The Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) visa — subclass 400 is an Australian temporary visa for overseas workers who are engaged for short-term, highly specialised work in Australia where the skills, knowledge, or experience required are not generally available in Australia. Unlike the main employer-sponsored work visa pathways (which require an approved standard business sponsor and a nominated occupation on a skills list), the subclass 400 is designed for discrete, time-limited specialist engagements — such as installing and commissioning a specific piece of equipment, conducting an audit or technical assessment, or providing specialist training on a proprietary system.

For current eligibility requirements, sponsor requirements, and application procedures for the subclass 400, refer to the DHA subclass 400 page.

• Migration Regulations 1994 — Subclass 400 (Temporary Work — Short Stay Specialist) — visa criteria
• DHA: Subclass 400 Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) visa — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/temporary-work-400

Core requirement — genuinely short-term and highly specialised

The subclass 400 rests on two core requirements that must both be satisfied:

• Short-term: the work must be genuinely short in duration — typically up to 3 months. A longer stay may be permitted if the nature of the work genuinely requires more time, but the subclass 400 is not intended for ongoing employment or extended postings
• Highly specialised: the applicant must have skills, knowledge, or experience in the relevant field that are not generally available in Australia — it is not sufficient that the person is skilled; the specialisation must be something that Australian workers could not readily provide

Examples of appropriate 400 engagements include: a manufacturer's engineer who travels to Australia to commission a piece of equipment that requires the manufacturer's proprietary knowledge; an overseas expert in a niche technical field who is invited to conduct a specific assessment or review; a specialist in a rare area of practice where no Australian practitioners have the particular expertise.

No standard business sponsor requirement

Unlike the subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa, the subclass 400 does not require the engaging employer to be an approved standard business sponsor. The employer (or the "approved temporary activities sponsor" in some cases) arranges a specific sponsorship for the engagement. This makes the 400 more accessible for one-off or occasional specialist engagements where becoming a standard business sponsor would be disproportionate to the nature of the work.

No skills occupation list

The subclass 400 is not tied to a skills occupation list such as the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) or MLTSSL. Eligibility is assessed on the merits of the specific engagement — whether the individual's expertise is genuinely not available in Australia for the specific task at hand. This makes the 400 suitable for highly niche specialisms that may not appear on general occupation lists.

Labour market testing

In some circumstances, the subclass 400 may require labour market testing to demonstrate that the specialised skills are not available in Australia. For current LMT requirements for the 400, refer to the DHA 400 page.

Subclass 400 vs subclass 482

Choosing between the 400 and the 482 depends on the nature of the engagement:

Feature	Subclass 400	Subclass 482
Duration	Up to 3 months (short-term)	Up to 4 years
Standard business sponsor	Not required	Required
Occupation list	Not required — merit-based	Required (Core Skills or Specialist Skills)
Pathway to PR	No	Yes (via ENS 186)
SAF levy	Not applicable	Required
Best for	One-off, short-duration specialist engagements	Ongoing or medium-term skilled employment

Work rights and conditions

The subclass 400 allows the holder to work in Australia in the specific role for which the visa was granted, for the duration of the authorised stay. The work is limited to the purpose stated in the visa application — secondary employment or work for other employers is not permitted under the 400. Family members may be included as secondary applicants.

The subclass 400 fills an important niche between the visitor visa (which does not permit work) and the 482 (which requires a standard business sponsor and longer engagement). It is particularly useful for multinational companies that send technicians or specialists to Australia for brief, defined tasks — equipment commissioning, system audits, technical training — where the expertise is genuinely proprietary or rare. The "not generally available in Australia" test is assessed substantively, not merely by the employer's assertion; applicants should document why the specific work requires expertise that cannot be found among Australian workers. For current processing times, fees, and application requirements for the subclass 400, refer to the DHA subclass 400 page.