Written by Immigrad · Registered Migration Agent · MARN 1805710 · Last updated September 2026
A labour market testing advertisement for a Skills in Demand (subclass 482) or subclass 494 Employer Sponsored stream nomination must be in English, placed in Australia, and state the position title or a description of it, the skills or experience required, the name of the sponsor or its recruitment agency, and the salary if annual earnings are below AUD96,400.
What the Department checks in each advertisement
The Department of Home Affairs sets these content requirements on its labour market testing page, which was last updated on 21 September 2026. Every advertisement relied on must include:
- the title of the position, or a description of it (several positions in one advertisement is acceptable);
- the skills or experience required;
- the name of the approved sponsor, or of the recruitment agency the sponsor is using;
- the salary, if annual earnings for the position are below AUD96,400.
The advertisement must also be published in Australia and in English.
How many advertisements, where, and for how long
Since 11 December 2023 employers no longer need to advertise on Workforce Australia, so two valid advertisements are required rather than three. Acceptable places are a prominent or professional recruitment website with national reach, an industry-specific recruitment website in significant use by that industry, national print media, national radio, or the business’s own website if it is an accredited sponsor. Advertisements are expected to run, and to accept applications, for at least four weeks. They can run at the same time in two different media, or on two separate occasions, and a recruitment agency or associated entity can place them if the sponsor authorises it. Copies of every advertisement must be provided when the nomination is lodged.
Does the salary have to appear in a labour market testing advertisement?
Only if the annual earnings for the position are below AUD96,400. In that case the salary must be stated in the advertisement, and a range such as AUD80,000 to AUD90,000 is acceptable. Where earnings are AUD96,400 or more, the Department of Home Affairs does not require the salary to be published, although the other content requirements still apply to every advertisement.
Can an employer use Facebook or Instagram for labour market testing?
Not on its own. The Department of Home Affairs states that general classifieds websites and advertisements placed solely through social media are not acceptable methods. LinkedIn’s online recruitment platform is acceptable, but a vacancy restricted to LinkedIn members only is not. Most employers use a national recruitment website plus a second acceptable medium such as an industry-specific job board.
How recent must the advertising be when the nomination is lodged?
For most nominations the position must have been advertised for at least four weeks within the four months immediately before the nomination is lodged. If an Australian citizen or permanent resident was made redundant or retrenched from the nominated occupation in that four-month window, the advertising must have taken place after the redundancy, and details of the redundancy must be given with the nomination.
Is labour market testing always required for a 482 nomination?
No. Some nominations are exempt, for example under certain international trade obligations, and some labour agreements set their own requirements. Whether an exemption applies depends on the nominee, the occupation and the stream, so it should be checked before advertising is skipped. The Department publishes the exemptions and the governing legislative instrument, LIN 18/036, on its labour market testing page.
Related guides
For the full set of rules, see labour market testing in Australia: the exact rules. To check whether you can skip advertising, read when labour market testing is not required and labour market testing in the Specialist Skills stream. For salary floors, see the minimum salary to sponsor a 482 worker, and for the sponsorship step itself, standard business sponsorship step by step.
This page is general information only, verified against the Department of Home Affairs labour market testing page on 29 September 2026. It is not legal advice. Requirements can change, and complex cases need personal advice from a registered migration agent.
If you are about to advertise a role you plan to sponsor, book a consultation with Immigrad to check the advertising before the nomination is lodged.