Head to head · Checked 30 October 2026
Included on a 482 as a dependant vs Your own visa
A partner included on a 482 holds the same visa as a secondary applicant with full work rights for any employer, study without limit, and a stay that ends with the primary holder’s, and can be added after the grant as a subsequent entrant. A partner with a route of their own, a 482 from their own employer, a skilled visa, a student visa, holds a visa that does not depend on the relationship or the primary holder’s job, and that counts for their own permanent application. For most couples the dependant route is the cheaper and simpler one; the own visa matters where the relationship is uncertain, where the partner wants their own 186 or 189, or where the primary holder’s job is at risk.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed 30 October 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Status
- Secondary applicant on the 482; ends with it · An independent visa on its own terms
- Work
- Full, for any employer · As the visa provides
- Study
- Unrestricted · As the visa provides
- When to include
- At the primary application or later as a subsequent entrant · Any time the person qualifies
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About the CPD →Side by side
| Included on a 482 as a dependant | Your own visa | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Secondary applicant on the 482; ends with it | An independent visa on its own terms |
| Work | Full, for any employer | As the visa provides |
| Study | Unrestricted | As the visa provides |
| When to include | At the primary application or later as a subsequent entrant | Any time the person qualifies |
| Charge | The dependant charge on the 482 | The visa’s own charge |
| If the relationship or the job ends | The dependant’s visa is liable to cancellation with the primary holder’s | Unaffected |
| Path to PR | Included on the primary holder’s 186 | Their own, on their own merits |
Charges are the current government application charges (from 1 July 2026, main applicant) — see the fee calculator for your family's total. Checked 30 October 2026.
The honest verdict
A partner included on a 482 holds the same visa as a secondary applicant with full work rights for any employer, study without limit, and a stay that ends with the primary holder’s, and can be added after the grant as a subsequent entrant. A partner with a route of their own, a 482 from their own employer, a skilled visa, a student visa, holds a visa that does not depend on the relationship or the primary holder’s job, and that counts for their own permanent application. For most couples the dependant route is the cheaper and simpler one; the own visa matters where the relationship is uncertain, where the partner wants their own 186 or 189, or where the primary holder’s job is at risk.
Which side of that line you fall on depends on facts a table cannot hold — your age, score, occupation's lists, and what evidence you can actually assemble. That is consultation territory, not guesswork territory.
More head-to-heads: 482 vs 494 · 190 vs 491 · 189 vs 190 · 482 vs 186
General information only, not migration advice. Settings shown are the general rules; exemptions and stream variations exist. Migration advice is provided by Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536) after a paid consultation under the Migration Agents Code of Conduct.
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Questions we get asked first
Included on a 482 as a dependant or Your own visa — which is better?
A partner included on a 482 holds the same visa as a secondary applicant with full work rights for any employer, study without limit, and a stay that ends with the primary holder’s, and can be added after the grant as a subsequent entrant. A partner with a route of their own, a 482 from their own employer, a skilled visa, a student visa, holds a visa that does not depend on the relationship or the primary holder’s job, and that counts for their own permanent application. For most couples the dependant route is the cheaper and simpler one; the own visa matters where the relationship is uncertain, where the partner wants their own 186 or 189, or where the primary holder’s job is at risk.
What is the main difference between the Included on a 482 as a dependant and the Your own visa?
Status: Included on a 482 as a dependant — Secondary applicant on the 482; ends with it; Your own visa — An independent visa on its own terms. Work: Included on a 482 as a dependant — Full, for any employer; Your own visa — As the visa provides. Study: Included on a 482 as a dependant — Unrestricted; Your own visa — As the visa provides.
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