Sponsored jobs in Australia for UK citizens: three routes, an AUD79,423 pay floor and the paperwork to start at home

Visa guide · 2026-10-26 · 10 min read

British tradesman sorts paperwork at his kitchen table beside an open laptop and a mug of tea.

For most people in the UK, a sponsored job in Australia means the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482): an Australian employer who cannot find a suitably skilled local worker nominates you, and you apply for the visa linked to that job. You need at least 1 year of relevant work experience from the last 5 years, the pay must clear a set floor, and some occupations need a skills assessment first. A British passport counts as evidence of Competent English, which removes one hurdle many other applicants face.

This guide sets out the realistic routes from the UK, what each one demands, what to get ready at home and who can legally help. It is general information drawn from the official pages linked below, not advice on your own case.

Three ways people in the UK reach a sponsored job in Australia

There is no single "move to Australia" visa. People emigrating from the UK for work tend to follow one of three paths, and some combine them.

Route	How it works	Points to note
Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482)	An employer nominates you for a specific role; Core Skills, Specialist Skills and Labour Agreement streams	Up to 4 years; you work only in the nominated occupation and for the nominating business
Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) first	Open to UK passport holders aged 18 to 35; short-term work while you travel	Usually 6 months per employer; not sponsorship, but some people find a sponsoring employer while there
Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa (subclass 494)	An employer in a designated regional area nominates you	All of Australia except Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane counts as regional; usually 3 years' experience, a skills assessment and an age under 45
Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) later	A permanent visa, often reached after time on a 482	The Temporary Residence Transition stream usually needs 2 years full time in eligible sponsored employment and an age under 45

The 482 details are in our Skills in Demand (482) visa guide for people in the UK, and the official Core Skills stream page on Home Affairs is the place to confirm each rule before you rely on it.

The UK-only pilot is on hold

One route was built just for UK citizens under the Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement: the Innovation and Early Careers Skills Exchange Pilot (IECSEP). DFAT says it was paused on 26 September 2025 for a review and cannot accept applications while the review runs. The Australian High Commission in London's visa page still describes it as open, but DFAT's pause notice is the newer statement, so do not plan around it until DFAT says otherwise.

What your British passport does, and does not, settle

Home Affairs accepts UK citizenship plus a valid UK passport as evidence of Competent English, and 482 applicants with a UK passport are exempt from the English test. That saves time and the cost of a test. It does not prove your trade, though. Employers and licensing bodies can ask for their own evidence, and the visa still looks hard at your experience.

The skills question is separate. Some primary 482 applicants must have a mandatory skills assessment by Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) or VETASSESS, depending on the occupation, and it must be started before the visa application is lodged, or the application is not valid. Our article on why your passport covers English but not your trade explains how the TRA programmes split by occupation.

If you are an electrician, plumber or similar licensed trade, remember that a skills assessment is not a licence. TRA does not award Australian qualifications, registrations or occupational licences. The guide for UK electricians moving to Australia walks through that second step.

The pay floor and the costs, in pounds

In the Core Skills stream your occupation must be on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL), and you must be paid the annual market salary rate for the job and no less than the Core Skills Income Threshold. For nominations lodged between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027, that threshold is AUD79,423, roughly £41,600 at the Reserve Bank of Australia rate of 0.5238 pounds per Australian dollar on 22 October 2026. Exchange rates move, so treat the pound figure as a guide only.

The visa itself has a base application charge of AUD4,015.00, about £2,103 at the same rate. Each family member aged 18 or over adds AUD4,015.00 and each child under 18 adds AUD1,005.00. On top of that come your own costs for health checks, police certificates and biometrics.

What you should never pay is the employer's side. The sponsoring business must cover all the costs of becoming a sponsor and nominating you and cannot transfer them to you or your family. It must not pass the Skilling Australians Fund levy on to you either. Paying an employer to sponsor you, including through deductions from your wages, is illegal and can lead to refusal or cancellation of the visa, fines or imprisonment.

What to sort out in the UK before you apply

Paperwork from home is where many moves slow down. These are the pieces worth starting early.

Your passport. HM Passport Office says you will usually get a passport within 3 weeks in the UK. A renewed passport has a new number, so renew before you apply for any visa rather than halfway through.
An ACRO Police Certificate, when asked. ACRO's certificate is the one for visas and emigration. It costs £70 and can take up to 20 working days. ACRO advises not to arrange travel, work or accommodation until you have it. Our piece on how long an ACRO police certificate is valid covers the timing.
Proof of experience. Gather references, payslips and job descriptions that show what you did in the last 5 years. Part-time or casual work counts if it adds up to at least 12 months full time.
Health insurance. Keeping adequate health insurance for your whole stay is a condition of the 482, so budget for it from day one.

