Labour Market Testing 2026: 482 Visa Advertising Rules

What Is Labour Market Testing?

Labour Market Testing (LMT) is a requirement for most employer-sponsored visa nominations. It means the employer must advertise the position to Australian workers before nominating an overseas worker, to demonstrate that no suitable Australian is available for the role.

Advertising Requirements

The position must be advertised in at least 2 different methods, which can include:

• Online job boards (Seek, Indeed, LinkedIn, CareerOne)
• National or state newspapers
• Industry-specific publications or websites
• Social media advertising
• Recruitment agency listings

Minimum Requirements

• Ads must be in English
• Must specify the occupation, location, and salary range
• Must run for at least 4 weeks
• Must be published no more than 4 months before the nomination
• Must be accessible to the general Australian public

What You Need to Keep

Keep evidence of all advertising including screenshots, URLs, dates published, and any applications received from Australian workers with reasons why they were not suitable.

Common Mistakes

• Advertising for too short a period
• Using overly specific requirements that only the intended overseas worker could meet
• Not keeping proper records of Australian applicants
• Advertising only on the company website (this alone is not sufficient)

Need help with LMT compliance? Our migration agent can guide you through the entire process.