Hire staff who already have the right to work in Australia
CrossNation shortlists candidates who are already in Australia with work rights: Australian citizens and permanent residents, New Zealand citizens, and temporary visa holders whose visa allows the work. So most employers can hire without sponsorship. Our fee is 12% for roles under $50k, 15% for $50k–$90k, 18% above $90k, 20% executive, charged on first-year remuneration (salary plus super), plus GST, no placement, no fee, with a 90-day replacement guarantee (replacement, not refund), subject to our agreement.
Updated . See our terms
12% for roles under $50k, 15% for $50k–$90k, 18% above $90k, 20% executive.
Fees are charged on first-year remuneration (salary plus super), plus GST. Charged only when a placement succeeds. No placement, no fee.
Christmas offer: sign our agreement by 11:59pm AEDT, Friday 27 November 2026 and pay 12% on every role. See offer terms.
90-day replacement guarantee (replacement, not refund), subject to our agreement
See our terms.
Who counts as a candidate already in Australia?
We mean people living in Australia whose work rights cover the job you are filling. That includes Australian citizens, permanent residents and New Zealand citizens on a Special Category visa (subclass 444), who have no work conditions. It also includes people on temporary visas that allow work, such as working holiday makers, students, graduates, partner visa holders and Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491) visa holders, as long as their conditions fit your roster and location.
Hiring someone whose work rights are not tied to a sponsoring employer skips the sponsorship steps: no standard business sponsorship, no nomination and no visa application by your business. The usual steps stay: interview, references, any registration, licence or screening check the role needs, and a check of the person's work rights before they start.
Employer-sponsored visas are different. Home Affairs says a Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa holder "cannot start working for a different employer until that employer has a new approved nomination", and that a Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (subclass 494) visa applicant must "be nominated by an approved work sponsor". So hiring a 482 or 494 holder is not a hire without sponsorship. Ask us about either visa before you plan the start date.
Some roles still suit sponsorship, for example a specialist you cannot find locally. We recruit both ways, so you can ask for candidates already in Australia, overseas candidates, or both in the same brief.
How do you check a candidate's work rights before they start?
The check is the employer's. Home Affairs runs Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO), which shows a person's current visa and its work conditions. Ask each candidate who is not a citizen for their VEVO details, or check VEVO with their permission, before the first shift, and keep a record. These are the Home Affairs and Fair Work statements we rely on, as published on the day we read them.
| Check | What the official page says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who can work | Home Affairs: "You must check you are employing someone who can legally work in Australia. Some visa holders can work unrestricted, others can work a limited amount, while some cannot work at all." | Home Affairs: Hiring someone in Australia (read 31 October 2026) |
| VEVO | Home Affairs: Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) "allows visa holders, employers, education providers and other organisations to check visa details and conditions." | Home Affairs: Check visa details and conditions (VEVO) (read 31 October 2026) |
| How to check | Home Affairs says you can "ask the person to email you their current visa details from VEVO" or "use VEVO yourself, with the visa holder's permission." | Home Affairs: Hiring someone in Australia (read 31 October 2026) |
| Hours | Home Affairs: "A visa holder must not work more hours than their visa conditions allow." | Home Affairs: Hiring someone in Australia (read 31 October 2026) |
| Keep checking | Home Affairs: "Make sure your employee has a valid work visa for the whole time they work for you." For a bridging visa with no expiry date shown in VEVO, it says "you should check their visa every 3 months to ensure they still have work rights." | Home Affairs: Hiring someone in Australia (read 31 October 2026) |
| Citizens and permanent residents | Home Affairs: "People who can prove they are either an Australian citizen or an Australian permanent resident can work unrestricted." | Home Affairs: Hiring someone in Australia (read 31 October 2026) |
| Workplace rights | Fair Work Ombudsman: "Visa holders and migrant workers have the same workplace rights and protections as all other employees in Australia." | Fair Work Ombudsman: Visa holders and migrants (read 31 October 2026) |
Which visas allow work, and what does each allow?
This table quotes the Home Affairs page for each visa group. Conditions differ from person to person, so the candidate's own VEVO record is the one that counts. A rule we could not read on the official page on the day is left out.
This is general information, not migration advice. Speak to a registered migration agent.
