Subclass 400 vs 482 vs 408 in 2026: Which Short-Term Work Visa Do You Need?

Plain-language guide · general information, not immigration advice

If the work is genuinely short — likely finished within six months, with no expectation that you stay on afterwards for that same work — the Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) visa (Subclass 400) is the category the Department of Home Affairs describes for it. Two tests can push you out of Subclass 400 before anything else matters: whether the job is ongoing, which points toward an employer-sponsored Subclass 482 pathway, and whether the work is entertainment performed or shown to an Australian audience, which the Department's official Subclass 400 page routes to the Temporary Activity visa (Subclass 408). The criteria below come from the Department of Home Affairs' official Subclass 400 visa page and Schedule 2 of the Migration Regulations 1994, as at the August 2026 official page.

Subclass 400 is the category whose published criteria are described in detail here, because it is the one that does the work of a short-term specialist visa. The other two enter the picture at specific boundary tests. The current eligibility rules for Subclass 482 and Subclass 408 sit on their own Department visa pages, and those are the reference point for anything beyond the boundary described here.

How do I choose between Subclass 400, 482 and 408?

Question about the job	What the published Subclass 400 criteria say	Where that points
Will the work likely be completed within 6 months or less, with no arrangement to stay on for that work?	Non-ongoing work is a core criterion (clause 400.222)	Subclass 400
Is it a standing role the business needs filled beyond a single project?	The visa program cannot be used to maintain ongoing residency, and the guidance steers ongoing and lower-skilled work to employer sponsorship or a labour agreement	Subclass 482 pathway
Is the work performing in, or producing something for, an Australian audience?	Performing, supporting entertainers, and productions shown or broadcast in Australia are excluded (clause 400.223)	Subclass 408 (Entertainment)

Read in order, those three questions settle most early decisions. Suppose an applicant is a commissioned service engineer sent by an overseas manufacturer to install and test one machine, with a contract that ends when the commissioning report is signed. That is a short, bounded engagement, and Subclass 400 is the category built for it. Change one fact — the same employer wants the person on site indefinitely to keep the line running — and the answer changes, because the work is no longer non-ongoing.

What does "non-ongoing" actually mean?

Non-ongoing means the work is likely to be completed within six months or less, and you do not expect or arrange to stay in Australia after that time for any reason related to that work. The Department repeats this in the regulations at clause 400.222, and it is the single most common reason an otherwise qualified applicant is in the wrong category.

The assessment is not limited to what the contract says. Decision makers look at whether repeated entries add up to continuous work: several short visits that total a long stretch on the ground can be treated as ongoing engagement even when each visit is brief, and intermittent work is judged on its own facts, including the nature of the work and the frequency of travel. Two practical consequences follow. Stays longer than three months generally require a strong business case to be submitted with the application, and a Subclass 400 visa cannot be extended once granted — staying longer means looking at a different visa entirely.

Is the job highly specialised, and can it be found in Australia?

Two separate ideas sit here. Clause 400.221 requires work that is highly specialised, while clause 400.211 requires that your personal attributes or employment background are relevant to, and consistent with, the work, and that there is a need for you to be in Australia to do it. The official page frames the same test in plainer terms: specialised skills, knowledge or experience that can assist Australian business and cannot reasonably be found in the Australian labour market.

The labour market part is where applications get tested. The Australian business or overseas employer may have to show they tried to find Australian workers first, because clause 400.224 means the visa cannot be granted if it would adversely affect employment or training opportunities, or employment conditions, for Australian citizens and permanent residents. The Department's guidance treats generic claims of a labour shortage as insufficient, and looks for evidence such as advertising, contact with unions or industry bodies, or a plan to train local workers.

Evidence suggested on the official page includes a copy of your resume, any licences or qualifications, and a letter from your overseas employer explaining your current position and duties. The employer must also provide a contract or letter of offer. Guidance on skill levels refers to roles generally corresponding to skill levels 1 to 3 in the Australian occupation classification, with proprietary skills assessed on the evidence of how unusual they actually are; pay and conditions are expected to match Australian standards, and the guidance refers to the skilled migration income threshold as the benchmark for those roles, citing AUD 73,150 a year — a figure that should be confirmed against current official publication.

Does the entertainment rule send me to Subclass 408?

Sometimes it does, and the line is drawn by what happens in Australia rather than by job title. Subclass 400 cannot be used to perform as an entertainer, to support an entertainer or group of entertainers performing in Australia, or to direct, produce or take any other part in a production that will be shown, broadcast or performed here — which the official page spells out as theatre, film, television, radio, concert or a recording.

