before you can move from that 482 visa to permanent residency through 186. Understanding the difference between these two clocks is one of the more common points of confusion we see.

Portability: Why Changing Employers May Not Reset Your Clock

Another recent development worth flagging: under current portability settings, time spent working toward the 186 Transition Stream can, in some circumstances, be counted across different approved sponsors in the same occupation — rather than resetting to zero every time you change employer.

This is a meaningful shift from how things used to work, where changing sponsors partway through often meant starting the clock again. It doesn't mean every job change is risk-free, and how the rules apply will depend on your specific visa history and occupation. If you've changed employers during your 482 visa and assumed you'd lost that time, it's worth having your case reviewed rather than assuming the worst — or the best.

A Realistic Timeline: 485 to 482 to 186

Every case is different, but a simplified version of the journey might look like this for someone who secures relevant work soon after graduating:

• Year 0–1: On a 485 visa, working in a relevant role, building the one year of experience now required for 482 eligibility.

• Year 1: Employer sponsors and nominates for the 482 visa; visa granted.

• Year 1–3 (approximate): Continued full-time employment with an approved sponsor, working toward Transition Stream eligibility for the 186 visa.

• Year 3 onward (approximate): Potential nomination for permanent residency, subject to meeting all requirements at the time of application.

This is illustrative, not a promise — actual timelines depend on occupation, salary thresholds, sponsor approval status, and processing times, all of which can change.

A Common Misconception We See

A myth we hear often: "I've already got two years of experience, so I don't need to worry about any of this." In reality, the shift to a one-year requirement doesn't remove the need to check whether your specific role and duties match your nominated occupation's ANZSCO description closely enough. Mismatched duties — where the job title looks right but the day-to-day tasks don't line up with the occupation code — remain one of the more common reasons nominations run into trouble. Meeting the time requirement is only one part of a broader eligibility picture.

A Composite Case Snapshot

Consider a mechanical engineering graduate who finished their degree in early 2025 and started relevant work with a manufacturing firm shortly after, while on a 485 visa. Under the previous two-year rule, they would have needed to wait until early 2027 before their employer could even consider 482 sponsorship. Under the current one-year requirement, that same graduate reached 482 eligibility roughly a year earlier — giving both the graduate and the employer more certainty, sooner, and giving the graduate a longer runway to work toward the 186 Transition Stream before their 485 visa expires. (This example is illustrative and does not represent a specific client.)

What Employers Should Know

If you're an employer with graduate hires on 485 visas, this change is worth factoring into workforce planning. A graduate who's been in a genuinely relevant role for a year — not just employed, but doing work that matches an eligible occupation — may be ready for sponsorship sooner than your existing timelines assume. Employers still need current sponsor approval, and nominated salaries still need to meet the applicable income threshold at the time of nomination, so it's worth checking both before starting the process.

Where to Go From Here

Rules like these are useful to know in general terms, but every visa outcome comes down to the specific details of an individual's occupation, employment history, and documentation. If you're a graduate wondering how close you are to 482 eligibility, or an employer trying to plan around a graduate's visa timeline, the most reliable next step is having your situation properly reviewed.

Book Your Free Visa Assessment with Think Visa's MARA-registered, lawyer-led team — an in-depth, no-obligation review of your specific case, not a generic checklist.

This article reflects general policy information believed accurate at the time of writing. Immigration law, income thresholds, and occupation lists change regularly. This is general information only, not personal migration advice — outcomes depend on individual circumstances. Think Visa is a MARA-registered migration practice.