| Visa group | What the official page says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Australian citizens, permanent residents and New Zealand citizens (subclass 444) | "Only Australian citizens, permanent residents and New Zealand citizens holding Special Category (subclass 444) visas have no conditions placed on working in Australia." The 444 visa lets a New Zealand citizen "visit, work and study in Australia". | Home Affairs: Work restrictions (read 31 October 2026) |
| Working Holiday (417) and Work and Holiday (462) | "You can only work for the same employer for a maximum of 6 months while holding your WHM visa" unless an exemption applies. Since 1 January 2024 the exemptions include "plant and animal cultivation anywhere in Australia", "natural disaster recovery work anywhere in Australia" and "critical sectors, including agriculture, food processing, health, aged and disability care and childcare, tourism and hospitality, anywhere in Australia", plus fishing and pearling, tree farming and felling, construction and mining "in Northern Australia only". Home Affairs says this "applies until the Government makes further decisions". | Home Affairs: 6 month work limitation (Working Holiday Maker visas) (read 31 October 2026) |
| Student (500) | Condition 8105: "You also cannot work more than 48 hours a fortnight when your course of study or training is in session." Home Affairs lists scheduled course breaks among the times "a course is not in session", and "A fortnight is a period of 14 days starting on a Monday." | Home Affairs: Visa conditions list (condition 8105) (read 31 October 2026) |
| Temporary Graduate (485) | "A temporary visa that allows international students to live, study and work after you have finished your studies." | Home Affairs: Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) (read 31 October 2026) |
| Partner (820 and 309) | Both partner visa pages say the holder can "live, work and study in Australia while we process your permanent Partner visa". | Home Affairs: Partner visa (subclasses 820 and 801) (read 31 October 2026) |
| Skilled Work Regional (491) | The main applicant can "live, work and study in a designated regional area of Australia". | Home Affairs: Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) (read 31 October 2026) |
| Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (494) | "You can live, work and study only in designated regional areas of Australia." The visa is for skilled workers sponsored by regional employers. | Home Affairs: Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494) (read 31 October 2026) |
| Skills in Demand (482), changing employer | "A visa holder cannot start working for a different employer until that employer has a new approved nomination." | Home Affairs: Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482), change in situation (read 31 October 2026) |
What CrossNation does for onshore hiring
- A candidate database in which candidates choose their residency or visa status when they sign up: Australian citizen, permanent resident, visa holder (with an optional visa subclass) or needs sponsorship.
- CV screening against your brief before a candidate is put forward.
- Shortlists of candidates already in Australia, with overseas candidates added only if you ask for them.
- We do not promise a shortlist turnaround. It depends on the role, the location and the candidates available.
- The same terms as every CrossNation placement. Our fee is 12% for roles under $50k, 15% for $50k–$90k, 18% above $90k, 20% executive, charged on first-year remuneration (salary plus super), plus GST, no placement, no fee, with a 90-day replacement guarantee (replacement, not refund), subject to our agreement.
Hire in Australia by sector
- Hire nurses in AustraliaHire registered and enrolled nurses already in Australia: Ahpra registration, VEVO work rights, Nurses Award rates from 1 July 2026. No placement, no fee.
- Hire disability support workers in AustraliaHire disability support workers already in Australia: NDIS screening, VEVO work rights, SCHADS Award rates from 1 July 2026. No placement, no fee.
- Hire childcare educators in AustraliaHire childcare educators already in Australia: ACECQA-approved qualifications, state working with children checks and award rates from 1 July 2026.
- Hire horticulture and farm workers in AustraliaHire farm and harvest workers already in Australia: the Working Holiday Maker 6-month exemption for cultivation, VEVO and Horticulture Award rates.
- Hire construction and trades in AustraliaHire construction and trades workers already in Australia: white card, state electrical and trade licences, VEVO and On-site Award rates from 1 July 2026.
- Aged care recruitment
- Disability support recruitment
- Nursing recruitment
- Allied health recruitment
- Hospitality recruitment
- Chef recruitment
- Childcare recruitment
- Construction and trades recruitment
- FIFO recruitment
- Mining recruitment
- Agriculture and horticulture recruitment
Roles CrossNation is recruiting for now
- Care Manager / Case Manager – Support at Home (Aged Care)South Australia, SAFull Time
- Care Manager / Case Manager – Support at Home (Aged Care)Victoria, VICFull Time
- Occupational Therapist (NDIS) - Bendigo, VictoriaBendigo, VICFull Time
- Speech Pathologist (Grade 1 / Grade 2)Mildura, VICFull Time
- Social Worker (Grade 1 / Grade 2)Mildura, VICFull Time
- Podiatrist – Grade 2Mildura, VICFull Time
- Podiatrist – Grade 1Mildura, VICFull Time
- Physiotherapist – Grade 2Mildura, VICFull Time
When does sponsorship still make sense?
If the people you need are not available in Australia, an approved sponsor can nominate an overseas worker. The employer is the sponsor and carries the sponsor obligations; CrossNation is a recruitment agency, does not sponsor and cannot promise a visa. Our overseas hiring guides explain standard business sponsorship, the Skills in Demand visa, labour market testing and labour agreements.
How to choose a staff recruitment agency in Australia
These checks work for any agency. Each one is something you can ask for or verify before you send a brief.
Fee basis in writing
Ask for the percentage, what it is charged on and the event that makes the fee payable, in writing, before you send a brief.
CrossNation: CrossNation's fee is 12% for roles under $50k, 15% for $50k–$90k, 18% above $90k, 20% executive, charged on first-year remuneration (salary plus super), plus GST, and only when a placement succeeds.
