Can I sponsor a warehouse worker, storeperson or picker-packer in Australia?

Why not

The Core Skills list starts, with few exceptions, at skill level 3; warehouse occupations sit at levels 4 and 5, and the Department has never treated them as migration shortages. Forklift and high-risk work licences are issued by state regulators after short courses to anyone with work rights, so the licensed roles are no different. Labour market testing only matters once an occupation is nominable.

Who can work your floor now

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

The compliance risk in warehousing is the opposite one: students rostered over 48 hours a fortnight through labour-hire chains, cash payments, and nobody running the VEVO check. The host is liable for the hours and pay of workers it never met; run the check, keep rosters inside the condition, and use licensed labour hire where your state requires it (Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and the ACT).

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.

The listed roles above the floor

Supply and Distribution Manager (133611) and Fleet Manager (149411) are on the Core Skills list for genuine management roles (the supply and distribution code excludes businesses under A$1 million turnover and roles with fewer than five staff reporting); Office Manager (512111) is listed for a genuine administration manager; ICT roles that run the warehouse management system are listed under their own codes. The sector list: transport and logistics occupations you can sponsor. Do not nominate the role under an occupation it is not. A storeperson nominated as a Supply and Distribution Manager or a team leader as an Office Manager 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 storeperson on the skilled occupation list? No. Storeperson, warehouse worker, picker and packer and forklift driver are on no Australian skilled list, so the 482, 186 and 494 are not available.

Can international students work in warehouses? Yes, within 48 hours a fortnight in term and unlimited hours in breaks, after a VEVO check, paid through payroll at the award rate. Hosts using labour hire remain liable for hours and pay.

Can a regional distribution centre sponsor warehouse staff under a DAMA? Only where the regional agreement lists the occupation; the Kimberley list carries forklift drivers, and others carry warehouse roles. Check the agreement for your region.

Can I sponsor my warehouse manager? If the role is genuinely Supply and Distribution Manager with the duties, a business over A$1 million turnover, at least five staff reporting and a salary of at least A$79,423, yes.