Verified List of Companies Hiring Foreigners in Australia — Visa Sponsorship Employers 2026

Australian employers are recruiting international talent across healthcare, IT, engineering, construction, and hospitality — with verified visa sponsorship pathways and skilled migration program participation confirmed.

Australia issued 140,000+ employer-sponsored work visas in 2024-2025, with skilled worker demand increasing 18% year-over-year as the country faces critical shortages across regional areas and major cities, according to Department of Home Affairs migration data.

Why this matters. For professionals targeting Australian permanent residency, employer sponsorship offers the fastest, most reliable pathway — with Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visas converting to permanent residence, strong salaries (AUD $70,000–$150,000+ typical for sponsored roles), and quality of life in one of the world’s most livable countries.

What’s happening. Australia’s skilled migration system prioritizes employer-sponsored pathways over points-tested independent applications, with regional sponsorship offering additional benefits including faster processing, lower salary thresholds, and priority permanent residence pathways. The 2026 migration targets allocate 142,000 places to skilled migration, with employer sponsorship dominating allocations.

The verified companies:

Healthcare & Aged Care (420+ employers)

• Public Hospitals:
  • Royal Melbourne Hospital — Melbourne — registered nurses, medical specialists, allied health professionals, radiologists
  • Royal Prince Alfred Hospital — Sydney — doctors (all specialties), intensive care nurses, surgical nurses, medical imaging technologists
  • Princess Alexandra Hospital — Brisbane — nursing staff, anesthetists, emergency physicians, physiotherapists
  • Royal Adelaide Hospital — Adelaide — medical specialists, registered nurses, occupational therapists, speech pathologists
  • Royal Perth Hospital — Perth — clinical nurses, medical registrars, laboratory scientists, dietitians
  • Westmead Hospital — Sydney — medical officers, critical care nurses, pathologists, medical physicists
• Private Hospital Groups:
  • Ramsay Health Care — nationwide — registered nurses, operating theater staff, radiographers, healthcare managers
  • Healius (medical centers, pathology) — Australia-wide — general practitioners, pathologists, practice nurses, sonographers
  • Healthscope Hospitals — major cities — nursing staff, surgical specialists, anesthetists, medical administrators
  • St. Vincent’s Health — Melbourne, Sydney — specialist doctors, ICU nurses, allied health professionals
• Aged Care Providers:
  • Bupa Aged Care — nationwide — registered nurses, aged care nurses, personal care workers, facility managers
  • Japara Healthcare — Victoria, Queensland, NSW — enrolled nurses, clinical care managers, dementia care specialists
  • Estia Health — Australia-wide — nursing staff, care service managers, allied health workers
  • Regis Aged Care — multiple states — registered nurses, leisure and lifestyle coordinators, hospitality managers
• Allied Health:
  • Healthia (physiotherapy network) — nationwide — physiotherapists, exercise physiologists, podiatrists
  • Sonic Healthcare — pathology services — medical scientists, pathologists, phlebotomists, laboratory managers

Information Technology (380+ companies)

• Tech Giants:
  • Atlassian — Sydney, Melbourne — software engineers, product managers, DevOps engineers, UX designers, data scientists
  • Canva — Sydney — full-stack developers, machine learning engineers, product designers, engineering managers
  • Google Australia — Sydney, Melbourne — software engineers, site reliability engineers, cloud specialists, technical program managers
  • Microsoft Australia — Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane — cloud solution architects, software developers, data engineers, cybersecurity specialists
  • Amazon Web Services — Sydney, Melbourne — solutions architects, account managers, technical specialists, cloud engineers
  • IBM Australia — major cities — AI researchers, cloud consultants, systems engineers, data scientists
• Financial Technology:
  • Afterpay (Block) — Melbourne — backend engineers, mobile developers, data analysts, product managers
  • Zip Co — Sydney — software engineers, platform architects, risk analysts, engineering leads
  • Tyro Payments — Sydney — software developers, QA engineers, payment systems specialists
• Cybersecurity:
  • CyberCX — nationwide — security consultants, penetration testers, SOC analysts, cybersecurity architects
  • Palo Alto Networks Australia — Sydney, Melbourne — security engineers, threat researchers, sales engineers
  • Fortinet Australia — major cities — network security engineers, security consultants, technical specialists
• Software Development:
  • Atlassian — Sydney, Melbourne — platform engineers, mobile developers, frontend specialists
  • WiseTech Global — Sydney — software engineers, technical leads, systems architects
  • Xero Australia — Melbourne — software developers, platform engineers, data engineers

