ⓘ We do not sell, issue, or provide visas of any kind. Nationwide Migration and Education is a private migration consultancy registered with MARA (MARN 1800859) and is not affiliated with the Australian Government. All visa decisions are made solely by the Department of Home Affairs.
Employer Sponsored Visas in Australia
Work in Australia through employer sponsorship with the guidance of a trusted Registered Migration Agent. We assist skilled professionals and Australian businesses with 482, 186, 494, 407, and DAMA visa pathways — from eligibility to lodgement to PR strategy.
📌 Important: Already have an employer willing to sponsor you? Our team will guide you through the process with clarity, strategy, and expert support to help you move forward with confidence.
What is an Employer Sponsored Visa?
An employer-sponsored visa is a type of work visa that allows a foreign national to live and work in Australia because a company (the employer) has agreed to "sponsor" them. Sponsorship means the employer takes responsibility for:
Offering ongoing employment to the applicant.
Proving to the government that they need to hire a foreign worker (for example, if there are not enough local workers with the required skills).
Supporting the visa application by providing documentation such as the job offer, company details, and sometimes even covering certain visa costs.
At Nationwide Migration & Education, we specialise in supporting skilled professionals and Australian businesses through employer-sponsored visa programs. Whether you’re an employer needing guidance or a skilled professional aiming for permanent residency (PR), our expert team supports you every step of the way.
Why Choose Employer Sponsored Visa?
Clear Pathway to Work in Australia
With an employer-sponsored visa (like the Skills in Demand (SID) visa – subclass 482), you have a job offer from an approved employer. Unlike independent skilled visas, you don’t need to go through the points-based system, which can be highly competitive.
Job Security
Your visa is linked to your sponsoring employer, which usually means you’ll have stable employment from the day you arrive. Employers are motivated to keep you because they’ve invested in the sponsorship process.
Possibility of Permanent Residency
Many employer-sponsored visas are pathways to permanent residency in Australia — for example, the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186). This makes employer sponsorship a strong long-term option.
Faster Processing
In many cases, employer-sponsored visas are processed faster than independent skilled visas. Employers often request priority to fill urgent skill shortages.
Support from Employer
The sponsoring company usually provides support with aspects of the visa application, compliance, and sometimes even relocation-related requirements. This reduces the burden compared to applying independently.
Opportunities in Regional Areas
Australia encourages migration to regional areas through employer sponsorship. Regional employer-sponsored visas often have lower eligibility thresholds and offer a direct pathway to permanent residency.
What Employers and Visa Applicants Must Know
For Employers:
Must obtain Standard Business Sponsorship approval (not mandatory for 186 Direct Entry).
Demonstrate genuine need: recruitment and labour market testing may be required.
Pay required levies (such as the Skilling Australians Fund).
Offer market-rate salaries, safe working conditions, and commitment to the visa holder.
For Applicants:
Must have relevant qualifications and sufficient work experience.
Occupational skills assessment may be required.
English language requirements must be met.
Must satisfy health and character requirements.
Our Process: From Consultation to Lodgement
Assessment & Consultation
We evaluate your eligibility — whether you’re the employer or visa applicant. We map your goals, discuss which subclass fits best, and outline the steps clearly.
Document & Skills Preparation
For employers, we assist with business sponsorship and nomination approval. For employees, we prepare visa applications.
Application Lodgement
Our team prepares and submits your visa application, liaises with the Department of Home Affairs, monitors application progress, and addresses any additional requests.
Ongoing Support & Transition to PR
For eligible applicants, we guide you through permanent residency options and provide support, including advice on relocation, settling into work, and regional pathways.
Why Nationwide Migration & Education?
✅ Experience & Success: Decades of combined experience helping clients succeed.
✅ End-to-End Support: From eligibility checks to PR pathways — you’re supported throughout.
✅ Tailored Solutions: No “one-size-fits-all.” Your background and goals shape your visa strategy.
✅ Transparent, Honest Advice: We explain requirements, fees, and timelines clearly — no surprises.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can any employer sponsor a skilled worker?
No, the business must be an approved sponsor and meet labour market testing requirements. We assist employers in securing sponsorship approval.
