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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Sachitha Praveen

Big thank you to Keith and the team at MJ Legal for all the support and guidance throughout my visa process. I’m very grateful for my recent visa grant and highly recommend their professional service!

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Sachin Wijesirivardhana

I highly recommend mr. Kieth James , Thamasha and mj legal team for any kind of visa matters. They’re not just migration agents, they’re knowledgeable migration lawyers in the industry. I had a great experience with them working in my visa, and helped me successfully obtain my 482 visa during a very challenging time.

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Tashya Pasqual

Keith and his team have been professional and helped me get my visa as soon as possible! A special thank you to Thamasha who handled my case. I highly recommend them.

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Uvini Sayurika

I had an excellent experience with MJ Legal throughout my migration process to Australia. From the very beginning, Keith and his team were professional, knowledgeable, and highly responsive. They guided me step by step, ensuring that every document and requirement was handled accurately and on time. What really stood out was their attention to detail and their willingness to patiently answer all my questions, which made a complex process feel much more manageable. Their expertise and commitment gave me confidence at every stage. I highly recommend MJ Legal to anyone seeking reliable and efficient migration advice. Their support truly made a difference in achieving a smooth and successful outcome.

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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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