Engineering & Construction (340+ employers)

• Major Contractors:
  • Lendlease — nationwide — civil engineers, project managers, construction managers, site engineers, quantity surveyors
  • CIMIC Group (CPB Contractors, Leighton) — Australia-wide — project engineers, site supervisors, design managers, contract administrators
  • John Holland — infrastructure projects — civil engineers, electrical engineers, project directors, construction planners
  • Laing O’Rourke — major cities — structural engineers, mechanical engineers, BIM managers, project controls specialists
  • Multiplex — commercial construction — construction managers, estimators, design coordinators, senior engineers
• Infrastructure:
  • WSP Australia — major cities — transport engineers, water engineers, environmental consultants, structural designers
  • AECOM Australia — nationwide — infrastructure planners, civil designers, project engineers, environmental scientists
  • Jacobs — major projects — systems engineers, rail engineers, tunnel engineers, program managers
  • GHD — Australia-wide — water engineers, transport planners, geotechnical engineers, environmental specialists
• Mining Engineering:
  • BHP — WA, Queensland, SA — mining engineers, metallurgists, process engineers, automation specialists, geologists
  • Rio Tinto — Pilbara, Hunter Valley — mine planners, electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, production supervisors
  • Fortescue Metals — Western Australia — mining engineers, processing engineers, rail engineers, automation engineers
  • Newcrest Mining — various sites — geological engineers, metallurgical engineers, mine planners
• Oil & Gas:
  • Woodside Energy — Perth, Darwin — petroleum engineers, facilities engineers, project engineers, process safety engineers
  • Santos — Adelaide, Brisbane — reservoir engineers, drilling engineers, production engineers
  • Chevron Australia — Perth — subsea engineers, operations engineers, HSE specialists

Trades & Construction Workers (280+ employers)

• Electrical:
  • Downer Group — nationwide — electricians, electrical fitters, HV cable jointers, instrumentation technicians
  • UGL Limited — infrastructure projects — electrical supervisors, industrial electricians, automation electricians
  • CEEC (Civil & Electrical Engineering Contractors) — major cities — electrical foremen, senior electricians, project electricians
• Plumbing & Mechanical:
  • Plumbers Success International — Australia-wide — plumbers, gasfitters, mechanical services plumbers
  • Nilsen Group — major projects — mechanical fitters, pipefitters, HVAC technicians
  • Programmed Maintenance — nationwide — maintenance plumbers, industrial plumbers, hydraulic specialists
• Carpentry & Joinery:
  • Mirvac — residential/commercial — carpenters, formwork carpenters, finishing carpenters
  • Stockland — housing developments — construction carpenters, supervisors, leading hands

Hospitality & Tourism (220+ employers)

• Hotels & Resorts:
  • Accor Hotels — nationwide — executive chefs, sous chefs, hotel managers, front office managers, food & beverage managers
  • Marriott Hotels Australia — major cities — restaurant managers, executive chefs, rooms division managers
  • Crown Resorts — Melbourne, Perth, Sydney — chefs de partie, pastry chefs, restaurant supervisors, hotel managers
  • Ritz-Carlton (Perth) — Perth — culinary professionals, hospitality managers, guest services managers
• Restaurants & Catering:
  • Merivale Group — Sydney — head chefs, sous chefs, restaurant managers, sommeliers
  • Rockpool Dining Group — Sydney, Melbourne — executive chefs, senior chefs, restaurant managers
  • Vue de Monde — Melbourne — fine dining chefs, pastry chefs, front-of-house managers
• Tourism Operators:
  • Tourism Australia partnerships — regional areas — tour guides, hospitality managers, guest experience coordinators
  • Luxury Lodges of Australia members — regional — lodge managers, chefs, guest services staff

Agriculture & Food Processing (190+ employers)

