Strategies for mobilising talent to Australia

Australia’s STEM sectors, including energy, mining, infrastructure, and technology, continue to grow, but a shortage of skilled professionals is making talent acquisition increasingly challenging.

This article explores the state of the Australian job market and provides a practical guide to international recruitment.

It covers the key steps involved in hiring overseas talent, including becoming an approved sponsor, managing nominations, and navigating visa applications.

It also examines common workforce challenges and outlines migration and recruitment strategies that can help organisations attract and retain the global talent needed to support business growth.

Key takeaways

• Australia’s STEM talent shortage remains a critical challenge, particularly in specialised and high-demand roles.
• International recruitment is becoming a strategic workforce planning tool, not just a short-term hiring solution.
• The Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa provides a pathway to access global talent and address persistent skills gaps.
• Successful workforce mobilisation requires more than sponsorship, with compliance, candidate experience, and retention all playing a key role.
• Organisations that can access and mobilise global talent efficiently will be better positioned to support growth and deliver projects.

How to leverage the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa to mobilise talent?

Australia's STEM sectors are thriving. While demand for skilled professionals remains high, labour market conditions have eased from recent peaks, with shortages now more targeted by occupation and region. Unemployment sits in the mid‑4% range, and employers still face competition when sourcing specialised talent.

Airswfit's GETI survey reveals a significant interest in global mobility among respondents, with 75% of professionals expressing a desire for international opportunities. This demand for international experiences creates a unique opportunity for employers to tap into the global talent pool.

However, competition is fierce, making effective recruitment and migration strategies paramount.

How to initiate international recruitment in Australia?

Engaging with international talent can be effectively accomplished by forming partnerships with companies specialising in navigating the complexities of visa compliance and international hiring.

Additionally, organisations in Australia can directly hire overseas talent through the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa, which replaced the former Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa in December 2024. This program enables approved sponsors to address targeted skill shortages by bringing in qualified workers from overseas to fill critical roles. 

How to become a pre-approved sponsor for the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa program?

The Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa is designed to help Australian employers address targeted skill shortages and fill critical roles. The program draws from Australia’s skilled occupation lists, including the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL), which now includes over 450 occupations across a wide range of industries.

To participate, employers must become an approved sponsor (also known as a standard business sponsor). The nomination and visa application processes require businesses to demonstrate a genuine need for the role, follow fair and non-discriminatory recruitment practices, and ensure that the nominated candidate has the appropriate skills, qualifications, and relevant work experience.

Eligibility criteria for sponsorships encompass:

• Active and lawful business operations in Australia

• A clean compliance record with no adverse information
• Commitment to ongoing sponsorship obligations, including maintaining employment standards and regulatory compliance

Once approved, sponsorship is typically valid for five years, during which employers can nominate overseas workers as needed.

Following is a summary of the criteria required to become a pre-approved sponsor for the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa: 

Key steps to becoming an approved sponsor

1. Business eligibility check
   Confirm that your organisation is a legally registered and actively operating business in Australia.
2. Demonstrate genuine need
   Provide evidence that the role cannot be filled locally and is essential to your operations.
3. Nominate an occupation
   Select an occupation from the relevant skilled occupation list that aligns with your business needs.
4. Labour market testing (LMT)
   In most cases, demonstrate efforts to recruit locally through compliant job advertising.
5. Salary and employment conditions
   Offer a salary that meets current thresholds and aligns with the Australian market salary rate for the role.
6. Apply for sponsorship
   Submit an application to become a standard business sponsor, including all required documentation.
7. Nomination application
   Once approved, nominate a specific role and candidate under the Skills in Demand visa program.
8. Visa application
   The nominated candidate applies for the visa, with eligibility assessed based on skills, experience, and other requirements.

Ongoing obligations

Approved sponsors must:

• Maintain accurate records of sponsored employees
• Ensure compliance with visa conditions and employment laws
• Notify the Department of Home Affairs of relevant changes
• Provide equivalent terms and conditions to those offered to Australian workers

Additional considerations

• Processing times vary depending on application complexity and government workload
• Skills assessments may be required depending on the occupation and visa stream
• Professional advice from relevant agents can help navigate complex cases
• Employers should stay informed on policy updates, as immigration settings continue to evolve

What is the application process under the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa?

As part of the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa process, employers must carefully assess candidates to ensure they meet the requirements for the nominated role. This step is critical to successfully attracting and hiring skilled international professionals.

Key considerations include:

• Assessing skills and experience
  Employers must evaluate the candidate’s skills, qualifications, and relevant work experience to ensure alignment with the nominated occupation.
• Skills assessments (where required)
  Depending on the occupation and visa stream, a formal skills assessment may be required by an authorised assessing body.
• Work experience requirements
  Applicants typically need at least one year of relevant work experience, although this may vary depending on the visa stream, occupation, or specific labour agreement.
• Qualification requirements
  Educational requirements vary by role and are not limited to degree qualifications; vocational or industry-recognised credentials may also be acceptable.

