Employer sponsored pathways
Employer sponsorship is not one visa. Temporary work, permanent residence, regional sponsorship, training and labour agreements each solve a different problem.
Use subclass 482 for temporary sponsored work, subclass 186 for employer-nominated permanent residence, and subclass 494 for an eligible regional role. Check sponsor eligibility, occupation, salary, recruitment, applicant skills and evidence before committing fees.
Start with sponsor status, the genuine role, salary and nomination evidence.
→Compare continued 482 employment, 186 TRT and other available pathways.
→Check 494, regional location and the possible 191 pathway.
→Distinguish a standard pathway, Labour Agreement and DAMA.
→Business operations, sponsorship status, genuine position, market salary, labour market testing, regional location and agreement access can all affect the nomination.
Occupation, experience, qualification, English, skills assessment, registration, age and prior sponsored work must be checked against the selected pathway.
Five routes and frameworks
Labour Agreements are the broader framework and DAMA is one regional route within it. They are agreement frameworks rather than standalone visas. Subclass 407 is a training visa rather than ordinary skilled employment.
For an approved sponsor filling a skilled position that cannot be filled locally.
For eligible skilled workers nominated for an ongoing position.
For regional employers addressing genuine skilled labour shortages.
For structured workplace-based occupational training, not an ordinary job vacancy.
For employers whose genuine labour needs may require an industry, company-specific or regional agreement route.
Quick comparison
Employer sponsorship Q&A
Each answer has its own reference page so it can be found, shared and kept current. General information only—not an individual eligibility conclusion.
Understand the TRT two-year work period, nomination timing and the checks that still apply.
Read the answer →PATHWAY COMPARISONCompare temporary work, permanent nomination and regional sponsorship before choosing a route.
Read the answer →EMPLOYMENT EVIDENCEReconcile visa and nomination dates with payroll, tax, leave and interruption records.
Read the answer →PATHWAY COMPARISONStart with the employer, position, location and intended outcome—not the visa number.
Read the answer →OCCUPATION & ASSESSMENTCheck ANZSCO versions, occupation lists, caveats and assessment settings for 482, 186 and 494.
Read the answer →FOR EMPLOYERSReview business eligibility, genuine position, salary, SAF levy and ongoing obligations.
Read the answer →CHANGE OF EMPLOYERUnderstand the 180-day period, aggregate limit, new nomination and effect on a future 186 pathway.
Read the answer →Start with the nursing family, then compare the ANZSCO specialisation that matches the actual role.
Open occupation centre →Compare early childhood, primary and secondary teaching assessment and migration pathways.
Open occupation centre →Research construction management and licensed or trade occupations without treating list access as eligibility.
Open occupation centre →These are research entry points selected for this content cycle, not a promise of invitation, nomination or visa eligibility.
Employer sponsorship FAQ
A viable case normally needs three things to align: an eligible sponsoring or nominating employer, a genuine position that meets occupation and salary rules, and an applicant who meets the selected visa stream. Employer willingness alone is not enough.
Subclass 482 is a temporary employer-sponsored work visa, subclass 186 is permanent employer-nominated residence, and subclass 494 is a five-year regional provisional visa with a possible later subclass 191 pathway. Each applies different occupation, work-history and location rules.
Business size alone does not decide eligibility. The business must lawfully operate, use the correct sponsorship framework, establish a genuine role and market salary, meet recruitment and compliance rules, and show capacity to sustain the employment.
Government charges are split between employer-side sponsorship or nomination costs and applicant-side visa charges. The SAF levy and other prohibited sponsorship or nomination costs must not be recovered from the worker. Exact charges depend on the visa, business turnover and nomination period.
No. State-nominated subclasses 190 and 491 and employer-sponsored subclasses 482, 186 and 494 are separate pathways. A WA employer role may support employer sponsorship, while subclass 494 additionally requires a genuine designated-regional position and the applicable RCB and nomination process.
Confirm the sponsoring entity, financial and operational evidence, sponsorship type and any regional or agreement endorsement.
Define duties, occupation, work location, salary, employment terms, labour market testing and genuine business need.
Match experience, qualifications, English, assessment, licensing, age and health or character evidence to the exact stream.
Read the current Department wording, then confirm the conditions attached to the visa in the grant letter or VEVO.
→We can review the available sponsorship route, identify evidence gaps and coordinate the sponsorship, nomination and visa stages.