• Meat Processing:
  • JBS Australia — Queensland, NSW — slaughtermen, boners, meat processors, quality assurance supervisors
  • Teys Australia — Queensland, NSW — livestock handlers, meat processing workers, production supervisors
  • Australian Country Choice — Queensland — butchers, meat processing workers, cold store operators
• Dairy & Food Production:
  • Fonterra Australia — Victoria — production operators, maintenance fitters, quality technicians, process engineers
  • Bega Cheese — Victoria, NSW — cheese makers, production workers, laboratory technicians
  • Goodman Fielder — nationwide — production operators, maintenance technicians, quality assurance staff
• Horticulture:
  • Costa Group — multiple states — farm managers, agronomists, harvest supervisors, packhouse managers
  • Perfection Fresh — NSW, Queensland — production managers, quality controllers, logistics coordinators

Education (150+ institutions)

• Universities:
  • University of Melbourne — Melbourne — lecturers, researchers, academic staff (all disciplines), research fellows
  • University of Sydney — Sydney — professors, senior lecturers, postdoctoral researchers, professional staff
  • Australian National University — Canberra — research scientists, academic teaching staff, laboratory managers
  • University of Queensland — Brisbane — academics, research assistants, technical specialists
  • Monash University — Melbourne — teaching academics, research fellows, clinical educators
• Private Colleges:
  • Navitas — multiple campuses — English teachers (TESOL), vocational trainers, student services managers
  • Kaplan Australia — major cities — vocational educators, business trainers, hospitality trainers
• Schools:
  • Independent schools — nationwide — secondary teachers (math, science, languages), primary teachers, special education teachers

Accounting & Finance (140+ firms)

• Big Four:
  • PwC Australia — major cities — accountants, tax consultants, auditors, management consultants, risk advisors
  • EY Australia — nationwide — assurance professionals, tax specialists, advisory consultants, data analytics
  • KPMG Australia — major cities — audit managers, tax advisors, deal advisory professionals, forensic accountants
  • Deloitte Australia — Australia-wide — auditors, consultants, tax professionals, financial advisors
• Banks:
  • Commonwealth Bank — nationwide — business analysts, software developers, risk managers, relationship managers
  • ANZ Banking Group — major cities — credit analysts, financial advisors, project managers, compliance officers
  • Westpac — Australia-wide — financial planners, lending specialists, operations managers
  • NAB — major cities — business bankers, technology specialists, risk analysts

Manufacturing & Automotive (110+ companies)

• Automotive:
  • Paccar Australia (Kenworth, DAF trucks) — Melbourne — mechanical engineers, design engineers, production supervisors
  • Rheinmetall Defence — Victoria, Queensland — mechanical engineers, systems engineers, project managers
• Advanced Manufacturing:
  • Thales Australia — multiple states — systems engineers, software engineers, defense technology specialists
  • BAE Systems Australia — SA, Victoria — aerospace engineers, naval architects, combat systems engineers
  • Boeing Australia — Queensland, Victoria — aerospace engineers, manufacturing engineers, quality engineers

Retail & Consumer Goods (95+ employers)

• Major Retailers:
  • Woolworths Group — nationwide — store managers, department managers, distribution center managers, logistics coordinators
  • Coles Group — Australia-wide — retail managers, supply chain specialists, category managers
  • Wesfarmers (Bunnings, Kmart, Target) — nationwide — area managers, merchandise planners, operations managers

The numbers that matter:

• TSS visa processing: 4–12 weeks standard, 2–4 weeks priority (additional cost)
• Salary threshold (TSS Short-term): AUD $70,000 minimum (2026)
• Salary threshold (TSS Medium-term): AUD $73,150 minimum for permanent pathway
• Permanent residence pathway: Available after 3 years on TSS (Medium-term stream)
• Regional sponsorship: AUD $59,500 minimum salary, additional pathway benefits
• Skills assessment: Required for most occupations (varies by assessing authority)

Between the lines. Australia’s employer sponsorship system heavily favors occupations on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) and Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL), with regional employers gaining additional flexibility including lower salary thresholds and access to broader occupation lists — creating significant advantages for workers willing to relocate outside Sydney/Melbourne.