Employers can access up-to-date guidance on the Skills in Demand visa via the Department of Home Affairs. The program is aligned with Australia’s current skilled occupation lists, including the CSOL.

The visa now operates under multiple streams, such as the Core Skills and Specialist Skills streams, with most roles offering visas of up to four years, depending on the stream and occupation 

How to engage talent and on-hire labour licensing

Australia's STEM sectors are experiencing remarkable growth, yet the scarcity of skilled professionals persists, with an unemployment rate of around 4.4% as of May 2026. Accessing the right talent is vital for project development. 

Airswift’s 2026 Global Energy Talent Index also shows that global mobility remains an important part of workforce strategy, although willingness to relocate has declined.

In traditional energy, 75% of professionals said they would consider relocating for work, down from 80% in 2025 and 89% in 2022. This creates both a challenge and an opportunity for employers: global talent remains available, but organisations must offer compelling roles, clear career pathways and a compliant mobilisation process to attract and retain highly skilled professionals.  

To engage talent effectively, employers require an on-hire labour license. This license can be acquired in two ways. The first involves partnering with a company that manages the entire process, from talent identification to compliant visa management and candidate payroll.

The second approach is to obtain the license directly. In this case, businesses must become pre-approved sponsors, a status that remains valid for five years, allowing them to nominate an unlimited number of overseas workers.

How to navigate the Skills in Demand subclass 482 application process?

The Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) is Australia’s current employer-sponsored temporary skilled visa pathway. It enables approved Australian employers to sponsor suitably skilled overseas workers where they cannot source appropriately skilled Australian talent.

The process generally involves three stages: becoming an approved sponsor, nominating a skilled role, and supporting the candidate through the visa application.

Step 1: Becoming a pre-approved sponsor

Employers planning to recruit internationally must first become an approved sponsor through Standard Business Sponsorship (SBS). This approval is generally valid for five years and allows eligible businesses to nominate overseas workers under the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa.

To qualify, businesses must:

• Be legally established and actively operating in Australia
• Meet sponsorship obligations and employment standards
• Maintain accurate records of sponsored employees
• Notify the Department of Home Affairs of relevant business or employment changes
• Ensure sponsored workers are employed in accordance with visa and workplace requirements

Businesses can manage the sponsorship process directly or partner with a workforce mobility specialist to support compliance, onboarding, and mobilisation. As processing times vary, employers should refer to the Department of Home Affairs for the latest guidance.

Step 2: The nomination process

Once sponsorship is approved, employers must nominate a role under the appropriate Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa stream. The nomination process confirms that the position is genuine, skilled, and meets the relevant occupation, salary, and employment requirements.

Key nomination requirements include:

• Choose the correct visa stream: Core Skills, Specialist Skills, or Labour Agreement.
• Identify the appropriate occupation and ensure it aligns with the nominated stream.
• Meet salary requirements, including the Annual Market Salary Rate and applicable income threshold.
• Core Skills nominations generally require the occupation to be listed on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL).
• Specialist Skills nominations apply to eligible ANZSCO occupations that meet the Specialist Skills Income Threshold.
• Labour Agreement nominations apply where the employer has a formal agreement with the Australian Government.
• Conduct labour market testing where required.
• Follow fair and non-discriminatory recruitment practices throughout the hiring process.

For nominations lodged between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027, the:

• Core Skills Income Threshold is AUD 79,423
• Specialist Skills Income Threshold is AUD 146,576

Labour hire licensing is separate from visa sponsorship. Labour hire licences are generally required only for labour hire providers operating in jurisdictions with licensing schemes. Host employers using labour hire providers should ensure their provider holds the necessary licence where applicable.

Step 3: The visa application process

Once a role has been nominated, the overseas candidate can submit their Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa application. The application assesses whether the individual has the skills, qualifications, and experience required for the nominated position.

Key considerations include:

• Relevant work experience, typically at least one year in the nominated occupation or a closely related field
• Qualifications and credentials that meet the requirements of the role
• Skills assessments, where required by the occupation or visa stream
• Health and character requirements set by the Australian Government
• Stream-specific requirements, which may vary depending on the occupation and visa pathway

Processing times vary depending on application complexity, occupation, and government workload, so employers should refer to the Department of Home Affairs for the latest guidance.

Because requirements can differ by occupation and candidate circumstances, many employers choose to work with workforce mobility and recruitment specialists to help ensure compliance and streamline the hiring process.

How can Airswift help me with talent mobilisation?

Are you an Australian employer looking to unlock the potential of the global talent pool and address the scarcity of skilled professionals in STEM sectors?

Connect with our workforce solutions specialists to learn how we can support your expansion into Australia.