Employer Sponsorship Visas
Employer-sponsored skilled workers on site in Perth, Western Australia

Employer-Sponsored Visas

Employer-Sponsored Visa Perth, WA
Registered Migration Agent MARN 2418576

Which sponsorship pathway applies is decided by the role, not by preference

Employer sponsorship in Australia is not one visa but three separate pathways, and the one that fits your position is settled by the nature of the role. Each pathway carries its own criteria — the wrong pathway is not a paperwork problem you fix later, it is the wrong application from the outset.

MARN 2418576 · OMARA registered
Level 28, 140 St Georges Terrace, Perth WA

Which Employer-Sponsored Visa Is Right for You?

Send us your details and the visa you are considering. We will tell you where you stand — no obligation.

Your details are used only to respond to this enquiry. Immigration assistance is provided by a Registered Migration Agent (MARN 2418576).

Where Australian employers and global talent meet

The right role, sponsored the right way

Skilled workers are in real demand across Western Australia, and employer sponsorship is one of the clearest ways to get there. Each pathway carries its own occupation list and its own criteria — what matters is confirming your occupation and circumstances against the pathway that actually applies before anything is lodged.

We work with both employers and workers

Sponsorship connects a business and a skilled worker. We support each side of that relationship, and often both at once on the same case.

For employers

Sponsor the skilled workers your business needs

We guide your business through becoming an approved sponsor and lodging nominations, and help you understand the obligations that come with it.

  • Guidance on becoming an approved sponsor
  • Preparing and lodging nominations
  • Understanding your ongoing sponsor obligations
  • Support across the 482, 186 and 494 pathways
Contact us · 08 6555 7037
For skilled workers

Turn a sponsored role into your future in Australia

We assess your eligibility, prepare a strong application and manage your file through to a decision, with clear advice at every step.

  • Checking your eligibility for sponsored pathways
  • Preparing a compliant, well-evidenced application
  • Managing your file from lodgement to decision
  • Clear advice at every stage of the process
Check your eligibility
How sponsorship works
Your employer
It starts with the business. Sponsorship approves your business as a work sponsor under section 140E of the Migration Act 1958 — the foundation every employer-sponsored visa is built on.
The nomination
The employer nominates a genuine, ongoing position, approved under section 140GB against the criteria in Division 2.17 of the Migration Regulations 1994.
The visa application
The worker applies for the visa linked to that nomination. It is assessed on its own criteria — among them a genuine intention to perform the occupation, relevant work experience, and the English requirement for the pathway.
The decision
An approved nomination does not guarantee the visa will be granted — the two are decided separately. We manage every request from the Department until a decision is reached.
The Process

How the application works, step by step

1
We check your business

Whether your business is eligible to sponsor: that it is lawfully and actively operating and can meet the requirements to become, or remain, an approved sponsor.

2
We check the role

Whether the position is genuine and ongoing, sits on the occupation list for the pathway you're using, and meets the salary requirements. Where labour market testing applies, we plan the two advertisements and the four-week, four-month windows it requires.

3
We check the worker

We match the worker's occupation, qualifications and work history to the role, and confirm what the visa needs: a skills assessment where the occupation and passport require one, along with English, health and character evidence.

4
We prepare and lodge

We prepare and lodge the sponsorship, nomination and visa application together in ImmiAccount, so the business and worker sides move as one.

5
After we lodge

We confirm lodgement, track the case and handle any request the Department sends, so nothing is missed.

6
Visa outcome

We pass on the decision as soon as it is made. An approved nomination does not itself guarantee the visa — the two are decided on separate criteria.

For employers

What sponsoring involves

✓

Your business is assessed and approved before it can sponsor.

✓

Each role is nominated as a genuine, ongoing position.

✓

You cannot pass sponsorship or nomination costs to the person you sponsor.

✓

Obligations continue for as long as the sponsorship is in effect — we help you meet them.

Becoming a sponsor carries legal responsibilities that run for as long as the sponsorship is in effect. Approval depends on your business meeting the Department's requirements, which we assess for your situation.

For skilled workers

You may be a good fit for employer sponsorship if…

✓

You have an Australian employer who is willing to sponsor you, or you are actively seeking one.

✓

Your occupation and skills align with a genuine, ongoing position.

✓

You have relevant qualifications or work experience for the role.

✓

You can meet English language, health and character requirements.

Meeting these points does not guarantee a visa grant. Eligibility depends on your full circumstances and the current requirements set by the Department of Home Affairs. We assess your individual case before providing advice.

Frequently asked questions

Both What is the difference between subclass 482 and subclass 186?

Subclass 482 is a temporary visa, granted for a stay of up to four years across its Specialist Skills, Core Skills and Labour Agreement streams. Subclass 186 is a permanent visa, reached either directly through the Direct Entry stream, after a qualifying period on a temporary skilled visa through the Temporary Residence Transition stream, or under a labour agreement. Each carries its own occupation list, skills and English requirements.

Source: Migration Regulations 1994, Schedule 2, Parts 482 and 186, compilation F2026C00667, 1 July 2026.

Employer Can we choose subclass 186 instead of 482 if we would rather sponsor someone permanently?

Only if the position and the candidate meet subclass 186's own criteria, which are separate from the subclass 482 criteria. The Direct Entry occupation list is a different instrument from the subclass 482 Core Skills Occupation List, and the candidate's skills assessment and employment-history requirements under subclass 186 are assessed independently. Preference for a permanent outcome does not itself satisfy those requirements.

Source: LIN 24/093, Compilation No. 4, F2026C00263; LIN 24/089, Compilation No. 3, F2025C01064.

Employer Does labour market testing apply to every nomination?

It applies to the Specialist Skills and Core Skills streams of subclass 482, subject to specified exemptions. Where it applies, the position must be advertised in Australia, in English, by at least two advertisements each commissioned or authorised by you as the approved sponsor, with applications accepted for at least four weeks, and the whole exercise falling within the four months ending on the day the nomination is lodged.

Source: LIN 18/036, sections 6 to 9, Compilation No. 5, F2024C01268.

Employer Can the sponsored worker pay any of the sponsorship costs?

No. One of the ongoing obligations imposed on an approved work sponsor by Division 2.19 of the Migration Regulations 1994 is not to recover, or transfer to another person, certain costs associated with the sponsorship, including the nomination and sponsorship charges. Passing those costs to the sponsored worker, whether directly or through salary arrangements, is a breach of that obligation.

Source: Migration Regulations 1994, Division 2.19, regulations 2.77 to 2.87C, compilation F2026C00667.

Employer What happens if we do not meet a sponsorship obligation?

The Migration Act 1958 provides for sanctions under section 140K, cancellation of your sponsorship approval or a bar on sponsoring under section 140M, and a civil penalty under section 140Q. What follows in a particular case depends on the facts and is a matter for the Department.

Source: Migration Act 1958, sections 140K, 140M and 140Q, compilation C2026C00232.

Both Does an approved nomination guarantee the visa will be granted?

No. The nomination and the visa are decided at separate stages against separate criteria. An approved nomination establishes that the position meets the nomination criteria; the visa application is then assessed against its own requirements for the individual applicant, including genuine intention to perform the occupation, relevant work experience and English language ability.

Source: Migration Act 1958, section 140GB; Migration Regulations 1994, Division 2.17.

Worker Do I need a job offer before applying?

Employer-sponsored visas are built around a nominated position, so you generally need an Australian employer willing to sponsor you. If you do not have one yet, we can talk through your options.