Step by step: from UK job search to visa lodgement

Check your occupation. Look it up on the combined list of eligible skilled occupations, which shows the list it sits on and its skills assessing authority.
Prepare a CV an Australian employer can scan quickly. List roles, dates and duties clearly; you can build a tailored CV with Build AI CV before you start applying.
Apply for sponsored roles. Roles such as this Fabricator / Welder job in Perth or this Painter job in Sydney state the employer's sponsorship terms in the advert. Applying is free for job seekers.
Start a skills assessment if your occupation needs one. Do it before the visa is lodged, and keep the assessment inside the 3-year window the rules allow.
Collect your UK documents. Passport, ACRO certificate if requested, references and qualification papers.
Let the employer lodge the nomination, then lodge your visa. Once granted, you must start work within 90 days of arriving in Australia.

Already on a working holiday? Our article on moving from a 417 to sponsorship covers that switch in detail.

Who can help with an Australian visa, and who cannot

Anyone giving immigration assistance with an Australian visa must be a registered migration agent, a legal practitioner or an exempt person, such as your sponsor or a close family member, and exempt people must not charge. Registered agents appear on the OMARA register and have a MARN; someone claiming to be an agent without one is not legitimate.

Government offices on the UK side will not do it for you. gov.uk says the UK government and British consulates in Australia cannot give personalised advice on moving to Australia or help with Australian visa applications, and the Australian High Commission in London says its staff cannot assist with visa enquiries either; those go to Home Affairs. Above all, no one can promise you an Australian visa, and anyone who says otherwise is misleading you.

Common mistakes Brits make with sponsored jobs

Treating a 417 as a sponsored job. A working holiday lets you work for one employer for about 6 months; it is not a sponsorship.
Assuming the passport settles everything. It covers English for the visa, not your skills assessment or a state trade licence.
Booking flights too early. ACRO, HM Passport Office and Home Affairs all warn against firm travel plans before documents or visas arrive.
Agreeing to "share" sponsorship costs. The employer's costs are the employer's; paying them is illegal and puts your visa at risk.
Counting on the IECSEP pilot. It is paused while DFAT reviews it.
Using an unregistered adviser. Check the OMARA register before paying anyone for visa help.

Frequently asked questions

Can a UK citizen get a sponsored job in Australia without a job offer?

Not through employer sponsorship. The Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) starts with an employer who nominates you for a position it cannot fill with a suitably skilled Australian. Without an employer there is no nomination, so the job search comes first and the visa follows.

Do I need IELTS for a 482 visa if I have a British passport?

Usually not for the visa itself. Holders of passports from the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland or the United States are exempt from the English test for the 482. An employer or a registration body can still set its own English rules, so read the job advert and any licensing requirements.

What is the minimum salary for a sponsored job in Australia?

In the Core Skills stream the pay must meet the annual market salary rate for the job and be no less than the Core Skills Income Threshold, which is AUD79,423 for nominations lodged between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027. That is roughly £41,600 at the Reserve Bank of Australia rate of 22 October 2026, though rates change.

Should I go on a working holiday first or apply for sponsorship from the UK?

It depends on your plans and your age. A Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) is open to UK passport holders aged 18 to 35 and lets you test life in Australia, but you can usually work for one employer for only 6 months. If your main aim is a long-term job, Home Affairs suggests considering a work visa.

Can the employer make me pay for my sponsorship?

No. The employer must pay all the costs of becoming a sponsor and nominating you, cannot pass them on to you or your family, and must not pass on the Skilling Australians Fund levy. Paying an employer to sponsor you is illegal, including through salary deductions.

Key takeaways

The Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) is the main sponsored route, and it starts with an employer's nomination.
Your UK passport covers the English test for the 482, but not a skills assessment or licence.
Core Skills pay must be at least AUD79,423 for nominations from 1 July 2026, about £41,600 at the 22 October rate.
The employer pays its sponsorship costs; paying for sponsorship is illegal.
Start your passport, ACRO certificate and proof of experience early, and use only registered migration agents.

Every case is different — book a consultation and our partner registered migration agents (MARA) / licensed NZ advisers will assess yours.

Last checked: 26 October 2026 against the official pages linked above.

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