How Many Indians Get Australia Work Visas? 2025-26 Grant Data

The figure comes from the Home Affairs temporary resident (skilled) report to 31 December 2025, which is the latest report in our record. 'Primary' means visas granted to the main applicant, not to family members on the same application. All data is as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026. For the full range of Australian visas open to Indians, see our Australia visa guide for Indians.

How many 482 visas went to Indians in 2025-26?

Australia's program year runs from 1 July to 30 June, so this covers the first six months of 2025-26. A full-year 2025-26 figure is not in the report we checked. When Home Affairs publishes later temporary resident (skilled) reports, they will extend the series; until then, do not treat any 'annual' number you see quoted as official unless it links to Home Affairs.

Is there an approval rate for Indian work visas?

No. Home Affairs publishes how many 482 visas it granted by citizenship, not how many it refused, so no official grant rate or refusal rate exists for Indians on this visa. That is different from other visas, where Home Affairs reports grant rates for Indian citizens, calculated as grants as a percentage of grants plus refusals. For 1 October to 31 December 2025:

• Student visa (subclass 500), Indian citizens applying outside Australia: 59.5% (79.9% in the same quarter of 2024).
• Tourist Visitor visa (subclass 600/676): 69.8% (73.2% a year earlier).
• Business Visitor (subclass 600): 80.9%.

These are past outcomes for those visas, not predictions, and none of them describes work visas. A large grant count for the 482 shows how many Indians were sponsored and approved; it says nothing about how many applied and were refused.

Which work routes have fixed places for Indians?

Two Australian schemes reserve a set number of places for Indian passport holders, both allocated by random ballot:

MATES is for Indian graduates aged 18 to 30 from the Top 100 institutions on India's NIRF India Rankings Overall 2024 list, who graduated within 2 years before the ballot in fields such as engineering, ICT, artificial intelligence, mining, renewable energy, fintech or agricultural technology. Registrations for 2025-26 ran from 1 November to 14 December 2025. The 2026-27 Work and Holiday ballot registration ran from 4 to 25 June 2026 and is closed, with random selections from 2 July 2026 to 30 April 2027.

What does it take to be one of the 482 grantees?

The 482 is employer-driven. Your employer must be, or have applied to be, a Standard Business Sponsor and lodge a nomination; you then apply in ImmiAccount with the nomination's Transaction Reference Number. For the Core Skills stream:

• an occupation on the Core Skills Occupation List;
• pay at the market rate and at least the Core Skills Income Threshold: AUD 79,423 for nominations lodged from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027 (AUD 76,515 for 2025-26);
• at least 1 year of relevant work experience within the last 5 years;
• a skills assessment if mandatory for your occupation;
• English of at least IELTS 5.0 in each component, unless exempt.

The Specialist Skills stream needs a salary of at least AUD 146,576 for nominations from 1 July 2026 (AUD 141,210 the year before). Neither stream has an age requirement.

How much does a 482 cost, and how long does it take?

The visa applicant charge is AUD 4,015 for the main applicant. Each family member aged 18 or over pays AUD 4,015, and each child under 18 pays AUD 1,005. The employer separately pays a nomination fee and the Skilling Australians Fund levy. Home Affairs charges in AUD only.

Home Affairs' global processing-time guide, covering all nationalities and checked on 15 October 2026, shows: Core Skills stream 50% in 4 months and 90% in 9 months; Specialist Skills stream 50% in 37 days and 90% in 78 days; employer nomination 50% in 64 days and 90% in 9 months.

How should you read these numbers?

• Counts are not odds. 6,220 grants tells you Indians are the biggest group of sponsored workers, not that an application will succeed.
• The job comes first. Without an approved sponsor and nomination, you cannot apply for a 482 at all.
• Ballots are separate. MATES and the Work and Holiday visa are the only routes here with India-specific caps, and both depend on random selection.
• Watch for paid 'job offers'. A genuine nomination comes from a sponsoring employer, and the salary must meet the threshold.

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Frequently asked questions

Can Indians apply for an Australian 482 visa without an employer?

No. You must be nominated by an approved sponsor for an eligible occupation. You apply in ImmiAccount using the Transaction Reference Number of your employer's nomination.

Does the 482 visa lead to permanent residence?

It can. Home Affairs says your employer may later sponsor you through the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186), whose Direct Entry stream requires, among other things, at least 3 years of relevant work experience unless exempt and age under 45 unless exempt.

Is there an age limit for the Skills in Demand 482 visa?

No. Home Affairs lists no age requirement for either the Core Skills or the Specialist Skills stream. MATES and the Work and Holiday visa, by contrast, are limited to applicants aged 18 to 30.

Where can I find newer 482 grant figures for Indians?

Home Affairs publishes them in its temporary resident (skilled) reports. The latest in our record runs to 31 December 2025; check the Home Affairs research and statistics pages for later periods.