Can I sponsor an office manager, administrator or personal assistant in Australia?

The office roles, side by side

Verify by code on the Department’s current Core Skills list. The salary floor of A$79,423 or the market rate applies to every sponsored role, which is itself the practical filter: an administrator paid A$60,000 is not nominated as an office manager by adding A$20,000 on paper, because the Department checks the market rate for the role and the business’s capacity to pay it.

When an office manager nomination is genuine

A business with a real office function (several administrative staff, payroll, facilities, systems, supplier contracts) nominating the person who runs it, with a relevant qualification or years of equivalent experience, at a salary that matches the role in that city, is routine. A business with one administrator nominating them as the office manager, with no staff reporting and no management duties, is refused as a non-genuine position, and the Department’s monitoring treats the pattern as a sponsorship-for-residence arrangement. Put the organisation chart, the position description and the payroll in the file; they decide these nominations.

Administrators already here

The role does not have to wait for a visa. Three groups can work for you today without sponsorship, and offices 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. An administrative assistant nominated as an Office Manager, or a receptionist as a Program or Project Administrator 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 office manager on the skilled occupation list? Yes. Office Manager (512111) is on the Core Skills list for the 482, 186 and 494, for a genuine role managing an office’s staff, budgets and administration, with a diploma-level qualification or equivalent experience and a salary of at least A$79,423.

Can I sponsor an administrative assistant or receptionist? No. Administrative assistant, receptionist, data entry operator and accounts clerk are on no skilled list. Personal assistant and secretary are on the regional list only, which opens the 494 in regional areas.

Can I sponsor a project administrator? Yes, as Program or Project Administrator (511112) on the Core Skills list, for a role that genuinely administers a program or project’s budget, schedule and reporting, not a general assistant on a project team.

Can I sponsor a marketing coordinator? Possibly, as Marketing Specialist (225113), which is on the Core Skills list with caveats excluding front-line retail and transactional roles and businesses under A$1 million turnover; the role must be genuinely a marketing specialist’s.