Employer sponsorship opens doors that the points system may not. Here's a practical guide to finding Australian employers who sponsor visas — and how to approach them.
How to Find an Australian Employer Who Will Sponsor Your Visa
For many skilled professionals, the employer-sponsored route is more accessible than the points-based system — particularly if your points score is below the competitive threshold or your occupation is on the Short-term list only. But finding an employer willing to sponsor is not straightforward, and understanding the landscape helps you target your search effectively.
What Employers Actually Have to Do
Before approaching employers, understand what they are committing to. Sponsoring a worker on a 482 visa requires the employer to:
Apply for and obtain Standard Business Sponsor (SBS) approval from the Department of Home Affairs
Submit a nomination application for the specific role
Pay the Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy — typically AUD $1,200–$1,800 per year depending on business size
Pay you at least the market salary rate (minimum AUD $73,150 per year)
Accept ongoing compliance obligations (record-keeping, notifying changes)
Sponsorship costs employers between AUD $5,000 and $10,000 in government fees and administrative work. This is a real investment — small businesses in particular may be reluctant unless they genuinely cannot find local candidates.
Industries That Actively Sponsor
Certain industries have chronic skill shortages and sponsor more regularly than others:
Healthcare: Hospitals, aged care providers, and clinics regularly sponsor registered nurses, doctors, allied health professionals
IT and technology: Software engineers, cybersecurity professionals, data engineers
Construction and engineering: Civil, structural, and mechanical engineers; quantity surveyors; project managers
Trades: Electricians, plumbers, and welders are sponsored in WA, QLD, and NSW
Education: Some private schools and universities sponsor experienced teachers
Mining: Engineering and specialist technical roles
Job Search Strategies That Work
Target known sponsors: Recruitment agencies that specialise in international placements maintain databases of employers already approved as sponsors or willing to sponsor. Ask agencies explicitly whether they work with sponsors.
LinkedIn is your primary tool: Set your location preferences to Australia and explicitly indicate in your profile that you require visa sponsorship. Many recruiters search for international candidates specifically when they cannot find local talent.
Apply to large companies first: Multinationals and large Australian companies (Telstra, ANZ, Rio Tinto, BHP, major hospital groups) have HR infrastructure to manage sponsorships and are more likely to have done it before.
Focus on occupations in shortage: Research the current state of your occupation in the Australian labour market. If unemployment in your field is near zero and advertised roles are going unfilled, employers are more motivated to sponsor.
Be transparent from the start: Do not hide the fact that you need sponsorship. Raise it in your cover letter or early in the interview process. Employers who are willing to sponsor prefer to know this upfront; those who will not are not worth pursuing.
Working with NWI
New World Immigration works with employers as well as candidates. If you have a job offer in principle from an employer who has not sponsored before, we can guide both you and the employer through the sponsorship process — making it as simple as possible for them to say yes.