Purpose of the Skills in Demand visa
Lets employers bring in skilled workers where they cannot source an appropriately skilled Australian worker.
Source: Home Affairs: Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) (retrieved 4 October 2026)
For workers planning to work in Australia
Working in Australia from overseas: employer-sponsored jobs explained
Most overseas workers who take a sponsored job in Australia are nominated by an approved employer, then apply for a visa. CrossNation is a recruitment agency: we match sponsorship-ready candidates with employers. We cannot sponsor you, lodge visa paperwork or promise a job, and the employer must hold or obtain its own approval.
By CrossNation Editorial Team. Sources checked 4 October 2026.
Official data
Key facts from official sources
Sponsor duties exist to protect workers
Sponsor obligations are meant to protect overseas workers from exploitation and stop undercutting of local wages and conditions.
Source: Home Affairs: Existing sponsor (retrieved 4 October 2026)
Workplace rights
Visa holders have workplace rights in Australia, and the Fair Work Ombudsman publishes guidance for visa holders and migrants.
Source: Fair Work Ombudsman: Visa holders and migrants (retrieved 4 October 2026)
Job seeker guide
What you need to know
What does employer-sponsored work mean for you?
If an employer sponsors you, the employer has asked the Australian Government to approve a position for you. The employer, not the recruiter, makes that request and carries the sponsor duties. Your visa is then linked to the sponsored job. That link is why it matters to ask every prospective employer early whether they sponsor, and what the salary and duties would be. A job advertisement does not mean the employer sponsors, and an interview does not mean a nomination will happen. The employer decides, and Home Affairs decides on the visa.
Three separate steps: job, registration, visa
Think of three tracks. The first is getting a job offer from an employer who wants you. The second is registration or licensing, which decides whether you can lawfully do the work in Australia, for example nurse registration or a trade licence. The third is the visa, which Home Affairs decides. They depend on different organisations and can take different amounts of time, and nobody at CrossNation can speed one up. Start the registration or skills assessment research early because it is usually in your hands, and keep your documents in order.
How CrossNation helps
You create a candidate profile and upload a CV. We match you against the roles employers ask us to fill, speak to you about your experience and location preferences, and introduce you to employers when there is a fit. We are not a migration agent and we cannot say whether you will qualify for a visa. Use a registered migration agent for that.
Where to start
Pick the guide closest to your work: nursing, chefs and cooks, aged care and disability support, trades and FIFO, or the Pacific scheme. The employer-sponsored work guide explains how the nomination and salary rules look from a worker's side. Each guide links to the official pages and shows how many CrossNation jobs are open right now in the related sector. A live count is not an offer, and a listing does not mean the employer sponsors.
Guides by type of work
- Employer-sponsored jobsWhat a sponsored job means for a worker: the employer nominates, pay must meet the AUD 79,423 Core Skills threshold or market rate, and sponsors have duties.
- NursesTrained as a nurse overseas? NMBA registration stages through Ahpra, the streamlined standard for some registered nurses, and how it sits beside sponsorship.
- Chefs and cooksChef or cook planning to work in Australia? Why Specialist Skills is not available for trades groups, what the Core Skills route needs, and how to prepare.
- Aged care and disability supportCare worker planning to work in Australia? The Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement, NDIS worker screening for risk-assessed roles, and what to prepare.
- Trades and FIFOTradesperson or FIFO worker? Skills assessment with Trades Recognition Australia, state licences, why trades cannot use Specialist Skills, and WA DAMAs.
- Pacific workers and PALMWhat the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme means for workers: the subclass 403 stream, contract lengths and where to apply officially.
Live jobs
Open roles in related sectors
These counts are live from the CrossNation job board. A listing is not a job offer, and it does not mean the employer sponsors visas. Ask about sponsorship before you rely on a role.
Create a profile and upload your CV
A recruiter reviews profiles against roles as employers brief us. Listings are not job offers.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can CrossNation sponsor me?
No. CrossNation is a recruitment agency. Sponsorship is up to the employer, which must meet Home Affairs requirements.
Is CrossNation a registered migration agent?
No. Speak to a registered migration agent about visas and your eligibility.
What should I prepare before I register?
Have your CV, qualifications, registration or licence details, English language results if you have them, and the locations and settings you would consider. Government charges, registration fees and migration agent fees are set by those bodies.
Will registering get me a job?
No. Registering lets us match you to roles when an employer is looking for someone with your skills. We cannot promise an interview, offer or visa.
Do I need to be in Australia to register?
No. We recruit candidates already in Australia with work rights as well as sponsorship-ready overseas candidates.
Where can I check my rights at work?
The Fair Work Ombudsman has a page for visa holders and migrants that explains pay, entitlements and how to ask for help.