How to get a job in Australia from overseas

Start with the occupation lists

Australia publishes several occupation lists that determine which roles qualify for skilled migration. The two you will use most are the Skills in Demand (SID) visa occupation list and the state and territory nomination lists. The SID visa replaced the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) 482 visa in late 2023 and covers three streams: Specialist Skills, Core Skills and Essential Skills. Each stream has its own salary floor and occupation eligibility.

The Core Skills stream is the most relevant for most overseas applicants. It covers hundreds of occupations from software engineers to registered nurses to civil engineers. You can search the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) on the Home Affairs website by ANZSCO code or job title. If your occupation appears there, an Australian employer can sponsor you or you can apply for points-tested visas such as the Skilled Independent (subclass 189) or Skilled Nominated (subclass 190).

State nomination through the 190 visa adds five points to your Expression of Interest (EOI) score in SkillSelect and often has shorter processing times than the federal 189. Each state publishes its own occupation list, which changes quarterly. Check the list for the state where you want to live, not just the national list.

• Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL): used for the SID visa and employer sponsorship
• Skilled Occupation List (SOL): used for the points-tested 189 and 190 visas
• State and territory nomination lists: vary by state and update every one to three months
• Regional occupation lists: cover additional roles if you are willing to live outside major cities

Complete your skills assessment early

Most skilled visa pathways require a positive skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority before you can lodge a visa application or even submit an EOI. The assessing body depends on your occupation. Engineers go through Engineers Australia, accountants through CPA Australia or CAANZ, IT professionals through the Australian Computer Society (ACS), and nurses through AHPRA.

Assessment timelines vary. ACS assessments typically take four to six weeks. Engineers Australia can take eight to twelve weeks for a formal assessment. AHPRA registration for nurses can take three to six months if your qualifications need bridging. Start this process before you begin applying for jobs, not after you receive an offer.

When you apply, gather certified copies of your degree transcripts, employment references on company letterhead, and a detailed resume that maps your experience to the ANZSCO description for your occupation. Gaps between your job title and the ANZSCO definition are the most common reason assessments are delayed or refused.

Understand what Australian employers actually need from you

Australian employers who want to hire overseas workers must, in most cases, demonstrate they could not find a suitable Australian candidate first. This is called labour market testing (LMT). It means the job will usually be advertised publicly for at least 28 days before an overseas hire is confirmed. Applying during that window, not after, gives you the best chance.

Employers also need to be an approved sponsor or be willing to become one. Sponsorship costs the employer money and administrative effort, so smaller companies often avoid it. Focus your search on medium to large employers, multinationals with Australian offices, and industries with documented shortages such as construction, healthcare, technology and engineering.

Your cover letter should address the visa question directly rather than hoping the employer will not notice. A short paragraph explaining that you hold a positive skills assessment, that your occupation is on the CSOL, and that you are prepared to discuss sponsorship or that you are already on a working visa removes the main reason employers discard overseas applications without reading them.

• Target employers with existing sponsorship approval: check the Home Affairs register of approved sponsors
• Prioritise shortage industries: healthcare, construction, engineering, technology, aged care
• Apply within the first two weeks of a posting to be considered during the LMT window
• State your visa status and assessment outcome in the first paragraph of your cover letter

Time your application to the visa pathway

The timing of your job applications should align with where you are in the visa process. If you are applying for a points-tested visa, you submit an EOI in SkillSelect and wait for an invitation to apply. Processing times for the 189 visa have ranged from six to eighteen months in recent years. During that wait, you can still apply for jobs, but frame yourself as someone who will be available within a defined window.

If you are pursuing employer sponsorship through the SID visa, the sequence is: receive a job offer, employer lodges a nomination, you lodge the visa application. The nomination and visa can be lodged together. Current processing times for the Core Skills stream sit around four to eight months, though this changes. Check the Home Affairs processing times page for the current median.

If you are already in Australia on a student visa, graduate visa (subclass 485) or partner visa with work rights, you are in the strongest position. You can apply as a local hire, work immediately, and discuss permanent pathways with the employer later. Make this clear in your application.

1. Check your occupation against the CSOL and relevant state lists
2. Lodge your skills assessment application with the correct authority
3. Submit an EOI in SkillSelect if pursuing a points-tested visa
4. Begin applying for jobs once your assessment is underway or complete
5. Receive an offer, then work with the employer on nomination and visa lodgement

Build a resume that works for Australian hiring managers

Australian resumes follow a different convention from US or UK formats. They are typically two to four pages, include a professional summary at the top, and list work experience in reverse chronological order with quantified achievements. Do not include a photo, date of birth or marital status. These are not expected and can create awkwardness for employers who want to avoid unconscious bias claims.

Tailor each resume to the job description. Australian job ads often list selection criteria explicitly, especially in government roles. Address each criterion with a specific example using the STAR method: Situation, Task, Action, Result. Private sector ads are less formal but still reward specificity over generic claims.

Break-In Bad's AI assistant Omar can enhance your existing resume through a conversation of up to 20 questions, checking every line against what you actually said and keeping your original intact. She then writes a tailored resume and cover letter for each Australian job you apply for, drawing only from facts you have confirmed. This is useful when you are applying across multiple states or industries and need each application to reflect the specific role.

Where to find Australian jobs that accept overseas applicants

Seek is the dominant job board in Australia and the first place to search. Filter by location and use the keyword 'sponsorship' or 'visa sponsorship considered' to surface roles where employers have already signalled openness. LinkedIn is widely used for professional roles and allows you to set your location to Australia while keeping your current country visible.

The Home Affairs register of approved sponsors is public and searchable. Cross-referencing companies on that list with job boards gives you a shortlist of employers who have already done the administrative work to hire overseas workers. Industry associations in your field often publish job boards and employer directories that are less competitive than the main platforms.

Recruitment agencies that specialise in skilled migration placements, such as those focused on healthcare or engineering, can also be worth contacting directly. They understand the visa process and often have relationships with approved sponsors.

• Seek.com.au: Australia's largest job board, filter by 'sponsorship'
• LinkedIn: set location to Australia, connect with Australian recruiters in your field
• Home Affairs approved sponsors register: free to search, confirms sponsorship capacity
• Industry association job boards: less competitive, often list shortage-area roles
• Migration-specialist recruiters: useful for healthcare, engineering and trades