Can I sponsor a beauty therapist in Australia? Yes, since December 2024

What the nomination needs

• A qualified therapist: skill level 3; a Diploma of Beauty Therapy (SHB50121) or an overseas equivalent with experience. A Certificate III in nail technology or make-up does not meet it.
• VETASSESS assessment for the 186 Direct Entry and where the Department requests it for the 482; the assessment tests the qualification and post-qualification experience against the occupation.
• A genuine therapy role: the Department reads the position description against the ANZSCO tasks (skin analysis and treatment, facials, body treatments, hair removal, advanced modalities) and the venue. A nail bar or a retail counter in a pharmacy is not a beauty therapy position.
• Salary of at least A$79,423 or the market rate as full-time annual earnings; the Hair and Beauty Award sits far below, so the nominated salary is a senior therapist’s package that the business’s takings can support.
• Labour market testing: two advertisements of at least 28 days on platforms with national reach within four months of nominating, unless an exemption applies.
• Government charges: sponsorship A$420, nomination A$330 plus the Skilling Australians Fund levy of A$1,200 a year under A$10 million turnover, visa A$4,015 for a 482. Timeline; costs and the decision.

Massage therapists are listed separately with a caveat (therapeutic setting, full-time, not relaxation massage, not retail) that most spas fail; dermal and laser clinicians are nominated as beauty therapists where the qualification fits, or as nurses where they are nurses. The sector list: beauty and hair occupations you can sponsor.

Therapists already here

The role does not have to wait for a visa. Three groups can work for you today without sponsorship, and salons and clinics already run on them:

• Working holiday makers (417 and 462): any role, six months per employer; register with the ATO for the 15 per cent rate and pay super. Employing working holiday makers.
• International students: 48 hours a fortnight in term, unlimited in breaks. Employing international students.
• Partner, graduate (485) and bridging visa holders: full work rights, a VEVO check and nothing else. Who can work for you now.

SponsorTalent lists candidates by occupation, visa and city, so you can see who can start on Monday before you make contact; search is free and a contact unlocks for A$30.

Beauty therapy is a large international student field, and a Diploma graduate on a 485 visa has the qualification, Australian clients and no relocation; the salon that hires students now and nominates the graduate later has the cheapest pipeline there is. Sponsoring an existing employee.

The mistake to avoid

Do not nominate the role under an occupation it is not. A nail technician or retail beauty adviser nominated as a Beauty Therapist is tested against the duties, the qualification, the award classification and the pay, and a mismatch is refused, can bar the business from sponsoring for years, and exposes the worker to cancellation. If the person genuinely does the listed job and holds its qualification, nominate that job at its rate; if not, use the routes above.

Frequently asked questions

Is beauty therapist on the skilled occupation list? Yes. Beauty Therapist (451111) was added to the Core Skills list in December 2024 for the 482 and 186.

What qualification does a sponsored beauty therapist need? A Diploma of Beauty Therapy or an overseas equivalent with experience, assessed by VETASSESS for the 186 and where the Department requests it for the 482.

Can a nail salon sponsor a beauty therapist? Only for a genuine beauty therapy position: facials, skin and body treatments, hair removal and advanced services, with the diploma. A nail position nominated as beauty therapy is refused.

What salary does a sponsored beauty therapist need? At least A$79,423 or the market rate, whichever is higher, as full-time annual earnings.