Getting to Australia or New Zealand on a sponsored work visa

Sponsorship, explained straight

Sparky, boilermaker, chef or engineer, if you have your eye on Australia or New Zealand, employer sponsorship is a lawful route with clear rules: an actual employer takes you on and backs your work visa. This page sets out how that works and where to begin.

Get the order right. The job is secured first and the visa follows. A business over there has a skilled post it cannot fill locally, so it offers that post to you, obtains government approval to sponsor or employ you, and only then do you lodge a work visa tied to that specific role. We only post vacancies where the employer has said it will sponsor a suitable candidate.

• Australia: the subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa. Your future employer has to hold approved sponsor status and lodge a nomination for the role; the visa application is then yours to lodge. Further down the road, some 482 holders move on to permanent residence through the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186).
• New Zealand: the Accredited Employer Work Visa, known as the AEWV. The employer needs accreditation plus an approved job check, after which it sends you a link to apply. Certain roles open a door to residence, the Green List being one example.

The two visas compared

How the two stack up, as of October 2026. Every figure links to the government page it came from, so look again there before you lodge anything.

Step one is the job

No offer, no visa: that holds in both countries, so the hunt for a role comes before anything else. Look through Australian roles with sponsorship, New Zealand roles with sponsorship or every open listing. Quick searches: Electrician, Diesel mechanic, Welder, Chef.

Be honest with yourself when you read a listing. If it asks for more years on the tools, a qualification or an English score you do not have yet, put your energy into getting there rather than firing off an application no employer can sponsor.

Applying from South Africa

You can lodge either visa while you are still at home in South Africa. Much of the paperwork does double duty for both countries:

• Passport with time to spare on it. New Zealand wants it valid for 3 months or more past your planned departure date from there.
• Police clearance: a Police Clearance Certificate from the South African Police Service (SAPS), plus certificates from any other country you have lived in. Australia and New Zealand set different rules on which countries count and how fresh a certificate must be; each guide spells out its own, and both governments explain how to get one country by country.
• Trade and qualification papers: your trade test certificate, diplomas, degrees and licences, and a skills assessment if your Australian occupation calls for one.
• Proof you have done the work: service letters, reference letters and payslips from your employers. A CV on its own will not carry it.
• An English result from IELTS, PTE or another accepted test, sat in person, if your visa or employer requires one.
• Certified copies and translations: where certified copies are requested, a commissioner of oaths can certify them; anything in Afrikaans or another language needs an English translation.

Country by country: Australia and New Zealand. Heads up: whenever these guides say "Home Affairs", they mean Australia's Department of Home Affairs, not the South African department that issued your passport.

Fake recruiters and costly mistakes

Every community WhatsApp group has heard of the "agent" who took a deposit for a job in Perth or Auckland and vanished. Learn the official rules and people like that become easy to spot.

• Paying for an offer is a dealbreaker. New Zealand: employers and agents may not charge you for a job, and a bought job offer can see your visa declined. Australia: sponsors may not shift sponsorship or recruitment costs onto you, and paying for sponsorship can sink your visa.
• Only the two governments decide. Anyone promising a "guaranteed" visa is lying to you.
• Paid help has to be licensed. Australia: only registered migration agents and Australian lawyers may charge for immigration assistance. New Zealand: immigration advice must come from a licensed immigration adviser or an exempt person. Doing the application yourself is allowed too.
• Government fees through official channels only: ImmiAccount for Australia and Immigration New Zealand's own online application.
• Tell the truth everywhere. False or misleading documents or claims can get you refused.

Straight from the source: Home Affairs scam warnings and INZ advice on avoiding immigration scams.

Frequently asked questions

Must I have a job before I apply for the visa?

Yes, in both countries. For Australia's Skills in Demand (482) visa, your employer lodges a nomination for the role before you apply. For New Zealand's AEWV, an accredited employer gets a job check approved and then sends you the application link.

Australia or New Zealand: which is quicker?

As of October 2026, Immigration New Zealand reports deciding 80% of AEWV applications within 5.5 weeks. Home Affairs reports 50% of 482 Core Skills stream applications decided within 4 months and 90% within 9 months. Your case can run faster or slower, so check the official processing pages.

Can my partner and kids come along?

In most cases. Australia lets you add your partner and dependent children to your 482 application. In New Zealand they lodge their own visas, and your pay and role decide what they can get.

Which police certificate do I need from South Africa?

A Police Clearance Certificate from the South African Police Service (SAPS). Australia and New Zealand each set their own rules on who needs one and how recent it must be, so read the country guide before you request it.

Will my trade test certificate be recognised?

It is the starting point, not the finish line. Many Australian trade occupations need a skills assessment, usually through Trades Recognition Australia. In New Zealand, some trades such as electrical and plumbing work need occupational registration before you can do the job.

Can sponsorship turn into permanent residence?

It can. Many Australian 482 holders apply for the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) after 2 years with their sponsor. In New Zealand, the Green List and the Skilled Migrant Category give some roles a path to residence. The rules in force when you apply decide.

Do I need to pay someone to land a sponsored job?

No. Never pay for a job offer. New Zealand employers and agents may not charge you job fees, and Australian sponsors may not pass sponsorship or recruitment costs on to you. Your costs are the government charges plus your own tests, medicals and police certificates.