Hugh KinninsAustralia continues to rely on migrant workers to fill gaps in its labour market. From registered nurses and software engineers to fruit pickers and meat workers, employers in many sectors cannot find enough local staff. The Australian Government has responded with a mix of skilled migration visas and structured labour mobility schemes that allow employers to sponsor foreign workers when positions cannot be filled locally.
For anyone outside Australia, “visa sponsorship” is the key phrase. It usually means that an Australian business is willing to nominate you for a role, support your visa application and employ you on arrival. In 2025, this remains one of the most realistic pathways to live and work in Australia, whether you are a highly skilled professional or an applicant with experience in lower skilled or seasonal work.
This guide explains the main sponsored visa options, how skilled and unskilled pathways work, which jobs are in demand, and how to protect yourself from scams.
What “Visa Sponsorship” Really Means In Australia
In Australia, employer sponsorship is a formal legal arrangement. An approved business can nominate an overseas worker for a specific role, then support a visa application for that worker. The worker is usually tied to that employer for the life of the visa, subject to certain rights and conditions.
To sponsor a worker, an employer normally must:
- Become an approved sponsor or sign an approved labour agreement
- Prove that the job is genuine and on an eligible occupation list
- Show that they cannot find a suitable local worker
- Pay at or above the required salary thresholds and meet workplace laws
The worker then applies for the relevant visa and must meet age, skills, English language, health and character requirements, which vary by visa type.
Overview Of The Main Employer Sponsored Skilled Visas
Australia uses several visa subclasses for employer sponsored skilled workers. In 2025, three are central to most sponsorship stories.
1. Skills in Demand visa (Subclass 482)
Historically called the Temporary Skill Shortage visa, this pathway has been reshaped into the Skills in Demand (SID) visa, subclass 482. It is a temporary visa that lets an Australian employer sponsor a suitably skilled worker when they cannot find a local candidate.
Key points:
- It is employer sponsored
- The job must be on an approved occupation list
- You must have the skills, qualifications and experience for that role
- The salary must meet or exceed the required minimum levels
This visa is often used for engineers, IT professionals, health workers, trades workers and other occupations where there is a documented shortage.
2. Employer Nomination Scheme visa (Subclass 186)
The Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) visa, subclass 186, is a permanent visa for skilled workers who are nominated by an Australian employer. It can be used for workers already in Australia on a 482 visa or, in some streams, for applicants outside Australia.
Key features:
- Permanent residence pathway
- The employer must nominate you for a full time position
- The role must be on an eligible occupation list
- Skills, English, and age requirements apply, with some exemptions
For many people, the combination of a 482 visa followed by a transition to 186 after a period of work is a common sponsorship pathway to permanent residence.
3. Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa (Subclass 494)
The Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa, subclass 494, allows regional employers to sponsor skilled migrants for a full time vacancy in a designated regional area where they cannot source an appropriately skilled Australian worker.
Key features:
- You must live, work and study in a regional area
- The visa is provisional, generally up to 5 years
- It can offer a pathway to permanent residence after meeting residence and work requirements
- Occupation, skills, English and salary requirements apply
This visa is particularly important for applicants who are ready to work outside the major capital cities and are open to regional lifestyles.
Skilled Pathways: Who Qualifies And In What Occupations
Skilled sponsorship in Australia focuses on occupations where formal training, experience and professional registration are required. Typical high demand areas include:
- Health care and nursing
- Aged care and disability support (where roles are structured at skilled levels)
- Engineering and construction professionals
- Information technology and cyber security
- Trades such as electricians, carpenters, plumbers, metal fabricators and automotive technicians
- Teachers and early childhood educators in some regions
Each sponsored skilled role must align with a recognised occupation and usually requires:
Relevant qualifications and experience
For example, a degree in nursing and registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) for registered nurses.
English language ability
Measured through tests such as IELTS, PTE or similar, at scores set by the Department of Home Affairs for the relevant visa.
