How to Find an Australian Employer Willing to Sponsor Your Visa

For many skilled professionals and tradespeople hoping to move to Australia, finding an employer willing to provide visa sponsorship can seem like one of the most difficult parts of the migration process.

While points-tested skilled visas receive considerable attention, employer sponsorship can provide an alternative and, for some applicants, more realistic pathway to living and working in Australia.

The challenge is not simply finding a job. You need to find an employer who needs your skills, is willing and able to participate in the relevant sponsorship process, and can offer a position that meets the applicable immigration requirements.

Timea Pocze-Graf, Registered Migration Agent and Head of Migration at Emigrate to Australia, explains how to approach the search strategically.

Understand What Employer Sponsorship Involves

Australian employer sponsorship involves considerably more than receiving a job offer.

Depending on the visa pathway, the employer may need to satisfy sponsorship requirements, nominate an eligible position and meet obligations relating to matters such as salary, employment conditions and the nature of the role.

For the employer, sponsorship therefore involves time, cost and ongoing responsibilities.

Understanding this can make you a stronger candidate.

Rather than approaching an Australian employer with simply, “Will you sponsor me?”, it is much more effective to understand which visa pathway may be available to you and why your occupation, qualifications and experience could make you a suitable sponsorship candidate.

Common employer-sponsored pathways include the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa, the permanent Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) visa, and the regional Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (subclass 494) visa.

Different eligibility requirements apply to each pathway.

Check Your Visa Eligibility Before Starting Your Job Search

Before approaching employers, it is important to establish whether there is actually a viable sponsorship pathway for your occupation.

Depending on the visa being considered, factors may include:

• your occupation;
• qualifications and professional registration;
• relevant work experience;
• English language ability;
• age;
• salary;
• whether a skills assessment is required;
• the location of the proposed employment; and
• whether the employer and position meet the relevant requirements.

Occupation eligibility also differs between visa subclasses and streams.

For this reason, simply finding your occupation on an online occupation list does not necessarily mean that you qualify for employer sponsorship.

Having your migration options assessed before beginning an extensive job search can help you target the right employers and avoid pursuing positions that are unlikely to support a viable visa pathway.

Target Industries Where Your Skills Are Needed

Your chances of finding sponsorship are naturally stronger where Australian employers are experiencing genuine difficulty recruiting workers with the required skills and experience.

Sponsorship opportunities can arise across many industries, including areas such as:

• healthcare and aged care;
• engineering;
• construction and skilled trades;
• technology;
• education;
• hospitality;
• agriculture; and
• other specialist professional occupations.

The opportunities available will vary depending on your occupation and the migration settings in place at the time.

Regional Australia should also be considered carefully.

Many applicants initially focus exclusively on Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane. However, employers in regional areas may have greater difficulty attracting suitably qualified workers and, depending on the occupation and location, regional employer-sponsored pathways may provide additional opportunities.

Flexibility about where you are prepared to live can therefore significantly broaden your search.

Use the Right Job Search Channels

Mainstream employment platforms such as SEEK, Indeed and LinkedIn are useful starting points, particularly where advertisements specifically mention visa sponsorship, 482 sponsorship or a willingness to consider overseas applicants.

However, your search should not stop there.

Specialist recruitment agencies can be particularly valuable because some already work with Australian employers who have experience sponsoring overseas workers.

Professional associations and industry organisations may also operate specialist job boards and networking opportunities that do not necessarily appear on mainstream employment websites.

LinkedIn can be especially useful when used strategically.

Rather than simply submitting applications, consider:

• connecting with Australian recruiters in your industry;
• following relevant employers;
• joining professional and industry networks;
• contacting hiring managers appropriately;
• demonstrating your professional experience through your profile; and
• making it clear that you understand your potential Australian visa pathway.

A targeted approach will generally be more effective than sending the same CV to hundreds of employers.

Make Your Australian CV Relevant

Your CV should be prepared with the Australian employment market in mind.

Make your relevant skills, qualifications and experience immediately clear.

If you hold overseas qualifications, explain them in a way an Australian employer can understand. Where appropriate, include professional registration, licensing or skills-assessment information.

Most importantly, focus on the problem you can solve for the employer.

