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FAQ – Before your visa application is lodged
The following information is aimed towards employer sponsored visa types, primarily the subclass 482 Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa and the subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme visa.
- What are the costs?
- Can I include my family?
- Do I need a valid passport?
- What is the English requirement?
- What evidence do I need to provide to show I have the skills for the visa?
- Do I need police checks?
- What if I (or a family member) have a criminal conviction or other character concern?
- Do I need a health check?
- What if I (or a family member) fail the health check?
- Do I need health insurance?
- How do I provide you with my documents?
- Do I need to translate my documents into English?
- What other documentation/information will I need?
1. What are the costs?
Our legal fees and government application fees differ depending on the type of visa you are applying for and your situation.
Whether your employer/sponsor will cover all costs related to your visa application will depend on company policy, although some sponsorship-related costs must be paid by the sponsor and cannot lawfully be recovered from, or charged to, the visa applicant.
For the subclass 482 Skills in Demand (SID) visa, it is unlawful for the sponsor to transfer or recover certain sponsorship and nomination costs and the Skilling Australians Fund levy (SAF) from the visa applicant. The visa application charge itself, and some personal costs such as health checks, police checks and English tests, may still fall to the applicant depending on the circumstances and company policy.
For the subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) visa, sponsors must pay the nomination fee and the Skilling Australians Fund levy. Those costs cannot be passed on to the visa applicant. Other costs may depend on the arrangement between you and your employer and should be checked carefully before payment is made.
Refunds of legal fees and government fees are only available in limited circumstances.
If you have any concerns about any payments your employer/sponsor is asking you to make in relation to your visa application, please let us know.
2. Can I include my family?
In most cases, yes. You can usually include your partner (spouse or de facto partner) and your dependent children. Whether a child over 18 can be included will depend on whether they meet the definition of a member of the family unit at the relevant time.
You generally cannot include other family members on these visas, such as parents, siblings or cousins.
The additional documentation required, including relationship evidence, will depend on your circumstances and the type of visa you are applying for. If family members will not be included at the time of lodgement, there may still be later options in some cases, including a subsequent entrant application for eligible subclass 482 family members.
If you wish to include a partner and/or children, please let us know and we can advise further.
3. Do I need a valid passport?
Yes. A valid passport is generally required for visa processing, and all applicants should hold a valid passport at the time the visa is granted.
If you receive a new passport after your visa application is lodged, or after your visa is granted, send us a clear colour scan and we can assist with updating the passport details linked to your application or visa.
4. Will I need to do an English test?
- Whether you need an English test depends on the visa subclass, stream, your citizenship, and whether you fall within an exemption category. The approved tests and accepted scores depend on the specific visa criteria in force at the time of application.The Department changed the approved English language test arrangements for visa purposes on 7 August 2025. Results are not interchangeable across visa subclasses, and the period for which a result remains valid depends on the visa subclass and the test used. For employer-sponsored visas, it is safest to check the current Department page for the exact test, score and validity rules before lodgement.For a subclass 186 application, the primary applicant must satisfy the English requirement at lodgement unless an exemption applies. For the subclass 482 SID visa, primary applicants must meet the current English requirement for the relevant stream unless exempt. Family members may have different requirements depending on the visa and their age, and in some permanent visa cases an additional second instalment charge may apply where the required level of English is not met.We will advise you accordingly as part of the process.
5. What evidence do I need to provide to show I have the skills for the visa?
The evidence required depends on the visa and stream, and sometimes on the occupation or assessing authority.
Subclass 482 Skills in Demand (SID) visa
For the subclass 482 SID visa, the Department’s current criteria must be checked for the relevant stream, occupation and any exemptions. In many cases, you will still need detailed employment references and other evidence showing that you have the required work experience and skills for the nominated occupation.
Registration/Licensing requirements
For some occupations, registration, licensing or membership requirements continue to be important. Even where registration is not required at lodgement, you must still comply with any relevant industry or visa-condition requirements within the required timeframe after grant, if applicable.
Subclass 186 – ENS visa – Direct Entry stream
You may need a skills assessment, depending on your occupation and circumstances, and you will generally need evidence of the required period of relevant full-time work experience. Employment references should contain sufficient detail to allow the Department and any assessing authority to understand the role, dates, hours and duties.
Subclass 186 – ENS visa – Temporary Residence Transition stream
You will generally need evidence of your work history with the sponsoring employer and other supporting records relevant to the stream requirements, such as payslips, leave records and tax or income records where requested.