What are the requirements for a skilled worker to be sponsored?
The applicant must have the required skills, work experience, and qualifications for an occupation listed on the Core Skills Occupation List.
How long does the employer-sponsored visa process take?
It depends on the subclass, your occupation list, employer nomination approval, and completeness of documents. We’ll provide estimated processing times based on current Department of Home Affairs data.
Can a sponsored worker apply for PR?
Yes! Subclass 186 is a Permanent Visa and 494 visas offer pathways to PR, and even Subclass 482 holders can transition to PR after working for a set period.
What costs are involved?
Costs include Sponsorship fee, nomination fees, visa fees, and Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) charges. We provide a full breakdown during consultation.
Are you affiliated with the Australian Government?
Nationwide Migration and Education is a private migration agency and is not affiliated with the Australian Government. All visa decisions are made by the Department of Home Affairs.
New Zealand Investor & Business Visas from Australia
Most migration agencies in Australia can help you with one country. We help you with two. Suman Dua, principal of Nationwide Migration & Education, is one of very few advisers in the country who is both an Australian Registered Migration Agent (MARN 1800859) and a New Zealand IAA Licensed Immigration Adviser (Licence 202600739). That dual licence means you can plan a New Zealand investor or business visa from right here in Australia, with one adviser who is legally authorised to act on both sides of the Tasman.
Why work with a dual-licensed adviser
New Zealand law is strict about who can give immigration advice. Outside of a handful of exemptions, only a licensed immigration adviser or a New Zealand lawyer can lawfully advise on, or lodge, a New Zealand visa application — even from overseas. An Australian Registered Migration Agent on its own cannot legally advise on New Zealand visas, and a New Zealand adviser with no Australian registration cannot advise on Australian visas.
Suman holds both credentials. For you, that means:
One point of contact for both countries
No referring you out, no piecing together advice from two firms who never speak to each other.
Lawful, compliant NZ advice from Australia
Your application is handled by a properly licensed New Zealand adviser, not an unlicensed referrer.
Genuine trans-Tasman strategy
Decisions about your Australian status and your New Zealand plans are made together, by someone who understands how the two systems interact.
Choose your route to New Zealand residence
Active Investor Plus (AIP)
The Active Investor Plus visa is New Zealand's premier investor residence pathway. It suits high-net-worth individuals who want residence through capital, without running a business day to day.
- Growth category — NZD $5 million over 3 years. For higher-growth and direct investments. This is the more efficient route on both capital and time.
- Balanced category — NZD $10 million over 5 years. A broader range of acceptable investments over a longer hold.
- No English language requirement (removed in 2025).
- Minimal onshore time — as little as around 21 days over 3 years in the Growth category.
- From 1 June 2026: up to 20% of a Growth-category investment can go to philanthropy, and a home purchase of NZD $5 million or more can count toward the investment.
- Settings were substantially reduced from the old NZD $15 million thresholds on 1 April 2025, making the visa far more accessible than it once was.
Business Investor Visa (BIV)
Opened in November 2025, the Business Investor Visa is for people who want to actively buy and run an established New Zealand business as their pathway to residence. It is a work-to-residence route, not a passive one.
- Standard stream — NZD $1 million, with a pathway to residence over roughly 3 years.
- Fast-Track stream — NZD $2 million, with residence in around 12 months.
- This is the right fit if you want to be on the ground, employing staff and operating a real business, rather than simply parking capital.
- It typically requires less upfront investment than AIP and rewards genuine operators.
AIP vs BIV — which is right for you?
| Active Investor Plus (AIP) | Business Investor Visa (BIV) | |
|---|---|---|
| Style | Passive investment | Hands-on owner-operator |
| Capital | NZD $5M (Growth) / $10M (Balanced) | NZD $1M (Standard) / $2M (Fast-Track) |
| Time to residence | 3 years (Growth) / 5 years (Balanced) | ~3 years (Standard) / ~12 months (Fast-Track) |
| Day-to-day involvement | Minimal — you invest, not operate | High — you buy and run a business |
| Onshore presence | Very low (~21 days / 3 yrs, Growth) | Substantial — you live and work there |
| Best for | High-net-worth passive investors | Active business operators |
In short: choose AIP if you have substantial capital and want residence with minimal hands-on commitment; choose BIV if you want a lower capital threshold and are happy to live in New Zealand and run a business. We will assess your funds, your goals and your timeline before recommending one.