Guarantee terms in writing
Ask for the guarantee period and how it applies in the agreement you sign, not only on the agency's website.
CrossNation: CrossNation placements carry a 90-day replacement guarantee (replacement, not refund), subject to our agreement. See our terms.
How candidates are screened
Ask what the agency checks before it shortlists a candidate, and what record it keeps, such as qualifications, registration or licence status and work rights, so you can verify each one yourself.
CrossNation: CrossNation records each candidate's qualifications, registration or licence status and work rights so employers can verify them.
Migration agent involvement
If you are considering an overseas hire, ask who gives visa advice. Only a registered migration agent can give migration advice, and the register of migration agents is public (https://www.mara.gov.au/). This is general information, not migration advice. Speak to a registered migration agent.
CrossNation: CrossNation is a recruitment agency, not a registered migration agent. The employer holds or obtains its own approval.
References
Ask for referee details for a candidate you are shortlisting, call the referees yourself, and ask the agency how it checks references and what it passes on to you.
Questions employers ask about hiring in Australia
Do I need to sponsor a worker who is already in Australia?
Not if their work rights cover the job. Home Affairs says only Australian citizens, permanent residents and New Zealand citizens holding a Special Category (subclass 444) visa have no conditions on working in Australia. Other visa holders can work within their visa conditions, which you can see in VEVO. Check before they start. This is general information, not migration advice. Speak to a registered migration agent.
How do I check a candidate's work rights?
Use Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO), the Home Affairs service that shows a person's current visa and its conditions. Home Affairs says you can ask the person to email you their VEVO details or check VEVO yourself with their permission. It also says a visa holder must not work more hours than their visa conditions allow.
Can a working holiday maker work for me for more than 6 months?
Only if an exemption applies or Home Affairs gives permission. On the Home Affairs page read on 31 October 2026, the exemptions include plant and animal cultivation, natural disaster recovery work, and the critical sectors agriculture, food processing, health, aged and disability care, childcare, tourism and hospitality, anywhere in Australia, plus construction, mining, fishing and pearling, and tree farming and felling in Northern Australia only. This is general information, not migration advice. Speak to a registered migration agent.
How many hours can a student visa holder work?
Home Affairs condition 8105 says a Student visa (subclass 500) holder cannot work more than 48 hours a fortnight when their course of study or training is in session. Scheduled course breaks are listed as times when a course is not in session. Ask for the candidate's VEVO details and their course dates. This is general information, not migration advice. Speak to a registered migration agent.
Does CrossNation check a candidate's visa for me?
Candidates choose their residency or visa status when they sign up, and we use it to match roles. That is not a legal check. Home Affairs says the employer must check that the person can legally work in Australia, so check VEVO yourself before the first shift.
Can I ask for onshore and overseas candidates together?
Yes. Tell us in the brief whether you want candidates already in Australia, overseas candidates, or both. For overseas candidates, the employer is the sponsor; CrossNation is a recruitment agency and cannot promise a visa or an approval.
What does staff recruitment cost with CrossNation?
CrossNation's fee for staff recruitment is 12% for roles under $50k, 15% for $50k–$90k, 18% above $90k, 20% executive, charged on first-year remuneration (salary plus super), plus GST, and only when a placement succeeds. If no placement is made, there is no fee. Placements carry a 90-day replacement guarantee (replacement, not refund), subject to our agreement. Wages, superannuation and other employment costs stay with the employer.
How long does it take to recruit staff through CrossNation?
It depends on the candidate and on bodies CrossNation does not control, such as registration boards, licensing regulators and the Department of Home Affairs, so CrossNation does not give a timeline. Many employers ask for both onshore and overseas candidates so an urgent vacancy is not held up.
What happens if an employee placed through CrossNation leaves?
Placements carry a 90-day replacement guarantee (replacement, not refund), subject to our agreement. How it applies is set out in the agreement between CrossNation and the employer, so ask for the guarantee terms in writing before you sign. See our terms at https://crossnation.com.au/terms. The guarantee is not a promise of any offer, visa or migration outcome.
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Sources (accessed 31 October 2026)
- Home Affairs: Hiring someone in Australia
- Home Affairs: Check visa details and conditions (VEVO)
- Home Affairs: Work restrictions
- Home Affairs: Special Category visa (subclass 444)
- Home Affairs: 6 month work limitation (Working Holiday Maker visas)
- Home Affairs: 6 month work limitation (subclass 462)
- Home Affairs: Visa conditions list (condition 8105)
- Home Affairs: Student visa (subclass 500)
- Home Affairs: Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485)
- Home Affairs: Partner visa (subclasses 820 and 801)
- Home Affairs: Partner visa (subclasses 309 and 100)
- Home Affairs: Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491)
- Home Affairs: Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494)
- Home Affairs: Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482), change in situation
- Fair Work Ombudsman: Visa holders and migrants