Hiring workers from the Philippines: what Australian employers must do on both sides

Who Australian employers hire from the Philippines

Nurses (all specialties, after Ahpra registration), aged and disability care workers under the Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement, chefs and cooks, hotel and hospitality managers, childcare educators, welders, fitters, electricians and automotive mechanics, dental assistants and allied health. Filipino candidates generally meet the English requirement comfortably, and many hold qualifications that map cleanly to Australian assessing-authority standards (ANMAC for nursing, TRA for trades and cookery, VETASSESS for care and management roles). Candidate context: visa sponsorship jobs from the Philippines.

The Australian side, in brief

1. Confirm the occupation is on the Core Skills or regional list (or reachable under a labour agreement) and that the salary meets A$79,423 and the market rate.
2. Apply for Standard Business Sponsorship (A$420; median 11 days) and run labour market testing: two advertisements of 28 days or more within the four months before lodging on platforms with national reach.
3. Lodge the nomination (A$330 plus the Skilling Australians Fund levy of A$1,200 per visa year under A$10m turnover) and the worker’s visa application (A$4,015 for a 482) together. Core Skills visas were taking a median of four months in September 2026.

Full costs: cost to sponsor a worker. Full timeline: how long sponsorship takes.

The Philippine side: MWO contract verification

The Migrant Workers Office in Canberra (formerly POLO) verifies employment contracts for Filipino workers bound for Australia under DMW rules. Its current direct-hire advisory (MWO Advisory No. 03, series of 2026) applies where:

• the worker is still in the Philippines and will start work in Australia;
• the employer has hired no more than five Filipino workers; and
• the employer has no accreditation with a Philippine recruitment agency.

Documents listed in the advisory include the employment contract signed on every page by the employer (wet signature) and the worker, an addendum to the contract in the MWO’s form, a copy of the worker’s passport, and evidence of the business and of the visa or nomination. The verification fee in the 2026 advisory is a money order of A$72 from Australia Post (it was A$54 under the 2024 advisory). After MWO verification, the worker completes the DMW process in Manila, which the Embassy has described as taking at least two weeks, and receives the Overseas Employment Certificate needed to exit. Read the advisory itself on the Philippine Embassy’s MWO page before preparing documents; the forms and fee change between series.

Agency hire: more than five workers, or repeat recruitment

Beyond the direct-hire limit, recruitment runs through a Philippine recruitment agency licensed by the DMW, with the Australian employer accredited to that agency; a separate MWO Canberra advisory (No. 02, series of 2026) sets out the agency-hire requirements that took effect on 1 July 2026. The agency handles the Philippine documentation and worker processing; the Australian sponsorship, nomination and obligations remain yours. Choose an agency by checking its DMW licence status directly: in September 2026 the DMW closed five firms over alleged illegal recruitment of workers for Australia.

What you cannot charge the worker

Two sets of rules point the same way. Australian law makes it an offence to ask for or receive any payment or benefit in return for sponsorship, and the sponsorship, nomination and levy costs cannot be recovered from the worker. Philippine rules prohibit placement fees being charged to workers in many categories and require the employer to carry recruitment costs; contracts that shift those costs will not be verified. Budget on the basis that the Australian government charges, migration fees and the Philippine verification fee are yours; the worker’s own visa application charge, medical and documents are normally theirs unless you choose to cover them.

Timeline, both sides

Realistically six to nine months from decision to start for a first-time sponsor, less if the candidate already holds the skills assessment and you already hold sponsorship.

Finding Filipino candidates

Register free, search by occupation and filter for the Philippines as current location, or for Filipino candidates already onshore on student, 485 or Working Holiday visas, who are quicker to sponsor and need no MWO process. Contact unlocks cost A$30; a featured job listing is A$149 with five unlocks included. Search candidates.

Frequently asked questions

Can an Australian employer hire directly from the Philippines without an agency? Yes, as a direct hire, if you have hired no more than five Filipino workers and have no accreditation with a Philippine recruitment agency. The employment contract must still be verified by the Migrant Workers Office in Canberra and the worker must obtain an Overseas Employment Certificate from the DMW before leaving.

What does MWO contract verification cost? The 2026 direct-hire advisory lists a verification fee paid by money order of A$72 from Australia Post. The fee and the document list change between advisory series, so check the current advisory on the Philippine Embassy’s MWO page.

Does the Philippine step delay the Australian visa? Not if it is run in parallel. Contract verification needs the signed contract and the nomination or visa evidence, so most employers lodge the Australian nomination, then complete MWO verification while the visa is in the Department’s queue.

Which visa do Filipino workers come on? Mostly the 482 Core Skills visa (up to four years, permanent 186 after two years with the sponsor), the 494 for regional employers, and the 482 labour-agreement stream for aged care workers under the Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement.

Can the worker pay their own placement or sponsorship fee? No. Australian law prohibits any payment or benefit in return for sponsorship, and the sponsorship, nomination and levy costs cannot be recovered from the worker. Philippine rules also restrict placement fees charged to workers and require the employer to carry recruitment costs.