Work visas in Australia: which visa lets you work and how to apply

 

If you’re planning to work in Australia, choosing a visa is often the most confusing part. There are many options for work visas in Australia, each with its own rules, and it isn’t always clear which one fits you. A few things narrow it down quickly. When you’re comparing options for a work visa, Australia looks mainly at your age, your passport, whether an employer will sponsor you and whether your occupation is on a skilled list.

Young travellers usually start with a working holiday visa. If you have a job offer, an employer-sponsored visa such as the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) may fit. Without a sponsor, people with strong points scores look at the skilled independent and state-nominated visas.

This guide explains each option in plain English, based on the Department of Home Affairs pages as they stood on 30 September 2026. It’s general information, not migration advice, so confirm your situation with Home Affairs or a registered migration specialist.

Which visa lets you work in Australia

Almost every visa that allows work comes with conditions. Some limit your hours, and others tie you to one employer or to regional areas. Use the table below as a starting point, then read the Home Affairs page for your visa.

Working holiday visas (417 & 462)

The Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) and the Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462) are for young people who want an extended holiday and to work along the way. Home Affairs lists these rules for a first visa:

• You must hold a passport from an eligible country and apply from outside Australia
• You must be 18 to 30, or up to 35 for some countries on the 417 list
• You can stay 12 months, study for up to four months and travel in and out as often as you like
• You can usually work for the same employer for up to six months
• Three months of specified work, such as regional farm work, can make you eligible for a second visa

Passport holders from China, India and Vietnam must enter a pre-application ballot and be selected before they can apply for a first subclass 462 visa.

If this is your route, browse working holiday jobs on Workinitiatives and seasonal roles such as fruit picker jobs.

Student & graduate visas (500 & 485)

The Student visa (subclass 500) is a study visa first, but it lets you work up to 48 hours a fortnight while your course is in session. Working more than that can breach your visa conditions. Fair Work says visa holders are still entitled to be paid for all the hours they work.

After you finish, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) lets you live, study and work in Australia temporarily. The post-higher education work stream usually runs for two to three years depending on your qualification, and the post-vocational education work stream runs for up to 18 months. You generally need to be 35 or under, be in Australia when you apply and have held a Student visa in the last six months.

Employer-sponsored visas (482, 494 & 186)

If an Australian employer wants to hire you and can’t find a suitable local worker, sponsorship is the most direct path.

The Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) is the main temporary sponsored visa. It has three streams:

• Core Skills: your occupation must be on the Core Skills Occupation List and you need at least one year of relevant experience. Your employer must pay the annual market salary rate for the role, and no less than the Core Skills Income Threshold. For nominations lodged between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027, that threshold is $79,423 a year
• Specialist Skills: for higher earners in ANZSCO major groups 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6, which leaves out trades workers, machinery operators and labourers. The salary must be at least $146,576
• Labour Agreement: for employers that have their own agreement with the government

The visa lasts up to four years, and you can usually only work for your sponsor or an associated entity. Your employer may later be able to sponsor you for permanent residence through the Employer Nomination Scheme.

The Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa (subclass 494) is the regional version. You need at least three years of relevant experience and must usually be under 45. You live and work in a designated regional area for up to five years and may be able to apply for permanent residence after three years.

The Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) gives you permanent residence from the start. For the Direct Entry stream you must usually be under 45 and be nominated in an occupation on the Core Skills Occupation List. You also need at least three years of relevant experience and a positive skills assessment, and you must meet the competent English requirement. The same $79,423 income threshold applies to these nominations.

Points-tested skilled visas (189, 190 & 491)

If you don’t have a sponsor, the points-tested visas are the other main route. You need an occupation on the relevant list and a suitable skills assessment. You then lodge an expression of interest in SkillSelect, and you need at least 65 points to be invited to apply.

• The Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) is permanent, needs no nomination and lets you work anywhere in Australia
• The Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) is also permanent but needs a state or territory nomination, which adds five points
• The Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) needs a state nomination or eligible family sponsorship, adds 15 points and means living and working in regional Australia

Reaching 65 points makes you eligible to be invited, but invitations often go to people with higher scores. Our skilled visa points test guide with a calculator walkthrough shows how each factor adds up and what recent invitation rounds looked like.

People with an internationally recognised record of exceptional achievement can also be invited to apply for the permanent National Innovation visa (subclass 858).

How to apply for a work visas in Australia, step by step

The paperwork differs by visa, but most applications follow the same order.

1. Use the Visa Finder on the Home Affairs website to shortlist visas that match your situation
2. Check your occupation against the skilled occupation lists and find out whether you need a skills assessment
3. Book an approved English test if your visa needs one
4. Lodge an expression of interest in SkillSelect, or have your employer lodge a nomination
5. Apply online through ImmiAccount once you’re invited or nominated, and pay the charge shown in the Visa Pricing Estimator
6. Complete health and character checks when asked
7. After your visa is granted, look up your conditions in VEVO and keep a copy for employers

You can do these steps yourself, but you don’t have to. If you’re weighing up several pathways or have had a visa refused before, a registered migration specialist can check your eligibility and help you prepare the application. Check they’re on the Register of Migration Agents before you pay for advice.

Processing times vary. Home Affairs publishes a guide to recent processing times for each visa, but it isn’t a promise for your application.

Finding a job that fits your visa

Your visa and your job search run side by side. Employers shortlist people who can start, so state your work rights clearly from your first message. If you’re still overseas, our guide on how to find a job in Australia from overseas covers how to set up your resume and describe your work rights.

Many occupations on the Core Skills Occupation List sit in health, engineering and the trades. Browse healthcare and medical jobs, trades and services jobs and engineering jobs, and check how each ad talks about sponsorship.

Some rules are there to protect you. Visa holders have the same workplace rights as everyone else, including minimum pay. It’s also illegal for anyone to ask you to pay for visa sponsorship or to hand back part of your wages. If your pathway gets complicated, check that anyone giving you paid migration advice is on the Register of Migration Agents before you pay. Migration Marketplace on Workinitiatives lists registered migration specialists, so you can compare options before you book.

Common mistakes that can cost you time

• Applying for roles in an occupation that isn’t on the list your visa needs
• Assuming that “sponsorship available” in a job ad covers your exact visa
• Working more hours than a student visa allows, or working past six months with one employer on a working holiday visa without permission
• Leaving the skills assessment until an employer is ready to hire
• Paying someone who isn’t on the Register of Migration Agents, or paying anyone for a job offer

Sources

• Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482), Core Skills stream, Department of Home Affairs
• Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482), Specialist Skills stream, Department of Home Affairs
• Salary requirements to nominate a worker, Department of Home Affairs
• Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186), Direct Entry stream, Department of Home Affairs
• Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa (subclass 494), Department of Home Affairs
• Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189), Department of Home Affairs
• Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) and Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462), Department of Home Affairs
• Student visa (subclass 500) and Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485), Department of Home Affairs
• National Innovation visa (subclass 858), Department of Home Affairs
• Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO), Department of Home Affairs
• Visa holders and migrants, Fair Work Ombudsman
• Search the Register of Migration Agents, Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority