Find an Employer Sponsored Visa Agent in Australia

Understanding the Employer Sponsorship Pathway

Employer-sponsored migration works in three stages. First, your employer must be approved as a standard business sponsor. Second, they lodge a nomination for your specific role at market salary rate with labour market testing completed. Third, you lodge the visa application. Each stage has its own processing time and potential complications. An experienced agent coordinates all three simultaneously and ensures compliance from day one.

The 482 and Skills in Demand Visa

The subclass 482 is the primary temporary employer-sponsored work visa. The old Short-Term, Medium-Term and Labour Agreement streams were replaced on 7 December 2024 by the Skills in Demand (SID) framework, which has three current streams: the Core Skills stream, for an occupation on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) paid at least the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) — $79,423 from 1 July 2026; the Specialist Skills stream, for occupations in ANZSCO Major Groups 1, 2, 4, 5 or 6 paid at least the Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT) — $146,576 from 1 July 2026 — with no occupation-list restriction; and the Labour Agreement stream, for occupations set out in a specific labour agreement. Your agent advises which stream fits your occupation and salary.

The 186 — Permanent Residency

The subclass 186 is the primary employer-sponsored pathway to permanent residency. The Transition stream is for 482/457 holders who have worked for their employer for the required period. The Direct Entry stream is for applicants meeting skills assessment requirements without a prior temporary visa. A good agent plans the 186 transition from the moment the 482 is lodged, ensuring continuity of employment, compliance, and timely lodgement.

What Your Employer Needs to Know

Many employers approach sponsorship without understanding their obligations. As a sponsor, the employer must pay market salary rate, provide equivalent conditions to Australian workers, maintain records, notify the Department of changes, and cooperate with monitoring. An agent walks the employer through these obligations, prepares documentation on their behalf, and ensures compliance throughout.

Labour Market Testing

For most positions, the employer must demonstrate they attempted to recruit Australian workers first: at least 2 valid job advertisements, running for a total of at least 4 weeks within the 4 months before the nomination is lodged. Exact requirements can still vary by visa stream and occupation. Getting this wrong is one of the most common reasons for nomination refusals — and an entirely preventable problem with proper guidance.

Costs and Timelines

The 482 visa application charge is $4,015 for the main applicant across every stream, and the 186 charge is $6,140 — both current as at 1 July 2026 (sponsorship and nomination charges are additional, and paid by the employer). Home Affairs publishes processing times for the period ending 30 June 2026: 482 sponsorship approval takes 5 days to 4 months and nomination under a day to 9 months (25th to 90th percentile); the 482 visa itself typically decides in 4 to 43 days for the Specialist Skills stream or 16 days to 10 months for the Core Skills stream; the 186 Transition stream runs 6 to 15 months (25th to 90th percentile) from lodgement to grant. Migratio's own data on what agents charge for an initial consultation, across 686 quotes from 57 agents, shows a median of $220 and a middle half between $150 and $275 (as at September 2026) — agents set their own fee for the full case by written agreement, and there is no official schedule.

Get Matched with Employer Sponsorship Specialists

Tell Migratio about your occupation, employer details, and pathway. You describe your situation once and compare consultation fees from agents who handle employer sponsorship regularly and manage both sides. Comparing is free; consults are typically $150–$300 and you pay only if you book.

Can I change employers on a 482?

Yes, but your new employer must become an approved sponsor and lodge a new nomination. Do not start working for them until approved.

Does my employer pay agent fees?

They cannot require you to pay sponsorship or nomination costs. The visa application fee and personal agent fees are typically yours, though many employers cover these.

What is the Skills in Demand visa?

The framework that replaced the 482's old occupation-based streams (Short-Term, Medium-Term and Labour Agreement) with the current Core Skills, Specialist Skills and Labour Agreement streams from 7 December 2024. The Core Skills stream still uses an occupation list (the CSOL) alongside its salary threshold; only the Specialist Skills stream drops the occupation-list requirement. Your agent advises which stream applies.

Can my family come with me?

Yes. Spouse or de facto partner and dependent children can be included as secondary applicants with work rights.

How long until I can get permanent residency?

Under the 186 Temporary Residence Transition stream, you generally need at least 2 years of eligible sponsored employment within the 3 years before applying, while holding a 482 (or former 457).