Australian Computer Society (ACS)
If ACS is the relevant assessing authority, its current published guidelines should be checked before relying on older degree-content or work-experience rules. ACS regularly updates its criteria, fees and processing information, so those details should be confirmed at the time of application.
Whether you can obtain a positive skills assessment depends on your qualifications, their content, and the level and relevance of your employment history. This is often highly technical and occupation-specific.
6. Do I need police checks?
Whether police checks are required depends on the visa, your age and your residence history. Where required, police certificates are generally needed for each country in which you have spent a total of 12 months or more in the last 10 years since turning 16.
The same issue can arise for relevant secondary applicants as well.
It is important that you disclose all names you have been known by when applying for all police certificates, especially for an Australian Federal Police check. This includes maiden names and other formal name variations.
We will advise you whether police checks are required. If they are, we will provide guidance on the specific certificates needed and how to apply.
7. What if I (or a family member) have a criminal conviction or other character concern?
Visa applicants must satisfy the character requirements to be granted a visa and to remain in Australia. Criminal convictions, charges, association with certain conduct, or failure to disclose relevant matters can create serious issues.
A criminal history does not automatically mean a visa will be refused. However, non-disclosure is often a major problem. It is very important that you tell us as early as possible if you have any criminal convictions, cautions, outstanding charges or other possible character concerns, no matter how minor you believe they are.
Once you have given us the relevant information, we can provide further advice. Depending on the seriousness of the issue, we may need to discuss risk management steps with your employer/sponsor.
8. Do I need to do a health check?
Whether health examinations are required depends on the type of visa, your travel and residence history, the expected length of stay, your proposed activities in Australia, and any identified medical issues.
Health examinations are arranged through the Department’s process after the relevant HAP ID/referral steps are available. In Australia, examinations are through Bupa Medical Visa Services. Outside Australia, examinations must be undertaken with an approved panel physician or clinic.
If you need a health examination, we will provide the relevant instructions after lodgement or when the Department’s system allows us to do so.
9. What if I (or a family member) fail the heath check?
You may not meet the health requirement if a condition is assessed as likely to result in significant cost to the Australian community, prejudice access to health care or community services in short supply, or pose a danger to public health or safety.
Some visa subclasses allow access to a health waiver and some do not. It is very important that you raise any known health concerns with us early so that we can advise on the likely implications for the relevant visa.
Where active tuberculosis is identified, separate public-health requirements apply and visa outcome timing can be affected.
10. Do I need health insurance?
Some temporary visas require visa holders to maintain adequate health insurance while they are in Australia. This includes subclass 482 visa holders who are subject to visa condition 8501.
This requirement may be met in different ways depending on your circumstances, including by holding an appropriate private policy or by being eligible for Medicare through a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement and actually being enrolled, where applicable. Reciprocal arrangements do not always provide full coverage, so they should be checked carefully.
If you are outside Australia when the visa is lodged, the commencement date for cover should be discussed with your insurer. You should ensure that your cover will satisfy condition 8501 from the time you need it.
There is no general immigration-law requirement for an employer/sponsor to pay for your health insurance.
There are a number of Australian insurers who offer products designed to meet the subclass 482 visa requirements.
Ajuria Lawyers has negotiated overseas visitor coverage packages with certain providers that can be accessed via the following links:
Please note that not all the above providers offer a discounted rate to our clients and that Ajuria Lawyers or its associated entities may receive a commission from these external service providers.
11. How do I provide you with my documents?
We prefer that you upload your documents via our secure online portal. We will send you login details un initiation of your matter. If you cannot upload via the portal, you can send the document(s) by email, but we ask that you keep the total file size to under 5MB.
When uploading or emailing your documents, please ensure that you provide clear, colour scans or photos. Please ensure that the full document can be seen and that no part of it is cut off when scanning or taking a photo.
Unless we advise you otherwise, you do not need to provide original hard copies, or certified/notarised copies.
12. Do I need to translate my documents into English?
Documents that are not in English generally need to be accompanied by an English translation suitable for immigration purposes. If you already have translated copies, please provide those together with copies of the original documents.
We can assist by referring you to an appropriate translator where needed, but translation fees are your responsibility.
13. What other documentation/information will I need?
We will advise you on any further documentation or information required, as this will differ depending on your personal circumstances and the visa you are applying for.