Can I sponsor a massage therapist in Australia?

The four caveats, applied

Beauty therapists and nail technicians are a different code and a different answer: beauty therapist, nail technician, and the hair and beauty hub.

The steps and costs

1. Evidence of the therapeutic setting: health-fund provider registration, association membership (Massage & Myotherapy Australia, ANTA, AMT), referral relationships, treatment records.
2. Labour market testing: two advertisements of at least 28 days on national-reach platforms within four months of nomination, unless a trade-agreement exemption applies (Thailand, China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam are on the exemption list): labour market testing.
3. Salary of at least A$79,423 or the market rate, which is above most clinic award and contractor rates; a therapist paid per treatment must be moved to a guaranteed salary.
4. Sponsorship (A$420), nomination (A$330 plus the SAF levy of A$1,200 per visa year under A$10m turnover), visa (A$4,015 for the 482; A$6,140 for the 186 or 494); VETASSESS for the 186.

Full costs: cost to sponsor a worker. Timeline: how long sponsorship takes. Small clinics: sponsoring as a small business.

The DAMA route

Designated Area Migration Agreements are the exception to the lists. Regional agreements carry occupations the national lists omit; the Kimberley list (October 2025 version), for example, includes forklift drivers, truck drivers, retail and hospitality roles, and other regional agreements carry some of the same. The business must be in the region, endorsed by the regional body, and the worker must meet the agreement’s concessions on English, salary and age. Which agreement covers your area: sponsor workers in your state; how DAMAs compare with the other routes: PALM, labour agreement or DAMA.

Who can work for you now

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

Do not nominate the role under an occupation it is not. A spa therapist nominated as a Massage Therapist in a therapeutic setting, or a part-time therapist nominated as full-time 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 massage therapist on the skilled occupation list? Yes. Massage Therapist 411611 is on the Core Skills list, with the 482 and 186 available and the 494 regionally, subject to caveats: the position must be full-time, in a therapeutic setting, not non-medical relaxation massage and not in a retail setting.

Can a day spa sponsor a massage therapist? No. The caveats exclude non-medical relaxation massage and retail settings, which covers spas, salons and shopping-centre massage shops. A remedial or myotherapy clinic can sponsor.

What qualification does a sponsored massage therapist need? The Diploma of Remedial Massage (HLT52021) or an assessed overseas equivalent, with VETASSESS assessing qualification and experience for the 186.

What must I pay a sponsored massage therapist? Guaranteed earnings of at least A$79,423 a year or the market rate if higher, in a full-time position. Per-treatment or contractor arrangements do not qualify.