Employee Nomination & Labour Market Testing (LMT)
Complete guide for Australian employers nominating skilled workers under the Subclass 482 visa, covering salary benchmarking, genuine position criteria, and mandatory Labour Market Testing.
What is the Subclass 482 Employee Nomination?
After an Australian business becomes an approved Standard Business Sponsor (SBS), the next step is lodging an Employee Nomination. The nomination stage identifies the specific position to be filled, verifies that the position is genuine, ensures the salary meets Australian market standards, and proves that local recruitment efforts (Labour Market Testing) were undertaken.
Genuine Position Test
Authentic business operational need
Annual Market Rate (AMSR)
Australian salary parity benchmarking
Mandatory 4-Week LMT
National recruitment advertising
Labour Market Testing (LMT) Process & Rules
Labour Market Testing (LMT) is a strict statutory requirement designed to demonstrate that the sponsoring employer has genuinely attempted to recruit suitable Australian citizens or permanent residents before offering the position to an overseas worker.
Mandatory 4-Week Advertising Duration
Job advertisements must be active for at least 28 consecutive days (4 full weeks) before lodging the nomination.
Timing Within 4 Months Prior to Lodgement
All Labour Market Testing (LMT) advertising must have been conducted within the 4 months immediately preceding the nomination lodgement date.
At Least 2 Approved National Recruitment Channels
Advertisements must be published across at least two prominent, national recruitment platforms (e.g., Workforce Australia, SEEK, Indeed, LinkedIn, or national print/media).
Specific Advertisement Content Requirements
Ads must explicitly state the job title, key duties/skills, required qualifications, sponsoring business name (or recruitment agency), and salary range (if salary is below threshold).
LMT Summary Report & Candidate Log
Employers must maintain a comprehensive recruitment log recording total applications received, interviews conducted, and legitimate reasons why Australian applicants were unsuitable.
International Trade Obligation (ITO) Exemptions
LMT may be waived under specific Free Trade Agreements (e.g., UK, Japan, China, Chile) or intra-corporate transferee executive transfers.
Annual Market Salary Rate (AMSR) & TSMIT Compliance
Sponsoring employers must guarantee that the nominated overseas worker is paid a market rate salary equivalent to what an Australian worker receives in the same location and position.
Enterprise Agreement / Award Rate
Salary must match applicable Australian industrial awards where present in the workplace.
Equivalent Australian Benchmarking
Evidence of pay slips or employment contracts for Australian workers in identical roles in the same business.
TSMIT Compliance Threshold
Base earnings must equal or exceed the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT).
Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) Levy Obligation
At the nomination stage, employers are legally required to contribute to the Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy for each year of the requested visa duration. The SAF levy payment is calculated based on company turnover and the total number of years requested on the nomination. It must be paid directly to Home Affairs upon lodging the nomination and cannot be passed on to the worker.
Subclass 482 Nomination Step-by-Step
Red Migration manages your Labour Market Testing and nomination documents to avoid processing delays or Home Affairs requisitions.
Role Definition & ANZSCO Mapping
Selecting the correct ANZSCO occupation code matching the skilled position duties, skill level, and qualification requirements.
Salary Benchmarking (AMSR) & TSMIT
Establishing the Annual Market Salary Rate (AMSR) to guarantee the overseas worker receives equal terms and conditions as equivalent Australian employees.
Labour Market Testing (LMT) Execution
Publishing mandatory 4-week ads across national recruitment portals and compiling the required LMT summary report.
Nomination Lodgement & SAF Levy Payment
Lodging the formal 482 Nomination with Home Affairs along with the required Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy contribution.
Need Assistance with 482 Nomination or LMT?
Our registered migration agents conduct LMT audits, prepare salary benchmarking submissions, and lodge complete 482 nominations.