Two activities stay inside Subclass 400. A production that will not be shown in Australia can be directed, produced or worked on under this visa, provided you supply a distribution contract or other supporting evidence. Promotional activity also fits: an actor visiting for a red carpet premiere, or a rock band in Australia for a promotional tour with no performances. Anything that involves actual performance, or content made for an Australian audience, is what the Department points to Subclass 408 (Entertainment) for.

If the role is ongoing, why is Subclass 400 the wrong instrument?

Because the category is built around a temporary, bounded purpose. The genuine temporary entrant requirement is explicit that the temporary visa program cannot be used to maintain ongoing residency in Australia, and decision makers weigh your situation, your immigration history, your previous compliance with visa conditions, and any other relevant matter. A Subclass 400 visa cannot be applied for from inside Australia, and it cannot be extended once granted.

Departmental guidance goes further on intent. It states that designing an application around Subclass 400 because sponsorship is costly or complex is not a supported use of the visa, and it directs decision makers to scrutinise large team applications, rotating workforces, and low-skilled work in sectors such as construction and meat processing, where the concern is that a temporary category is being used to supply cheap labour that should instead go through employer sponsorship or a labour agreement. Where an employer's real need is a continuing role, Subclass 482 is the pathway the guidance names. This is general reference information rather than advice on an individual case: the criteria are applied to the evidence in each application, and your own facts together with the current official criteria determine the outcome.

What if the work serves Australia's interest rather than a business?

Subclass 400 has a second stream alongside the highly specialised work stream. Under clause 400.241, a visa may be granted where there are compelling circumstances affecting Australia's interest that require you to come and stay, and you will take part in an event, activity or work directly connected with those circumstances. Guidance treats this as a narrow gateway decided at a senior level, with the written case needing to show why the situation is compelling and why it bears on Australia's interests, rather than merely convenient for one organisation.

What can you actually do once a Subclass 400 visa is granted?

The visa allows short-term work in a highly specialised job, and nothing beyond the work or activity it was granted for — the guidance refers to a work-limitation condition attached to the grant. The stay is up to six months depending on the circumstances, and you must arrive within six months of the grant date, or a shorter period if one is specified; your grant letter states the arrival deadline.

The stay period starts on your first arrival and does not restart each time you travel. A visa may be single entry or multiple entry, but re-entering on a multiple entry visa does not restart the period of stay, and time spent outside Australia does not extend it. The visa is digitally linked to your passport with no label, and details can be checked through the Department's visa entitlement verification system. Family members can be included in the application, but they are not permitted to work or study in Australia, the only exception being a language training program; they must also meet health and character requirements, and you must show adequate means to support everyone for the whole stay.

What does it cost, and what changed on 1 July 2026?

The official page does not state a fixed amount in its text; it directs applicants to the Visa Pricing Estimator, which also does not account for other costs. There is no application charge if you are coming as a representative of a foreign government or are listed in a legislative instrument, and your inviting organisation would tell you if that applies. Each family member who applies with you adds a charge, and you may also pay separately for health checks, police certificates and biometrics.

The dated change worth knowing in 2026 is this: from 1 July 2026, a lower visa application cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid application. Eligibility is recognised through the valid passport used in the application, and family members are covered on the basis of the primary applicant's passport. The listed countries are the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. For processing times, the Department publishes a guide tool covering recently decided applications; it is a guide only and not specific to any one application.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Subclass 400 for a role that will probably take nine months?

No. Non-ongoing work means work likely completed within six months or less, with no expectation or arrangement to stay on for that work. A nine-month engagement fails that test, and because Subclass 400 cannot be extended, a longer role needs a different category.

Can my partner or children work or study while I hold a Subclass 400 visa?

Family members can be included in the application, but they are not permitted to work or study in Australia, with the single exception of a language training program. They must meet health and character requirements, and you must show adequate means of support.

I am a musician doing paid concerts in Australia — Subclass 400 or 408?

Performing as an entertainer, and supporting entertainers, are excluded from Subclass 400 under clause 400.223, and the Department directs those activities to Subclass 408 (Entertainment). A promotional visit with no performances, such as interviews or a launch appearance, can still fit Subclass 400.

Do I have to be outside Australia when I apply?

Yes. You must be outside Australia both when you apply and when the decision is made. That is also why the visa cannot be used to extend a stay that has already begun.

Does an employer need to give me anything for the application?

Employers must provide a contract or letter of offer. On your side, the official page suggests a resume, any licences or qualifications, and a letter from your overseas employer explaining your current position and duties.

Does Subclass 400 lead to permanent residence?

Nothing in the Subclass 400 criteria describes it as a pathway to permanent residence. It is framed as a temporary, non-ongoing visa that cannot be extended and cannot be used to maintain ongoing residency; longer-term options are listed separately in the Department's visa finder.