An employer is unlikely to sponsor someone simply because that person wants to move to Australia. They are much more likely to consider sponsorship where they see a strong candidate who can fill a genuine business need.

Make the Sponsorship Conversation Easier

Many candidates are nervous about raising sponsorship with an employer.

The key is to make the conversation straightforward.

If you already understand your potential visa pathway, you can explain that you have investigated your eligibility and that professional assistance can be provided to guide both you and the employer through the immigration process.

This can be particularly helpful where an employer is interested in hiring you but has never sponsored an overseas worker before.

Experienced sponsoring employers may already understand the process. Others may need assistance understanding their obligations, costs and the steps involved.

The objective is to demonstrate that sponsorship is a process that can be properly managed rather than presenting the employer with an unfamiliar problem they need to solve alone.

Consider Regional Australia

If finding sponsorship in a major city is proving difficult, expanding your search geographically can make a significant difference.

Regional Australia covers far more than remote locations. For migration purposes, many Australian cities and substantial population centres are classified as regional.

Depending on your occupation and circumstances, the subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa may provide a potential pathway where an eligible regional employer is prepared to sponsor you.

Regional employer sponsorship can also form part of a longer-term permanent residency strategy where the relevant requirements are met.

If your priority is obtaining a viable Australian migration pathway rather than living in one particular city, geographical flexibility can be extremely valuable.

Be Patient – But Be Strategic

Finding an employer sponsor may take time.

It often comes from a combination of persistence, professional networking, timing and approaching employers that genuinely need your skills.

Rather than applying indiscriminately, focus your efforts on:

the right occupation + the right employer + the right location + the right visa pathway.

Building genuine professional connections can also be extremely effective. Speaking with recruiters, former colleagues, professional associations and people already working in your industry in Australia can uncover opportunities that are never widely advertised.

What If an Employer Is Interested but Doesn’t Know How to Sponsor You?

This is where professional migration assistance can be particularly useful.

An employer may be very interested in employing you but hesitant because they have never sponsored an overseas worker before.

Before proceeding, both the employer and prospective employee should understand:

• which visa pathway is appropriate;
• whether the occupation and position are eligible;
• the requirements the employer must satisfy;
• the requirements the visa applicant must satisfy;
• the likely costs involved; and
• the employer’s obligations following sponsorship.

Getting these issues right at the beginning can reduce the risk of unnecessary delays or pursuing a strategy that is not viable.

Employer Sponsorship and Permanent Residency

Employer sponsorship does not necessarily end with a temporary visa.

For eligible applicants, temporary employer sponsorship may potentially lead to permanent residency through pathways such as the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186).

Other applicants may have regional or skilled migration options available.

However, permanent residency should never be assumed simply because an employer is willing to sponsor a temporary visa.

If permanent residency is your long-term objective, it is worth considering the potential pathway before accepting a sponsored position, rather than discovering later that your circumstances do not support the strategy you expected.

How Emigrate to Australia Can Help

Finding the employer is only one part of the process. Establishing whether the proposed employment can support an Australian visa is equally important.

At Emigrate to Australia, we assist prospective migrants and Australian employers with employer-sponsored migration, including:

• assessing potential visa pathways;
• reviewing occupation and applicant eligibility;
• advising employers about sponsorship and nomination requirements;
• preparing employer sponsorship and nomination applications;
• preparing visa applications; and
• considering longer-term pathways towards permanent residency.

If you are looking for an Australian employer sponsor, or you already have an employer interested in sponsoring you and would like to understand the next steps, please contact:

Timea Pocze-Graf
Registered Migration Agent
Head of Migration – Emigrate to Australia
A service of Taylor Hampton Solicitors
Email: timea.graf@taylorhampton.co.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7427 5290

Finding sponsorship can take persistence, but approaching the process with a clear understanding of your visa options can make your job search considerably more focused and effective.

Disclaimer

This article is provided for general information only and does not constitute legal or migration advice. Australian immigration legislation, policy, occupation eligibility and visa requirements can change. Eligibility for employer sponsorship depends on the individual applicant, employer, nominated position and visa pathway.

Professional advice should be obtained before making an application or relying on the information contained in this article.