Head to head · Checked 30 October 2026
Second regional 485 vs 482 Skills in Demand
A regional graduate on a first 485 who can get a second one buys one or two more years of unrestricted work at a low charge and keeps the freedom to change jobs, at the price of staying regional and of a visa that leads nowhere on its own; a graduate with an employer willing to sponsor moves to the 482, which costs more, ties them to the sponsor and the occupation, but runs up to four years anywhere and leads to the 186 after two. Take the second 485 if the employer is not ready and the regional years also serve a 491; take the 482 if the employer is ready and the occupation is on the list.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed 30 October 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Needs
- A regional campus degree, 2 regional years on the first 485, lodged before it ends · An approved sponsor, a nomination, an occupation on the list, the threshold salary
- Length
- 1 year (category 2 region) or 2 years (category 3) · Up to 4 years
- Where
- Designated regional areas only · Anywhere
- Work
- Any employer, any job · The nominated occupation for the sponsor only
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About the CPD →Side by side
| Second regional 485 | 482 Skills in Demand | |
|---|---|---|
| Needs | A regional campus degree, 2 regional years on the first 485, lodged before it ends | An approved sponsor, a nomination, an occupation on the list, the threshold salary |
| Length | 1 year (category 2 region) or 2 years (category 3) | Up to 4 years |
| Where | Designated regional areas only | Anywhere |
| Work | Any employer, any job | The nominated occupation for the sponsor only |
| Charge | $2,265 primary applicant | $4,015 primary applicant; the employer pays the nomination and the levy |
| Path to PR | None directly; the regional years help a 491 nomination | 186 after 2 years with the sponsor |
| Watch out | No third 485; vocational graduates are not eligible | Losing the job starts the 180 days |
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 regional graduate on a first 485 who can get a second one buys one or two more years of unrestricted work at a low charge and keeps the freedom to change jobs, at the price of staying regional and of a visa that leads nowhere on its own; a graduate with an employer willing to sponsor moves to the 482, which costs more, ties them to the sponsor and the occupation, but runs up to four years anywhere and leads to the 186 after two. Take the second 485 if the employer is not ready and the regional years also serve a 491; take the 482 if the employer is ready and the occupation is on the list.
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
Second regional 485 or 482 Skills in Demand — which is better?
A regional graduate on a first 485 who can get a second one buys one or two more years of unrestricted work at a low charge and keeps the freedom to change jobs, at the price of staying regional and of a visa that leads nowhere on its own; a graduate with an employer willing to sponsor moves to the 482, which costs more, ties them to the sponsor and the occupation, but runs up to four years anywhere and leads to the 186 after two. Take the second 485 if the employer is not ready and the regional years also serve a 491; take the 482 if the employer is ready and the occupation is on the list.
What is the main difference between the Second regional 485 and the 482 Skills in Demand?
Needs: Second regional 485 — A regional campus degree, 2 regional years on the first 485, lodged before it ends; 482 Skills in Demand — An approved sponsor, a nomination, an occupation on the list, the threshold salary. Length: Second regional 485 — 1 year (category 2 region) or 2 years (category 3); 482 Skills in Demand — Up to 4 years. Where: Second regional 485 — Designated regional areas only; 482 Skills in Demand — Anywhere.
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