Can I sponsor a bookkeeper or accounts clerk in Australia? Bookkeeper no, accountant yes with caveats

Bookkeeper or accountant: the Department’s test

The caveats were written for exactly the nomination small businesses attempt: a bookkeeper or accounts clerk nominated as an Accountant. The Department reads the duties against the ANZSCO tasks, checks the turnover and headcount, and refuses the nomination, with a sponsor bar to follow where the position was described falsely.

When an accountant nomination is genuine

A business with turnover above A$1 million and at least five employees, nominating a degree-qualified accountant who prepares financial statements and tax, advises management and is paid at or above the floor, is routine, and accounting firms sponsor graduates and seniors on this basis every week; the 186 Direct Entry needs a CPA, CA or IPA assessment. Program or Project Administrator (511112), Contract Administrator (511111) and Office Manager (512111) are also on the Core Skills list for genuine roles of that kind, and Human Resource Adviser (223111) carries the same clerical exclusion as the accountant codes. The office roles side by side: office manager or administrator.

Bookkeepers already here

The role does not have to wait for a visa. Three groups can work for you today without sponsorship, and bookkeeping and accounts teams 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.

Accounting is one of the largest international student fields, and a 485 graduate with an Australian accounting degree working as a bookkeeper today is the standard sponsored accountant of two years’ time, once the role and the business meet the caveats. Sponsoring an existing employee; candidate side: accounting jobs with sponsorship.

Do not nominate the role under an occupation it is not. A bookkeeper nominated as an Accountant in a business under A$1 million turnover 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 bookkeeper on the skilled occupation list? No. Bookkeeper, accounts clerk, payroll clerk and accounts payable or receivable roles are on no Australian skilled list, so the 482, 186 and 494 are not available.

Can a small business sponsor an accountant? Only if the business has annual turnover of at least A$1 million and at least five employees, and the role is genuinely an accountant’s (degree-qualified, financial statements, tax, advice), not clerical or bookkeeping work. Those are caveats on the Accountant codes.

Can I sponsor my bookkeeper as an accountant? No. The Accountant caveats expressly exclude clerical, bookkeeping and accounting clerk positions, and a mismatch between the duties and the code is refused with a sponsor bar to follow.

Who does bookkeeping without sponsorship? Accounting students (48 hours a fortnight in term), 485 graduates with full work rights, and partner and bridging visa holders, after a VEVO check.