Office Manager Visa Pathways to Australia – Skills Assessment & PR Explained
📌Published by Nationwide Migration & Education
👩💼Led by Registered Migration Agent Suman Dua (MARN: 1800859)
If you’re currently working as an Office Manager and you’re exploring migration pathways to Australia, today’s blog is going to be extremely helpful.
Today we are covering the occupation of Office Manager, ANZSCO 512111 — one of the most common managerial roles across small and medium-sized organisations, and importantly, an occupation with clear employer-sponsored visa pathways.
1. Visa Options for Office Managers
Just like several other managerial occupations, Office Manager is currently listed on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL), which means it is eligible for:
482 Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa
186 Employer Nomination Scheme visa (Direct Entry stream)
494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa
The overall visa requirements are similar to other managerial occupations, but the skills assessment criteria and tasks for Office Manager are different — and today we’ll break both down clearly.
2. 482 Visa Pathway — No Skills Assessment Required
If you have at least one year of full-time experience working as an Office Manager at the required skill level, your employer may sponsor you for a 482 visa.
Key points:
No skills assessment is required for Office Manager for the 482 visa
Employer can be based anywhere in Australia
You must show that you genuinely perform Office Manager tasks
This visa provides a pathway to PR after two years, through the 186 Transition Stream if the employer is eligible
This is the most common option for applicants who have solid experience but have not completed a formal skills assessment yet.
3. 186 Permanent Residency (Direct Entry) — Skills Assessment Required
If you want to apply directly for permanent residency, Office Manager is also eligible under the 186 Direct Entry stream.
For this option, you must have:
A positive skills assessment from VETASSESS
Be under 45 years of age and have competent English
At least three years of post-qualification experience
An employer anywhere in Australia willing to nominate you
This visa leads directly to PR without needing to hold a 482 visa first.
4. 494 Regional Visa — Pathway to the 191 PR Visa
Office Manager is also eligible for the 494 visa, which requires:
A positive skills assessment
Nomination from a regional employer
Be under 45 years of age and have competent English
At least 3 years of work experience
The major benefit of the 494 visa is that after three years, you can apply for the 191 permanent residency visa, with no need for another nomination.
You simply need to show:
Three years living and working in a regional area, and
Working for the nominated sponsor
5. Skills Assessment for Office Manager (VETASSESS Group C)
Office Manager is a VETASSESS Group C occupation.
This means you must meet requirements in two areas:
Qualification
Highly relevant employment
a. Qualification Requirement
Your qualification must be equivalent to at least an AQF Diploma or higher in Australia.
Highly relevant fields of study include:
Business Administration
Management
Other closely related fields may be accepted on a case-by-case basis, but only if your employment is highly relevant.
b. Employment Requirement
To pass the employment assessment, you must show paid employment of 20 hours per week or more performing highly relevant Office Manager tasks.
VETASSESS requires:
1–3 years of highly relevant employment within the last 5 years depending on your qualification structure, OR
4+ years of relevant employment, including at least one year within the last five years (if experience was gained before completing the qualification)
This is assessed strictly, so your documents must clearly demonstrate that you operate at a managerial level.
c. Highly Relevant Tasks for Office Manager
According to VETASSESS, highly relevant tasks include:
Contributing to planning, reviewing, and setting office service standards
Allocating human resources, workspace, and equipment
Assigning work and monitoring staff performance
Managing office records and accounts
Coordinating with professionals to resolve office issues
Overseeing office equipment and supplies
Ensuring compliance with WHS requirements
Ensuring procedures comply with legislation and organisational policies
Coordinating HR functions such as hiring, payroll, performance management, and training
You must be performing managerial-level tasks — not clerical tasks like personal assistants or secretaries.
d. Organisational Chart Requirement
A mandatory requirement for Office Manager assessments is the organisational chart, showing:
Your position
Your supervisor
Your subordinates
All positions reporting to your supervisor and to you
If you cannot obtain it, VETASSESS requires a statutory declaration explaining why, along with a diagram you prepare yourself.
6. Summary of Visa Pathways
Here is a quick summary:
🟦 482 Visa (Temporary)
No skills assessment required
One year experience required
Employer anywhere in Australia
Leads to PR after two years through 186 Transition Stream
🟩 186 Visa (Direct Entry)
Skills assessment required
Three years post-qualification experience
Direct PR option
Under 45 years of age
Competent English
🟨 494 Regional Visa
Skills assessment required
Under 45 years of age
Competent English
Regional employer
PR after three years through the 191 visa
No new nomination required
7. How Our Team Can Help
At Nationwide Migration and Education:
We assess your eligibility across 482, 186 and 494 pathways
We prepare your VETASSESS skills assessment
We guide your employer through nomination requirements
We prepare your visa application from start to finish
We handle complex experience documentation, organisational charts, and statutory declarations
You will work with a highly experienced team with a proven track record in employer-sponsored visas
If you would like to discuss your options, you can book a consultation or contact our office directly at +61 7 37265183.
⚠️Disclaimer
Visa rules and eligibility criteria are subject to change. This blog is intended as general guidance only. For personalised advice based on your individual circumstances, pleasebook a consultationwith ourRegistered Migration Agent (MARN: 1800859).
