The list, role by role
| Role | ANZSCO | Standard 482 / 186 | Other routes | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social Worker | 272511 | Yes (482, 186, 494) | 189/190/491 | AASW assessment: an accredited social work degree, not a counselling or community services qualification; AASW eligibility is usually needed by the employer too |
| Youth Worker, Community Worker, Family Support Worker, Residential Care Officer | 411716 / 411711 / 411713 / 411715 | Yes | 494, 190/491 | ACWA assessment for the 186; Diploma of Community Services or Youth Work, or a degree; the job must be case and program work, not personal care |
| Drug and Alcohol Counsellor, Rehabilitation Counsellor, Student Counsellor | 272112 / 272114 / 272115 | Yes | 494, 190/491 | VETASSESS; a counselling degree or graduate diploma |
| Clinical, Educational and Organisational Psychologists, Psychologists nec | 272311 / 272312 / 272313 / 272399 | Yes | 189/190/491 | Ahpra registration via the Psychology Board (APS assessment for the visa) |
| Diversional Therapist, Recreation Officer | 411311 / 272612 | Yes | 494 | VETASSESS |
| Welfare Worker, Careers Counsellor, Family and Marriage Counsellor, Counsellors nec, Disabilities Services Officer, Health Promotion Officer | 272613 / 272111 / 272113 / 272199 / 411712 / 251911 | No (Short-term list only) | 494 regionally; 190/491 by state | Nominate the Core Skills code the duties genuinely fit (a disabilities services officer doing case coordination may be a Community Worker) |
| Welfare Centre Manager | 134214 | Check the current list by code | 189/190/491 | Our list data shows the long-term list without a Core Skills entry; verify before nominating |
| Health and Welfare Services Managers nec | 134299 | No (Short-term list only) | 494, 190/491 | |
| Disability Support Worker, Aged or Disabled Carer, Personal Care Assistant, Nursing Support Worker | 4231xx | No | Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement (aged care providers only); DAMAs (the Kimberley list carries Aged or Disabled Carer, Nursing Support Worker and Disabilities Services Officer) | NDIS providers have no industry agreement; see WIDEN’s NDIS sponsorship guide |
| Case worker, support coordinator, housing officer, intake officer | no code of their own | Depends on the duties | Coded by what the person does: Community Worker, Family Support Worker or Social Worker where the work and qualification match; otherwise not listed |
List positions change with each instrument; verify by ANZSCO code on the Department’s current Core Skills list. The qualification decides more than the title: a Diploma of Community Services makes a case worker a Community Worker, a Certificate III in Individual Support makes them a support worker, and the Department reads the position description for which one the job actually is.
The routes for the roles that are not listed
- Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement: direct care workers (personal care assistants, aged or disabled carers, nursing support workers) for approved aged care providers, with concessions on English and salary and a permanent pathway after two years; how to hire aged care workers. It does not extend to NDIS or community providers.
- Regional DAMAs: the Kimberley agreement lists Aged or Disabled Carer, Nursing Support Worker, Disabilities Services Officer and Community Worker, and most regional agreements carry the care roles; your state’s agreements.
- The onshore pool: the support workforce is already drawn from students, graduates, partners and working holiday makers, for whom aged care and disability work is exempt from the six-month limit; who can work for you now.
- Employer advice for NDIS providers: WIDEN’s sponsoring disability support workers.
The care hub covers the health side of the same workforce: care sector occupations you can sponsor.
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 community services 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 mistake to avoid
Do not nominate the role under an occupation it is not. A disability support worker nominated as a Community Worker, or a case worker without the degree as a Social Worker 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
Which community services jobs can be sponsored on a 482 visa? Social Worker, Youth Worker, Community Worker, Family Support Worker, Residential Care Officer, drug and alcohol, rehabilitation and student counsellors, psychologists, diversional therapists and recreation officers are on the Core Skills list. Support workers, carers, welfare workers and disabilities services officers are not.
Can an NDIS provider sponsor a support worker? Not on the standard visas, and there is no NDIS labour agreement. The Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement is for approved aged care providers only. The routes are a regional DAMA that lists the role and the onshore visa-holder pool.
Can I sponsor a case worker? If the job and qualification match a listed code: Community Worker, Family Support Worker or Youth Worker with a Diploma of Community Services or equivalent, or Social Worker with an AASW-accredited degree. A case worker with a Certificate III in Individual Support is a support worker and not listed.
Is social worker on the skilled list? Yes. Social Worker 272511 is on the Core Skills and long-term lists, so the 482, 186 and 494 are available, with an AASW assessment of an accredited social work degree.
Search social, youth and community workers
Degree and diploma-qualified community services professionals already in Australia on graduate, partner and bridging visas, plus overseas candidates with assessments, with qualification and visa status visible before you unlock a contact.
Want the paperwork done? WIDEN (Keshab Chapagain, MARN 1576536) lodges sponsorship, nomination and visa applications on fixed fees; start with a 30-minute consultation, $330 inc. GST, credited if you engage.
Candidates: in community services and looking for sponsorship? See sponsored jobs by occupation.
General information only, not migration advice. SponsorTalent is a marketplace; migration advice is provided by WIDEN (Keshab Chapagain, MARN 1576536) under a service agreement. Occupation list status is read from the Department of Home Affairs lists as published; lists, caveats and labour-agreement terms change, and the Department's current page is the only authority. Figures: Department of Home Affairs price list and salary page, 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027; processing times published 29 September 2026. No outcome can be guaranteed.