Can I sponsor a sales assistant or retail supervisor in Australia?

Why not

The Core Skills list starts, with few exceptions, at skill level 3; sales and checkout work sits at levels 4 and 5, and the Department has never treated retail floor shortages as a migration matter. Labour market testing is irrelevant until an occupation is nominable. The common workaround, nominating the best sales assistant as a Retail Manager, is the single most refused nomination in retail: the Department checks whether there is a store to manage, staff reporting to the person, managerial duties and a salary at or above A$79,423 the business can support. When a store manager nomination is genuine.

Who can work your floor now

The floor does not have to wait for a visa. Three groups can work for you today without sponsorship, and retail already runs on them:

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

SponsorTalent lists retail candidates by 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.

The DAMA route

Several regional DAMAs list retail supervisors and shop managers with concessions on salary and English, reflecting towns where the supermarket cannot staff itself; the agreement for your region, if there is one, is on sponsor workers in your state, and the business must be endorsed by the regional body. How DAMAs compare with the other routes: PALM, labour agreement or DAMA.

The retail roles that are listed

Retail Manager (General), Butcher or Smallgoods Maker, Baker, Pastrycook, Retail Pharmacist, Pharmacy Technician, Hairdresser and Beauty Therapist are all on the Core Skills list. A sales assistant who completes a retail management qualification and takes over a store with staff becomes a genuine Retail Manager you can nominate; a deli hand who completes a Certificate III in Meat Processing becomes a Butcher. The full sector list: retail occupations you can sponsor. Do not nominate the role under an occupation it is not. A sales assistant nominated as a Retail Manager, a shop supervisor as a Retail Buyer or a counter hand as a Butcher is tested against the duties, the qualification, the size of the business 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, nominate that job at its rate; if not, use the routes above.

Frequently asked questions

Is sales assistant on the skilled occupation list? No. Sales assistant, retail supervisor, checkout operator and shelf filler are on no Australian skilled list, so the 482, 186 and 494 are not available.

Can I sponsor my best sales assistant as a store manager? Only if they genuinely manage a store with staff reporting to them, managerial duties and a salary of at least A$79,423 the business can support. A sales assistant nominated as a manager is refused and can bar the business from sponsoring.

Can a regional supermarket sponsor a retail supervisor? Possibly, under a Designated Area Migration Agreement that lists the occupation, with the business endorsed by the regional body and the worker meeting the agreement’s concessions.

Who works retail without sponsorship? International students (48 hours a fortnight in term, unlimited in breaks), working holiday makers (six months per employer), and partner, graduate and bridging visa holders with full work rights, after a VEVO check.