How to Apply for an Australia Work Visa from India: Step by Step

Indian citizens received 6,220 primary Temporary skilled (subclass 482) visas between 1 July and 31 December 2025, 18.1% of all primary grants and the largest citizenship group, according to the Home Affairs temporary resident (skilled) report. There are also two ballot-based routes reserved for or open to Indians. This guide sets out each one and the order of steps, as published on the official sources, checked on 2026-10-15. Our Australia visa overview for Indians covers visitor and student visas.

Which Australian work visas can you apply for from India?

Step by step: the employer-sponsored 482 route

1. Secure a job offer from an employer that is, or has applied to be, a Standard Business Sponsor.
2. Check the occupation. Core Skills needs an occupation on the Core Skills Occupation List; Specialist Skills needs ANZSCO Major Group 1, 2, 4, 5 or 6 (trades, machinery operators and drivers, and labourers are excluded).
3. Get a skills assessment if your occupation requires one, for example from Trades Recognition Australia or VETASSESS. It must be started before you apply and within the previous 3 years.
4. Sit an English test unless exempt. You need at least IELTS 5.0 in each of listening, reading, writing and speaking, from a test taken on or after 13 September 2025 and within 3 years of applying.
5. Your employer lodges the nomination. The employer usually must carry out labour market testing, and it pays the nomination fee and the Skilling Australians Fund levy. You receive the nomination's Transaction Reference Number (TRN).
6. Apply online in ImmiAccount using the TRN and pay AUD 4,015. Each family member included costs AUD 4,015 (18 and over) or AUD 1,005 (under 18).
7. Upload your evidence: passport pages, the TRN, any skills assessment reference, qualification certificates and required Australian licences, a CV covering at least the last 5 years, employment references on letterhead with referee contacts and dates, English results, proof of adequate health insurance and police certificates as required.
8. Meet health and character requirements and wait for the decision. Once granted, you may work only for your sponsor or an associated entity.

What salary and experience does Home Affairs require?

For nominations lodged from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, the Core Skills Income Threshold is AUD 79,423, up from AUD 76,515. You must also be paid the annual market salary rate, unless the employer pays AUD 250,000 or more. The Specialist Skills Income Threshold is AUD 146,576, up from AUD 141,210.

You need at least 1 year of relevant work experience in the nominated occupation or a related field, gained within the last 5 years; part-time or casual work must add up to 12 months full-time. There is no age requirement for the 482. It lasts up to 4 years, and your employer may later sponsor you for permanent residence through the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186), whose Direct Entry stream needs you to be under 45 and to have at least 3 years of relevant experience, unless exempt.

How do the MATES and Work and Holiday ballots work for Indians?

MATES (subclass 403) is an India-only scheme giving up to 2 years in Australia, with up to 3,000 primary places per program year allocated by random ballot. To register you need ImmiAccount, a valid Indian passport, a valid PAN card and the AUD 25 fee. You must be 18 to 30 when registration opens and have graduated within 2 years, with a Bachelor degree or higher, from one of the Top 100 institutions on India's NIRF India Rankings Overall 2024 list, in renewable energy, mining, engineering, ICT, artificial intelligence, fintech or agtech. English: IELTS 6.0 overall with at least 5 in each component, or PTE Academic 50 with at least 36 in each. You also need a job offer or about AUD 5,000. If selected, you have 30 days to apply from outside Australia.

Work and Holiday (subclass 462) allows a holiday of up to 12 months with work, usually no more than 6 months with one employer. Indians need 2 years of completed post-secondary study, at least Functional English (for example IELTS 4.5) and about AUD 5,000. Registration for the 2026-27 ballot ran 4-25 June 2026 and is closed; selection rounds took place on 10 August and 25 September 2026, with a third to be announced. The registration fee is AUD 25, a PAN card is required (Aadhaar is not accepted), and India's annual cap is 1,000 first visas. Selected applicants have 28 calendar days to apply.

Can you apply for the 485 or a skilled PR visa from India?

Not the 485. The Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) is applied for in Australia by people holding, or recently holding, a Student visa who completed an eligible Australian degree within the previous 6 months. Under the Australia-India ECTA, Indian nationals can then stay 2 years (Bachelor), 3 years (Bachelor with first-class honours in STEM, including ICT), 3 years (Masters) or 4 years (PhD).

The points-tested permanent visas work differently: you submit an Expression of Interest in SkillSelect and apply only if invited. Each needs you to be under 45 when invited, at least 65 points, a suitable skills assessment and at least Competent English.

How long does each work route take?

Home Affairs publishes global processing times for all nationalities, not India-specific figures.

For the Work and Holiday visa, Home Affairs adds that offshore applications may take about 3 months because onshore applications are prioritised. No official grant or refusal rate by citizenship is published for the 482.

When your file needs a cover letter or travel bookings, Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, travel itineraries and cover letters for visa applications, with packages from INR 1,000 (flight reservation) to INR 3,000 (reservation, hotel, itinerary and cover letter). WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or write to us via the contact page.

Frequently asked questions

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

No. Home Affairs lists no age requirement for either the Core Skills or the Specialist Skills stream of the 482. Age limits apply to other routes, such as under 45 for the points-tested permanent visas.

Can I take my family on a 482 visa from India?

Yes, family members can be included. Each family member pays AUD 4,015 if aged 18 or over, or AUD 1,005 if under 18, on top of the main applicant's AUD 4,015.

Do I need a job offer for the MATES visa?

Not necessarily. MATES applicants need either a job offer from an Australian business or about AUD 5,000 to support themselves on arrival, along with adequate health insurance.

Does Australia publish a work visa refusal rate for Indians?

No official grant or refusal rate by citizenship is published for the Skills in Demand (482) visa. Home Affairs publishes grant counts: 6,220 primary 482 visas to Indian citizens in July-December 2025.