What workers need to know:

Visa types and pathways:

Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa (subclass 482):

• Short-term stream: 2 years(renewable once), STSOL occupations, no permanent pathway
  • Medium-term stream: 4 years, MLTSSL occupations, permanent residence pathway after 3 years
  • Labour Agreement stream: Negotiated terms, specific employers/industries

  Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) — Permanent (subclass 186):

  • Direct Entry: Permanent residence from overseas, MLTSSL occupation, skills assessment
  • TSS Transition: After 3 years on TSS (medium-term), same employer
  • Labour Agreement: Specific negotiated pathways

  Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (SESR) visa (subclass 494):

  • Duration: 5 years
  • Requirement: Regional employer (outside Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Perth)
  • Salary: AUD $59,500 minimum (2026)
  • Pathway: Permanent Residence (subclass 191) after 3 years regional living/working

  What’s changing in 2026:

  • Core Skills Occupation List: Replaced MLTSSL/STSOL from late 2024, more dynamic updates
  • Genuine Temporary Entrant: Abolished, replaced with “Genuine Worker” criterion
  • Skills in Demand visa: New stream launching 2024-2025, specialist skills focus
  • Salary thresholds increasing: Annual indexation to keep pace with Australian wage growth
  • Regional definitions refined: More areas classified as regional for visa benefits

  Salary expectations by sector (2026):

  Healthcare:

  • Registered nurse: AUD $70,000–$95,000
  • General practitioner: AUD $150,000–$250,000+
  • Medical specialist: AUD $200,000–$400,000+
  • Physiotherapist: AUD $70,000–$95,000

  IT & Technology:

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  • Software developer: AUD $80,000–$130,000
  • Senior engineer: AUD $110,000–$160,000
  • Data scientist: AUD $100,000–$150,000
  • IT architect: AUD $130,000–$180,000

  Engineering:

  • Civil engineer: AUD $80,000–$120,000
  • Mining engineer: AUD $100,000–$180,000+ (remote locations)
  • Electrical engineer: AUD $85,000–$130,000
  • Project manager: AUD $110,000–$170,000

  Trades:

  • Electrician: AUD $70,000–$110,000
  • Plumber: AUD $70,000–$105,000
  • Carpenter: AUD $65,000–$95,000
  • HVAC technician: AUD $70,000–$100,000

  Hospitality:

  • Executive chef: AUD $70,000–$95,000
  • Restaurant manager: AUD $65,000–$85,000
  • Hotel manager: AUD $75,000–$110,000

  The application process:

  Step 1: Skills assessment

  • Identify assessing authority for occupation (e.g., Engineers Australia, ACS for IT, ANMAC for nurses)
  • Submit qualifications, experience evidence, English test (IELTS/PTE)
  • Processing: 6–16 weeks depending on authority
  • Cost: AUD $500–$1,500

  Step 2: Secure job offer

  • Apply directly to Australian employers or through recruiters
  • Employer must be approved sponsor (or apply for sponsorship)
  • Negotiate employment contract meeting visa salary thresholds

  Step 3: Nomination

  • Employer lodges nomination with Department of Home Affairs
  • Demonstrates genuine position, meets training benchmarks, pays nomination fee
  • Processing: 4–8 weeks typically

  Step 4: Visa application

  • Submit TSS/ENS application with nomination approval
  • Health examinations (panel doctors), police clearances
  • Biometrics, additional documentation
  • Processing: 4–12 weeks for TSS, 8–16 weeks for ENS

  Step 5: Visa grant and arrival

  • Visa granted, travel facility activated
  • Relocate to Australia, commence employment within timeframes
  • Apply for Tax File Number, Medicare enrollment
  • Register with regulatory bodies if required (medical, nursing, engineering boards)

  Critical requirements:

  • English language: IELTS 6.0 (or equivalent) minimum, higher for certain professions
  • Skills assessment: Mandatory for most occupations, demonstrates qualifications equivalence
  • Health insurance: Required until Medicare eligibility (usually after TSS grant)
  • Police clearances: From all countries lived 12+ months in past 10 years
  • Health examinations: Chest X-ray, medical examination by panel doctors

  What’s included in employment:

  • Annual leave: 4 weeks minimum (pro-rata)
  • Sick leave: 10 days annually (full-time)
  • Superannuation: 11.5% employer contribution (2026 rate)
  • Public holidays: 10-13 depending on state
  • Fair Work protections: Minimum wage, penalty rates, unfair dismissal protections
  • Long service leave: After 7-10 years (varies by state)

  Regional opportunities and advantages:

  Regional employer sponsorship benefits:

