Preparing for an employer sponsorship while on your 485 visa

Amasha
May 3, 2024
Last updated October 11, 2025
3 min read
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Securing an employer sponsorship in Australia

  • Always seek employment related to your academic background. This will ensure that your educational qualifications and employment experience stay consistent, allowing you better chances of seeking a sponsorship.
  • Ensure that your job role is related to your nominated occupation. Whenever you get a new job offer, make sure that you carefully look at the job description, ensuing that you are performing the work at the relevant skill level required for your nominated occupation.
  • Start working as early as you can. All employer sponsored work visas require you to possess several years of work experience. So, do not waste time on your TR, make sure that you start seeking employment as soon as possible.
  • Maintain a consistent , professional media presence. In the new working landscape maintain a strong LinkedIn profile, networking and building contracts is always important.
  • Always seek immigration advice. Even if you do not meet the requirements for an employer sponsored visa at the moment, an immigration lawyer will be able to devise a strategy for you to obtain PR with your current skills and qualifications.

From SC 485 Visa to PR

If you are currently on your TR and already have work experience in your nominated or closely related occupation, you may already be eligible for a SC 482 or SC 186 visa. You can use work experience both in Australia and outside Australia to account for the work experience requirements.

The SC 186 visa is a direct permanent resident visa while the SC 482 visa provides you a pathway to permanent residency after 03 years. If you do not meet the requirements for these employer sponsored visas, you may be eligible for a training visa, which will buy you time to gather the work experience required for a SC 482 or a SC 186.

Planning ahead

Everyone’s journey to permanent residency is different, that’s why we are here to help.

If you are considering your options for permanent residency and evaluating your best options, book a consultation with our lawyer today to receive personalised advice on your pathway to PR and start working on your action plan.

Keith James

Keith James

Keith is a graduate of Monash Law School. He moved to Melbourne, Australia in 2014 and has a passion for working with migrants, who aspire to call Australia their dream home. Being a migrant himself, he has a tremendous capacity to empathise with the problems his clients face and focuses on providing them with outcomes that leads to Permanent Residency in the shortest possible time.

Keith practices in all aspects of Migration law, with a particular focus on Skilled Migration and Family visas. He stays abreast on the latest updates in state nomination criteria and has a wide range of options available to assist his clients navigate their migration aspirations.

  • LLB (Monash University, Australia)
  • Member (Law Institute of Victoria)
  • Member (Migration Institute of Australia)

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kavindu amugoda

I’m really grateful to Keith and the whole MJ Legal team for all the help and support throughout the process. Keith was always very helpful, professional and easy to talk to. Whenever I had questions or was stressed about something, he explained everything clearly and always made me feel supported. The whole team was really good with communication and handled everything very professionally. I’m really happy with the outcome and I truly appreciate all the work they did for me. I would definitely recommend MJ Legal to anyone who needs immigration help. Thank you so much Keith and the team for everything. I really appreciate it.

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Neth Udakara

Neth Udakara

I’m so happy to have received my visa! A big thank you to MJ Legal for their support throughout the process. Special thanks to Amasha for being so helpful, and supportive every step of the way. She and team made the whole process much easier and stress-free. Really appreciate all your help and highly recommend MJ Legal!

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Janith Dissanayake

Janith Dissanayake

As an applicant, one of the most important things you need from your lawyer or migration agent is communication. You want to know what’s happening, what comes next, and that someone is actually there when you need them. Tamasha, Amasha, Keith, and the whole team at MJ were exceptional at this. From the very beginning to the end of the process, we never felt left in the dark. We always knew where things stood, what was needed from us, and what the next step was. They were honest, transparent, easy to reach, and always willing to explain things properly whenever we had a question. Our case wasn’t particularly complicated, but the way they handled everything still gave us a lot of confidence and peace of mind. We never felt like just another file, and you could tell the team genuinely cared about getting things right. If our case had been more complex, or if I ever had to go through this process again, there genuinely isn’t another firm I would want handling it. We’re incredibly grateful to the whole team at MJ, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to anyone going through the migration process.

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Kasun Tharaka

Kasun Tharaka

MJ Legal has been behind me throughout my entire journey since 2019, when I first arrived in Australia as an international student. Their professional guidance and support have helped me move forward through every chapter of my Australian journey — especially during the challenging COVID-19 period, my Temporary Graduate Visa (485), my partner’s dependent visa, Employer Sponsored Visa, and finally, my Permanent Residency. A special thank you to Keith and the entire team for their continuous support, professionalism, and guidance throughout the years. I truly appreciate everything you have done for me and my family. I highly recommend Keith and the MJ Legal team to anyone looking for reliable and professional migration assistance. Keep it up, team! 👏🇦🇺

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Sarah Johnson

Excellent service from MJ Legal. They handled my visa application professionally and efficiently. Highly recommend their expertise in immigration matters.

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