Employer Sponsored Visa
Employer-sponsored visas let Australian businesses fill genuine skill shortages and let skilled workers build a career - often with a pathway to permanent residence. This area changed significantly in December 2024 with the new Skills in Demand visa, and we keep you across it.
If an Australian employer wants to sponsor you, there are both temporary and permanent pathways. On 7 December 2024 the temporary subclass 482 visa became the Skills in Demand (SID) visa, with new streams and a new occupation list - the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL).
We work with both applicants and employers: helping businesses become approved sponsors and meet their obligations, and helping workers move toward permanent residence through the Employer Nomination Scheme.
Key facts
- Temporary visa
- Skills in Demand (subclass 482)
- SID streams
- Core Skills · Specialist Skills · Labour Agreement
- Permanent visa
- Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186)
- Regional
- Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (subclass 494)
- Occupation list
- Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL)
- Sponsor
- An approved Australian business
Which one is you?
Employer-sponsored visas involve two different people with two different questions. Tell us which one is you.
I'm an employer
You want to sponsor a skilled worker, or you're not yet sure if your business qualifies.
- Becoming an approved sponsor
- Whether your position and salary meet the requirements
- Labour market testing and genuine position rules
- The Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy
- Your ongoing sponsorship obligations
I'm a skilled worker
You have - or want - an employer willing to sponsor you.
- Whether your occupation is on the relevant list
- Skills assessments and English requirements
- How dependent you are on one employer, and what changing employers involves
- The pathway from a temporary visa (482) to permanent residence (186)
- Regional options via the subclass 494
Your visa options
There is usually more than one way forward. Here are the main pathways within employer sponsored visa.
Is this pathway right for you?
This may suit you if:
- You have skills an Australian employer needs, and a business willing to sponsor you
- Your occupation is on the relevant list (such as the Core Skills Occupation List)
- You have the required skills, qualifications and work experience
- You meet English, health and character requirements
- You're an Australian employer wanting to sponsor a skilled worker
- You want a pathway from temporary work to permanent residence
Why it's worth it
Work for an Australian employer
Take up a skilled role with a business that has nominated you for a genuine position.
Pathway to permanent residence
The Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) is permanent, and time on a sponsored visa can count toward it.
Bring your family
Your partner and dependent children can usually be included in your application.
Regional options
The subclass 494 supports regional employers and offers a regional pathway to permanent residence.
Support for employers
We guide Australian businesses through becoming a sponsor and meeting their obligations.
Toward citizenship
Once you're a permanent resident and meet the requirements, citizenship can follow.
This may not be the right fit if…
- You don't yet have a genuine offer from an approved (or approvable) Australian sponsor
- Your occupation isn't on the relevant occupation list for the nominated stream
- The offered salary doesn't meet the required threshold or market rate
These are general pointers, not a determination about your case - book a consultation for advice specific to your situation.
General requirements
Every case is different, but you'll generally need to:
- Have an approved Australian business willing to nominate and sponsor you
- Nominate an occupation on the relevant list, such as the Core Skills Occupation List
- Have the skills, qualifications and (usually) work experience the role requires, with a skills assessment where needed
- Be paid at least the required salary and the market rate for the role
- Meet the English language requirements
- Meet health and character requirements
Our step-by-step process
We keep things clear and calm, so you always know what's happening and what comes next.
Confirm the right pathway
We work out whether the Skills in Demand (482), Employer Nomination Scheme (186) or Regional (494) visa best fits you and the employer.
Employer becomes a sponsor
We help the business apply to become an approved sponsor, if it isn't already.
Nominate the position
The employer nominates the genuine position and role, meeting salary and market-rate requirements.
Skills assessment & evidence
Where required, we guide you through a skills assessment and gathering strong evidence.
Lodge the visa application
We prepare and lodge a complete visa application aligned with the nomination.
Plan for permanent residence
We map out how your temporary visa can lead to the permanent Employer Nomination Scheme.
Documents you'll typically need
A general guide - we'll give you a tailored checklist for your situation.
- Passport and identity documents
- Skills assessment for your occupation, where required
- Qualifications and detailed employment references
- English test results
- Employer sponsorship and nomination documents
- Evidence of salary and the market salary rate
- Health examinations and police clearances
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers to what people ask us most.
What happened to the 482 / TSS visa?
Do I need an employer to sponsor me?
Can an employer-sponsored visa lead to permanent residency?
What is the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL)?
I'm an employer - can you help us sponsor someone?
What about regional areas?
This page is general information only, not migration or legal advice. Employer-sponsored visa rules changed substantially in December 2024 and continue to evolve; occupation lists, salary thresholds and processing times change regularly. Book a consultation for advice specific to your situation; we never guarantee a visa outcome.
Not sure which visa is right for you?
Answer a few plain-English questions and get a friendly, no-obligation summary of the pathways that may suit you. It only takes about two minutes.