How to Get a Sponsored Job in Australia: 6 Steps to Apply (2026)

Step 3 of 3: How to apply

LinkedIn showed 8,000+ Australian jobs in its visa sponsorship search when we checked in November 2026, but not every listing is a real sponsor. Here are the 6 steps from checking your occupation to lodging your visa, and the next page lists the best sites to start your search.

What do you need help with first?

What do you need first?

📋 Before you start: what to prepare

• A valid passport with plenty of time left on it
• Reference letters and payslips proving at least 12 months in your occupation
• Copies of your qualifications and any licences
• An English test booked or completed
• A skills assessment started, if your job needs one

✅ The 6 steps to a sponsored job

1. Check your occupation and stream. Look up the Home Affairs skilled occupation list and the salary thresholds as of 2026 (A$79,423 for Core Skills, A$146,576 for Specialist Skills).
2. Search for employers who sponsor. Use big job sites and filter or search for "visa sponsorship". For regional work, look at DAMA areas. If you're from a Pacific partner country or Timor-Leste, ask your government's labour sending unit about PALM.
3. Check the employer is real. Look up its Australian Business Number on ABN Lookup and find its official website and phone number.
4. Send an Australian-style CV. Keep it to two or three pages, list results not just duties, and leave out your photo and date of birth.
5. Interview and get nominated. After an offer, the employer becomes an approved sponsor (if it isn't already) and lodges a nomination for your job.
6. Lodge your visa with Home Affairs. Apply online through ImmiAccount on the official Home Affairs site, upload your documents and pay the charge. Wait for a grant before you travel.

Tip: keep your English test and skills assessment valid. If either expires while you're waiting, you may need to redo it.

Ready to start searching? The next page lists the official sites and job boards to use.

📄 Your Australian CV

Australian employers expect a clear CV that shows what you achieved. Start with a short profile, then list your jobs with dates, key duties and results.

• Your name, email, phone and current country
• Your occupation title, matching the one you'd be nominated for
• Work history, most recent first, with numbers where possible
• Qualifications, licences and English test results
• Two referees who can confirm your experience

🎤 Interviews from overseas

Most overseas interviews happen by video. Check your connection, dress as you would in person, and be ready to talk through real examples of your work.

Ask the employer whether they're already an approved sponsor and which stream they'll use. A genuine employer will explain the process clearly.

Want a shortlist of trusted sites with real postings? It's on the next page.

⚠️ How to avoid job and visa scams

Fake Australian job offers are common on social media and messaging apps. Protect yourself with these rules:

• Never pay for sponsorship or a job offer. Home Affairs says it's unlawful for an employer to ask for money in exchange for sponsorship, or to make you repay sponsorship, nomination or recruitment costs.
• No one can guarantee a visa. Only Home Affairs decides visa applications.
• Watch for Scamwatch's warning signs: unexpected contact by WhatsApp or Telegram, high pay for little experience, no interview, and up-front fees for recruitment or training.
• Check migration agents. Anyone giving paid immigration help in Australia should be a registered migration agent, which you can check on the official OMARA register.
• Protect your passport. Scamwatch warns never to send your passport or ID to an employer or recruiter unless you're sure they're genuine.
• Apply only through official Home Affairs channels, not a "visa portal" run by someone else.

Home Affairs also keeps a register of sponsors that have been sanctioned for breaking the rules, which is worth checking before you accept an offer.

🗺️ Thinking regional?

Regional employers often find it harder to hire locally, so they can be more open to sponsoring. If you're flexible about where you live, search for jobs in DAMA areas such as the Northern Territory, Far North Queensland, Townsville or regional Western Australia and South Australia.

Ask the employer whether the job would be under a DAMA or the standard Skills in Demand streams, because the requirements can differ.

🕒 What happens after you apply

Home Affairs may ask for health checks, police certificates or more documents. Reply by the deadline and keep copies of everything you send.

If your visa is granted, check its conditions carefully. You'll usually need to work only in your nominated occupation for your sponsor.

❓ Quick answers

On the next page: the official Home Affairs pages and the best sites for sponsored jobs in Australia, plus how to check a sponsor before you apply.

🌍 More work-abroad guides

Keeping your options open? These guides explain sponsorship in other countries.

Disclaimer: This is an independent information website. We are not an employer, recruitment agency, registered migration agent or government body, and we do not hire, sponsor, nominate or place anyone or collect job applications. We cannot get you a visa. Visa rules, fees and income thresholds change often, so always check the official Department of Home Affairs website (immi.homeaffairs.gov.au) before you act. Never pay anyone for a job offer, sponsorship or a 'guaranteed visa'.