r/AusSponsorship

I arrived to Australia on WHV in 2020 right before the world wide pandemic started, since I wasn’t able to work/travel much I applied for tourist after WHV ended and got it granted. During my stay on tourist visa I continued to work. (Yes it’s wrong, I knkw but I had really no other option to support myself). My employer paid me by invoice/ABN so no official super or taxes were paid. In that time I met my current partner (Australian citizen) who also worked there, we were dating for one year and then moved in together. Meanwhile I got 2 temporary working visas granted because I worked in the right industry that was allowing to hire employees on that visa at that time. In September 2024 after living together in the same address for 11 months we applied for partner visa. Unfortunately I was dumb and disclosed on my visa application that me and my partner met in January 2022 when I started working for that company where he also worked. Now we have missed 2 RFI’s (sent to my partner’s email and he did not notice them 🙄). I’ve been also struggling with serious health issues after injuring my back at work in December 2025, I’m going to write a stat declaration to explain missing RFI’s and why I couldn’t attend the medical examination. I will upload all of my unfit certificates of capacity, workers comp liabilities etc. Home Affairs also requested a character assessment (Form 80) from me to fill and I should submit all of my employment there. Only then I realised that I had mentioned work in 2022 when I wasn’t actually allowed to work due to tourist visa 🤦‍♀️ I realised that submitting false/bogus information about work history in 80 Form would probably raise huge red flags and would get my 820 visa cancelled immediately. Has anyone been in the same situation as me? What would be the best thing to do in this situation? Would it better to come clean about breaching previous work condition before Home Affairs discovers it itself? Can immigration lawyer figure out how to come out of this difficult situation perhaps??

Let’s be brutally honest - hitting "Easy Apply" on a Seek or LinkedIn job ad when you live overseas or require a visa transfer is basically dropping your CV into an automated black hole. Has anyone actually landed a genuine, company-sponsored role purely through an online board, or is it entirely about networking, internal transfers, or finding niche employers who are already accredited Standard Business Sponsors?

Hi everyone,

I’d really appreciate some honest feedback from people who have been through something similar.

I’m an Electrical Engineer. I completed my skills assessment and submitted an EOI while living in Victoria for around two years. At the time I had 75 points:

• 30 age (I was 28)
• 20 English
• 15 qualifications
• 10 single (planning to get married so I will lose points unless i can get skills assessment )
• 0 work experience

I never received an invitation. I’m not completely sure why, but my assumption is that the state was prioritising occupations/experience that were more in demand at the time and I am okay with that.

My English test has now expired, so I would need to sit it again if I continue with the points test pathway.

I’m currently in Rural WA on a 485 visa with about 1 year and 2 months left. I now have a job as an Electrical Engineer and have 1 year and 1 month of relevant experience. My employer is willing to sponsor me for a 482 whenever needed.

I’m trying to decide between:

1. Applying for a 482 soon and eventually using the TRT pathway for PR.
2. Staying on my 485 for now, then applying for a 482 closer to its expiry, using that time to build more experience until I have 3 years of experience and aiming for the 186 Direct Entry pathway.

I know migration rules and employer circumstances can change, so I don’t want to leave things too late. At the same time, I’m unsure whether applying for the 482 immediately is the best move when I still have time left on my 485.

If you were in this position, what would you prioritize? Especially interested in experiences from engineers in WA, people who went through 482 to 186 TRT, or anyone who chose DE instead.

Not looking for formal migration advice,just real experiences and perspectives before I speak with a registered migration agent.

I’m currently exploring job opportunities in Australia that can lead to employer sponsorship. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology and over 6 years of experience as a Software Developer, mainly working with .NET, SQL Server, and cloud technologies. I’ve already completed my skills assessment through ACS and scored 8.0 overall in IELTS.

My goal is to secure a role on a Subclass 482 visa that can later transition into permanent residency through the 186 visa. I’m open to mid-level developer positions in Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane, preferably in companies that have sponsored overseas workers before. I’m also happy to consider roles slightly outside my exact experience if the company is willing to support the visa process.

I’ve been preparing all the required documents, including my employment references, payslips, and tax returns from the past few years. I understand that employers need to go through Labour Market Testing and meet the salary threshold, so I’m mainly targeting companies that already have experience with skilled migration.

I’m currently working with Ten Heads Immigration to handle the visa side of things once I secure a job offer. They’ve been guiding me on what employers typically look for and how to present my profile properly.

If anyone here has gone through the employer-sponsored visa route recently, I’d really appreciate any tips on how to approach companies or what to expect during the process. Also, if you know of any companies actively hiring and open to sponsoring overseas talent in IT, that would be very helpful.