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Getting more employer-sponsored clients: a guide for migration agents

Written 11 November 2026. Sources: Home Affairs and the Federal Register of Legislation, linked under each section.

Employer-sponsored work stalls on one of two gaps: a skilled client with no sponsor, or an employer with a vacancy and no suitable candidate. Practices that close those gaps for their own clients win the nomination and visa work that follows. This guide covers where that work comes from, how to match the two sides, the Code of Conduct points to keep in mind, and how SponsorTalent fits in: free to join, no revenue share, and your clients stay yours.

How big the work is

In the 2025-26 program year to 31 December 2025, Home Affairs granted about 34,360 primary temporary skilled (482) visas, led by sponsors in health care, accommodation and food services, professional services, other services, manufacturing and construction. Chefs, resident medical officers, motor mechanics and software engineers were the most granted occupations. Every one of those grants needed a sponsor, a nomination and a candidate who fitted both.

Source: Home Affairs: temporary resident (skilled) report, 31 December 2025

Where employer-sponsored clients come from

  • Your existing clients. Students, graduates on a 485 and working holiday makers who are already working often have an employer willing to sponsor. Ask early.
  • Employers who already sponsor. An approved sponsor has cleared the first hurdle and usually sponsors again. SponsorTalent's employer directory is built from the Department of Home Affairs approved-sponsor data and is searchable by industry and region; see how to find an employer sponsor for a client.
  • Employers with a vacancy and no candidate. Bring them a screened candidate and you are the obvious agent for the nomination. Candidate profiles on SponsorTalent show occupation, skills-assessment status, English and onshore or offshore status before you pay; see candidate sourcing for migration agents.
  • Other agents. The agent board lets an agent with a candidate and no sponsor find an agent with a sponsor and no candidate. Each keeps their own client.

Matching a candidate to a sponsor

Screen before you spend unpaid hours: the occupation on the relevant list and matching the real duties, the salary at or above A$79,423 and the market rate, the skills assessment where the visa needs it, the English result or passport exemption, and for regulated jobs the registration or licence. The occupation hiring guides set these out for employers, which makes them useful to send to a prospective sponsor: start with hiring visa-ready workers.

What the Code of Conduct means for this work

The Code of Conduct for registered migration agents is prescribed by the Migration (Migration Agents Code of Conduct) Regulations 2021. Two parts matter most when you market for and match clients: you must not hold out unsubstantiated prospects of success or advertise in a false or misleading way, and you must tell clients about any benefit you receive from a third party in connection with their matter, such as a referral payment. Read the Code itself for the exact obligations.

Source: Migration (Migration Agents Code of Conduct) Regulations 2021

How SponsorTalent works for agents

  • Free to join as an agent partner, and free for your candidates to list and your employer clients to register.
  • Pay only to make contact: A$30 to unlock an employer sponsor or a candidate, or a shortlist of matched candidates from A$99 for five. Prices include GST; no subscription.
  • No revenue share. You charge your own professional fees and keep your clients; SponsorTalent takes no cut of your work.
  • Agent board for candidate-to-sponsor matches between agents.
  • Optional document support from WIDEN: WIDEN Migration Experts pays A$550 including GST per referral for 482 nomination documents or 407 training plans, with the referral disclosed to the client.

Frequently asked questions

Is SponsorTalent free for migration agents?

Joining is free, and so are listing candidates and registering employer clients. You pay only to unlock a contact (A$30) or for a shortlist (from A$99). There is no subscription and no revenue share.

Do I keep my clients?

Yes. When an employer connects with your candidate, you continue to handle the visa work. SponsorTalent does not take over clients or share in your fees.

How do I find employers who already sponsor?

Search SponsorTalent's employer directory, built from the Department of Home Affairs approved-sponsor data, by industry and region, then unlock the ones that fit your client.

What does the Code of Conduct say about referral payments?

Agents must tell clients about benefits received from third parties in connection with their matter, and must not advertise in a false or misleading way. Read the Code itself for the exact wording.

Join as an agent partner

Free to join. Find sponsors for your candidates and candidates for your employer clients.

Register as an agent partnerBrowse employer directoryView agent board

Related: SponsorTalent for migration agents · find an employer sponsor for a client · candidate sourcing · visa-ready workers

General information for registered migration agents. Prices include GST and are current at 11 November 2026. Grant figures are Home Affairs data, rounded to the nearest 10.