Market salary and TSMIT rules
The salary you are offered must meet both the market rate for your occupation and at least the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT). The TSMIT is indexed and was increased again for 2025 to ensure sponsored workers are paid fairly and not undercut local workers.
Occupation list eligibility
Your job title and duties must match an occupation on the relevant skilled list for the visa being used.
If you are a skilled professional, your first step is to check whether your occupation appears on current skilled lists and whether you meet the qualification and experience standards normally required.
Unskilled And Low Skilled Pathways: PALM And Seasonal Work
Australia does not offer a general permanent migration visa for unskilled workers. However, there are structured programs and visa streams that allow workers without high level qualifications to take part in sponsored or organised employment.
The Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme
The Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme allows eligible Australian employers to hire workers from nine Pacific island countries and Timor-Leste. The roles are in unskilled, low skilled and semi skilled positions, mainly in agriculture, meat processing, tourism, hospitality and some regional industries.
Key features:
- Jobs can be short term, up to 9 months, or long term, between 1 and 4 years
- Roles are often fruit picking, farm work, meat processing, hospitality and similar
- The scheme is designed to fill labour gaps while building skills and income for participating workers
- Recruitment usually occurs through the worker’s government labour sending units, not through private agents charging large fees
- PALM is one of the clearest paths for genuine unskilled or low skilled employment. However, it is limited to citizens of participating countries and is not a general route for all nationalities.
Seasonal and regional work linked to other visas
Some temporary visas, such as the Working Holiday visa subclasses 417 and 462, allow eligible young people from certain countries to work in Australia. Completing specified work in rural or regional areas, often in agriculture, may allow an extension of stay for a second or third year.
This work is not always employer sponsored in the formal legal sense, but many workers use it as a stepping stone to future opportunities. In some cases, a worker who proves themselves to an employer may later be nominated for a sponsored skilled visa if they meet the occupation and salary criteria.
Skilled Versus Unskilled Sponsorship: The Key Differences
When comparing skilled and unskilled pathways, several differences are important:
Visa type and duration
- Skilled sponsorship usually uses visas such as 482, 186 and 494 and may lead to permanent residence. Immigration and citizenship
- Unskilled or low skilled work is often through PALM or seasonal work visas that are temporary and focused on short term labour needs.
Eligibility criteria
- Skilled visas require formal qualifications, skills assessments in many cases, and set English language standards.
- PALM and seasonal schemes focus more on fitness for the work, basic English where needed and meeting scheme rules.
Salary thresholds
- Skilled workers must be paid at or above TSMIT and the market rate. Immigration and citizenship Website+1
- Unskilled workers are still protected by minimum wage laws and award conditions, but they are not subject to the same skilled income thresholds.
Permanent residence prospects
- Skilled sponsorship is often designed with permanent residence in mind, either directly or through transition.
- Unskilled pathways rarely lead straight to permanent residence and are usually time limited.
- Understanding these differences will help you choose a realistic path and avoid agents or advertisements that promise guaranteed permanent residence for unskilled roles, which is often misleading.
How Employer Sponsorship Works In Practice
From the employer side, sponsorship involves three main steps, particularly for visas like 482 and 186. Immigration and citizenship
Becoming an approved sponsor
The employer applies to the Department of Home Affairs to become an approved sponsor. They must show that they are a lawful, actively operating business and that they comply with workplace and immigration laws.
Nominating a position
The sponsor nominates a job. They need to show that the occupation is on an eligible list, that they have tested the local labour market where required and that the salary meets the required threshold. The “nominating a position” rules include detailed salary and working condition standards to protect workers.
Visa application by the worker
Once the nomination is approved, the worker applies for the visa. They must provide documents that prove their skills, qualifications, work history, English level and health and character.
Throughout this process, both employer and worker must follow strict rules. Sponsors have ongoing obligations, including paying the promised salary, keeping records and telling the Department about certain changes.
