482 Visa Age Limit: No Cap on the 482, Under 45 for PR Through the 186

The 482 visa has no age limit, but permanent residence through the 186 Temporary Residence Transition stream requires the applicant to be under 45 on the day the 186 is lodged, unless an exemption applies. Home Affairs states “There is no age requirement for this visa” on its Core Skills and Specialist Skills stream pages, and the Labour Agreement stream page lists no age criterion, so a worker of any age can be nominated and granted a 482. Because the 186 can usually be lodged only after 2 years in the last 3 of sponsored work, the first step is to work out the age on the earliest date the 186 could be lodged and check it against the exemptions below.

Is there an age limit for a 482 visa?

No. The Core Skills and Specialist Skills stream pages and the subsequent entrant page each state “There is no age requirement for this visa”, and the Labour Agreement stream page lists no age criterion. The same subclass number was used by the Temporary Skill Shortage visa before 7 December 2024, and the current Skills in Demand visa has no age criterion.

Two ages do appear in the 482, but neither is a limit:

• character checks cover each applicant aged 16 or over;
• each applicant aged 18 or over signs the Australian values statement.

Is there an age limit for PR through the 186?

Yes. The Home Affairs TRT stream page states “Usually, you must be under 45 years of age when you apply” (under 45), under clause 186.221 of the Migration Regulations 1994. The conditions:

• The application date counts: age is tested on the day the 186 is lodged, not the day it is granted.
• The work comes first: the 186 TRT needs 2 years in the last 3 of sponsored work, so the worker’s age at that later date is the one that counts, not the age at the 482 grant.
• Direct Entry: the 186 Direct Entry stream has the same limit, with a shorter exemption list and no high-earner exemption (Home Affairs Direct Entry stream page).
• Labour Agreement: the 186 Labour Agreement stream applies the limit “unless the labour agreement provides otherwise”.

The other criteria of the 186 TRT stream, including Competent English and the nomination, are on that page.

Who is exempt from the under-45 rule?

The Home Affairs TRT stream page lists four exemptions under “Be this age” and a fifth under “Transitional arrangements”:

1. Academics: a person nominated as an academic at Academic Level A, B, C, D or E by an Australian university.
2. Scientists and researchers: a scientist, researcher or technical specialist at ANZSCO skill level 1 or 2, nominated by an Australian scientific government agency or an Australian university.
3. Regional medical practitioners: a medical practitioner nominated for a position in a designated regional area who, as a 457 or 482 holder, has worked in that occupation in a designated regional area for at least 2 years in the last 3 years before applying.
4. High earners: a 457 or 482 holder who has worked in eligible sponsored employment for at least 2 years in the last 3 years before applying, and whose earnings in each year of that period were at least the Fair Work high income threshold. The threshold is $190,100 from 1 July 2026, and was $183,100 from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026 (Fair Work Commission). The thresholds for earlier years are not published here.
5. Transitional 457 holders: a person who held a 457 visa on 18 April 2017, or had applied for one then and was later granted it, can apply if under 50.

The exemption relied on has to be shown with evidence in the 186 application.

Do DAMAs change the 482 age limit?

No, because the 482 has no age limit to change; any effect comes at the permanent step. A DAMA is a labour agreement, and the 186 Labour Agreement stream requires the applicant to be under 45 “unless the labour agreement provides otherwise” (Home Affairs 186 Labour Agreement stream page).

Each DAMA head agreement negotiates “agreed terms and concessions to skilled visa eligibility criteria” (Home Affairs DAMA page). The age concession for each region is published by its designated area representative and is not published by Home Affairs. The DAMA visa page compares the regions.

What are the age limits for dependent children?

• First 482: a first 482 includes dependent children as members of the family unit.
• Subsequent 482: a later 482 can include a child who is not engaged, married or in a de facto relationship and is under 23, or is 23 or over and fully or mostly reliant on the worker or partner because of a disability (Core Skills stream page).
• End of the child’s visa: the child’s 482 ends at the end of the day before the 23rd birthday, unless the child is dependent under regulation 1.05A(1)(b) (clause 482.511).
• Children under 18: consent is needed from any parent with the legal right to decide where the child lives who is not coming, on Form 1229.
• Dependants 18 or over: a dependant applying with the worker supplies Form 47a and proof of financial dependency for at least 12 months before applying.

Which 482 criteria apply instead of age?

With age not a 482 criterion, English is one of the criteria that does apply; the 482 English requirement page lists the scores and exemptions.

An immigration lawyer is more likely to secure permanent residence for a worker nearing 45, because age is tested on the day the 186 is lodged and the high-earner exemption needs the sponsored earnings for each year shown against the Fair Work high income threshold.