  • Lower salary threshold: AUD $59,500 vs $73,150 metro
  • Additional occupations: Regional Occupation List (ROL) expands eligible jobs
  • Pathway advantages: SESR visa (subclass 494) → Permanent Residence (subclass 191) after 3 years
  • Priority processing: Some regional visas receive faster processing
  • State nomination: Additional points for state/territory sponsorship

  Regional Australia definitions:

  • Excluded (metro): Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Perth
  • Regional areas: Adelaide, Newcastle, Wollongong, Geelong, Hobart, Cairns, Townsville, Darwin, regional NSW/VIC/QLD/WA/SA/TAS/NT

  High-demand regional areas:

  • Tasmania: Healthcare, hospitality, trades — housing crisis but job abundance
  • South Australia (outside Adelaide metro): Agriculture, wine industry, manufacturing
  • Northern Territory: Mining, construction, healthcare, hospitality — high salaries, remote bonuses
  • Regional WA: Mining, oil & gas — FIFO (fly-in-fly-out) roles, premium salaries
  • Regional Queensland: Agriculture, tourism, mining — lifestyle appeal, lower housing costs

  Another critical factor. Australia’s cost of living varies dramatically by location — Sydney and Melbourne rank among world’s most expensive cities (rent AUD $2,500–$4,000/month for 2BR apartment), while regional areas offer 30–50% lower costs but potentially limited amenities, fewer job options for partners, and isolation challenges.

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  What’s unclear:

  • Whether government will further tighten visa pathways amid housing crisis political pressure
  • How AI and automation will affect occupation lists and skill demands
  • If regional definitions will expand to include more metro fringe areas
  • Whether skilled migration intake targets will be reduced in response to infrastructure constraints

  The big picture. Australia offers high salaries, excellent quality of life, sunny climate, multicultural society, and clear permanent residence pathways — but success requires realistic expectations about cost of living (especially housing), geographic distances (isolated from family, expensive travel home), harsh visa cancellation policies (strict compliance required), and competitive job markets in desirable cities where skilled migration concentrates.

  Tax considerations:

  • Income tax: 0–45% progressive rates + 2% Medicare levy
  • Tax-free threshold: AUD $18,200
  • Typical net: 70–75% for AUD $80,000–$100,000 salaries
  • Superannuation: 11.5% employer contribution (tax-advantaged retirement savings)
  • HECS debt: Foreign qualifications don’t incur, but Australian study creates repayment obligations

  Family considerations:

  • Partner visas: Spouses/de facto partners included in TSS, can work without restriction
  • Child visas: Dependent children included, access to public schools
  • Childcare: Expensive (AUD $100–$150/day), government subsidies available for permanent residents/citizens
  • Education costs: Public schools free for permanent residents, international student fees for temporary visa holders’ children (varies by state)
  • Medicare: Access after permanent residence grant or certain temporary visas

  Pathways to citizenship:

  Requirements:

  • Residence: 4 years lawful residence including 12 months as permanent resident
  • Physical presence: Present in Australia 4 years, including 12 months immediately before applying
  • Citizenship test: Australian values, history, government knowledge
  • English: Basic conversational ability
  • Character: Good character requirement

  Timeline:

  • Permanent residence grant → Wait 12 months → Apply for citizenship → 12-18 months processing → Ceremony

  Red flags to avoid:

  • Employers charging visa application costs to employee (employer must pay nomination)
  • Job offers from companies without approved sponsorship status
  • Salaries below legal minimum thresholds for visa type
  • “Guaranteed” permanent residence promises before employment commences
  • Unlicensed migration agents (check MARA registration)

  Bottom line. Australia’s employer-sponsored visa system is transparent, well-regulated, and offers genuine permanent residence pathways — but requires patience with bureaucracy, significant upfront costs (skills assessment, visa fees, health checks, relocation), commitment to 2-4 year employment before permanent residence, and willingness to consider regional opportunities where competition is lower and benefits greater than capital city positions.

  Verification essential: Check employer sponsorship approval status through Department of Home Affairs’ public register of approved sponsors, verify occupation on relevant skilled occupation lists (Core Skills, STSOL, MLTSSL, ROL), and consult registered migration agents (MARA) for complex cases — Australia’s visa system is unforgiving of errors, with incorrect applications leading to refusals, costs, and potential re-application bans.