Salary, TSMIT And Income Thresholds In 2025
The Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) is the minimum yearly salary that must be offered to skilled workers from overseas if they are being sponsored for a job. It is used to ensure that:
- Sponsored workers are paid fairly
- Employers do not use visa sponsorship to undercut Australian workers
In 2025, TSMIT and other skilled visa income thresholds have been increased again in line with average earnings. Different sources note that the thresholds for employer sponsored visas, including subclass 482, 494 and related visas, have risen by about 4 to 5 percent from 1 July 2025.
Separate, but related, salary rules apply when an employer nominates a position. The Department of Home Affairs sets out how to compare the proposed salary with the market rate for similar roles. Sponsors must also pay superannuation and meet all relevant industrial awards and agreements.
For you as a worker, this means that genuine sponsored jobs should advertise salaries that reflect skilled work, not very low pay. If you are promised sponsorship for a salary that sits far below typical wages for that occupation, it is a red flag.
High Demand Sectors Where Sponsorship Is Common
Health and aged care
Australia faces ongoing shortages in health and aged care. Hospitals, clinics and aged care providers regularly sponsor:
- Registered nurses
- Nurse unit managers and clinical nurses
- Some allied health professionals
Ageing population trends and workforce shortages drive demand. Many positions are in regional areas and may use the 482 or 494 visas, often followed by permanent residence options where criteria are met.
Construction, engineering and infrastructure
Large public infrastructure projects and housing needs mean that:
- Civil engineers
- Structural engineers
- Construction project managers
- Electricians, plumbers and other licensed trades
- all remain attractive for sponsorship, especially where employers are willing to operate in regional locations and on long term projects.
- Information technology and digital roles
- Australian employers continue to look overseas for:
- Software engineers
- Cyber security specialists
- Data analysts and cloud engineers
Employers in these sectors often prefer the 482 visa for flexibility but may nominate high performing staff for 186 permanent visas later. Sponsorship can be competitive, and many roles require experience with specific technology stacks.
- Agriculture, meat and regional labour
In lower skilled segments, unskilled and semi skilled labour shortages are common in:
- Fruit and vegetable farms
- Meat processing plants
- Regional hospitality and tourism
Employers in these sectors may use the PALM scheme, labour agreements or seasonal visa programs. These roles are physically demanding and usually in rural areas.
How To Find Genuine Visa Sponsorship Jobs
Finding genuine sponsorship roles requires careful research and a cautious approach. Here are practical steps:
- Use official and reputable job boards
Look for roles advertised on:
- Major Australian job portals
- State government migration sites that list employer sponsored opportunities
- Direct company career pages
Many state migration websites, such as those for Victoria, Queensland or Western Australia, provide guidance on skilled visas and sometimes links to regional employment programs.
Read the job description carefully
Genuine sponsorship ads usually mention:
- The specific visa subclass they are prepared to sponsor
- That they are an approved sponsor or willing to become one
- Skill and experience requirements that match official occupation descriptions
Never pay for sponsorship
It is against Australian law for a sponsor, or any other person, to ask for or receive a benefit in exchange for visa sponsorship. It is also illegal for you to offer or provide such a benefit. Sponsors or visa holders can face civil and criminal penalties.
- If anyone asks you to pay for a nomination, you should walk away and, if possible, report the behaviour.
- Check the employer and agent
- Research the business online
- Verify registration details
- If you use a migration agent, make sure they are registered with the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA)
Match your skills honestly
If your background is not aligned with the occupation being offered, forcing a match through false documents or exaggerated claims can lead to visa refusal and serious penalties.
Step By Step: Building A Sponsorship Strategy
If your goal is to secure an employer sponsored visa for Australia, you can follow a structured plan.
Step 1: Clarify your level
Ask yourself:
- Am I a skilled worker with recognised qualifications and experience?
- Or am I better suited to low skilled or seasonal work for now?
- Your answer will affect whether you focus on skilled visas or PALM style schemes.
Step 2: Check occupation lists and eligibility
For skilled workers:
- Identify your closest occupation on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO)
- Check whether that occupation appears on skilled lists used for 482, 186, 494, 189, 190 or 491 visas Immigration and citizenship
- Review qualification and experience expectations in your field
For unskilled workers:
- Check whether your country participates in the PALM scheme
- Review the work types and conditions available under that scheme
Step 3: Get your documents in order
Typical documents include:
- Degree or vocational certificates
- Professional licences and registrations
- Reference letters from employers
- English test results
- Passport and civil documents
For many skilled visas, a formal skills assessment is required through a prescribed assessing authority.
Step 4: Target appropriate employers
Focus on employers that:
- Operate in sectors with known shortages
- Have sponsored workers in the past (you can often find this in their job ads or company profiles)
- Are located in regional areas if you are open to 494 or regional 491 linked pathways
Step 5: Prepare a resume that fits Australian standards
Your resume should:
- Be clear, factual and free from exaggeration
- List roles in reverse chronological order
- Highlight responsibilities and achievements that match the ANZSCO description of your target occupation
Step 6: Apply, track and review
- Keep a record of applications and responses
- Be prepared for online interviews
- If you receive a job offer with potential sponsorship, consider requesting written confirmation that the employer is prepared to nominate you for the relevant visa
Avoiding Scams And Protecting Yourself
Sponsorship is a strong selling point. Unfortunately, it is also used by unscrupulous actors. Recent investigations by Australian authorities have uncovered businesses and intermediaries involved in fraudulent nominations and “phantom” workers under employer sponsored schemes.
To protect yourself:
- Be wary of any promise of “guaranteed visa” or “100 percent PR”
- Avoid anyone who pressures you to sign documents you do not understand
- Never agree to pay back your salary to the employer in cash
- Only use migration agents or lawyers who are properly registered
- If you suspect fraud, consult a trusted professional or consider reporting the matter through official channels
- Remember that, under Australian law, your rights as a worker apply regardless of your migration status. There are avenues for help if you feel exploited.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can unskilled workers get permanent residence through sponsorship?
In most cases, unskilled or low skilled roles are offered on temporary or seasonal visas, such as PALM or working holiday based work. These visas are not designed as direct permanent residence pathways. For permanent residence, Australia focuses mainly on skilled workers who meet qualification and salary thresholds.
Do all sponsored workers need to be paid above TSMIT?
For employer sponsored skilled visas, the offered salary must usually meet TSMIT and represent the local market rate. Some schemes and visas have their own wage rules, but underpayment is a serious compliance issue for sponsors.
Can I switch employers on a sponsored visa?
In many cases, yes, but you must follow formal processes. The new employer normally needs to become an approved sponsor and nominate you for a new role. You cannot simply move to another job without the required approvals.
How long does sponsorship take?
Processing times vary by visa subclass, your location, the completeness of your application and the workload of the Department. Some visas can be processed within a few months, while others take longer. Always refer to the latest processing time estimates on the Department of Home Affairs website.
Take home: In 2025, Australia offers clear, structured paths for both skilled and some categories of low skilled workers through employer sponsorship and labour mobility schemes.
The main routes are:
- Skilled sponsorship through visas such as 482, 186 and 494 for applicants with recognised qualifications and experience
- Organised unskilled and semi skilled work through the PALM scheme and certain seasonal programs for citizens of partner countries
- If you want to maximise your chances of success, start by understanding which of these categories you belong to, then build a plan around real occupations, real employers and real salary standards. Avoid shortcuts, avoid anyone who asks you to pay for sponsorship, and rely on official information and qualified advice.
- With the right preparation, visa sponsorship can be an honest and sustainable path to work and build a future in Australia.
Note that this information is not a substitute for advice from a registered migration agent or the Department of Home Affairs.
Hugh Kinnins