The Australia angle: why being here can work in your favour
Plenty of our clients are not New Zealanders or even Australian citizens — they are people currently in Australia who want a second, complementary option.
Temporary visa holders in Australia
If you are on a subclass 485 graduate visa, a 482 work visa, a student visa, or a bridging visa, your Australian pathway may be uncertain or capped. The New Zealand business and investor routes can give you a faster, capital-based path to residence — and once you hold New Zealand residence or citizenship, the trans-Tasman arrangement makes living in Australia far simpler.
Australians and Australia-based investors
New Zealand residence diversifies where you and your family can live, invest and educate your children, while keeping your Australian base intact.
Trans-Tasman mobility
New Zealand and Australia have long-standing arrangements that make moving between the two countries straightforward for the right visa holders. Planning both sides with one adviser lets you use that mobility deliberately rather than by accident.
The process
Consultation
We review your circumstances, funds, current Australian visa status and goals, and confirm whether AIP or BIV fits best.
Strategy and eligibility
We assess your source-of-funds position, investment structure and timeline against current New Zealand settings.
Documentation
We prepare and organise everything Immigration New Zealand requires, including evidence of funds and investment.
Lodgement
As your licensed New Zealand adviser, we lodge and manage your application directly.
Investment and settlement
We guide you through deploying funds (AIP) or acquiring and operating your business (BIV), and through to residence.
Why Nationwide Migration & Education
Dual licensing
Australian Registered Migration Agent (MARN 1800859) and New Zealand IAA Licensed Immigration Adviser (Licence 202600739).
322+ five-star Google reviews
From clients across Australia and beyond.
Brisbane-based, accessible team
Level 4, 320 Adelaide Street, Brisbane QLD — with online consultations for clients anywhere.
One firm, two countries
Genuine trans-Tasman advice without the handballing.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply for a New Zealand investor or business visa while living in Australia?
Yes. Both the Active Investor Plus and Business Investor visas can be planned and lodged from Australia. As a New Zealand Licensed Immigration Adviser, Suman can lawfully advise on and manage your application from our Brisbane office.
I'm on a temporary visa in Australia (485, 482, student or bridging). Can I still use these pathways?
Yes. Your current Australian visa does not prevent you from pursuing a New Zealand investor or business visa. For many temporary visa holders, the New Zealand routes offer a faster, capital-based path to residence.
What's the difference between AIP and the Business Investor Visa?
AIP is a passive investment residence route (NZD $5M or $10M) with minimal onshore time. The Business Investor Visa is a hands-on owner-operator route (NZD $1M or $2M) where you live in New Zealand and run a business. See the comparison table above.
Is there an English language requirement?
The English requirement for the Active Investor Plus visa was removed in 2025. Requirements differ by visa and stream, which we confirm during your consultation.
How much time do I need to spend in New Zealand?
For AIP Growth, onshore time can be as little as around 21 days over 3 years. The Business Investor Visa requires substantial onshore presence because you are actively operating a business.
Why use a dual-licensed adviser instead of two separate firms?
Only a licensed New Zealand adviser or lawyer can lawfully advise on New Zealand visas, and only a registered Australian agent can advise on Australian visas. Suman holds both licences, so your trans-Tasman strategy is handled by one accountable professional.
Do you charge for an initial consultation?
Book a consultation through our website and we will confirm the format and any fee when you make your booking.
If you are considering New Zealand residence through investment or business — whether you are an investor, a business owner, or currently on a temporary Australian visa — talk to an adviser who is licensed on both sides of the Tasman.
New Zealand immigration assistance is provided by a New Zealand Licensed Immigration Adviser (IAA Licence 202600739).
Start Your Employer-Sponsored Visa Journey Today!
Book a Consultation Now and let us help you let us help you navigate the sponsorship process or explore your employer-sponsored visa options in Australia
Call us at 0737265183
Email us at [email protected]