Hiring workers from the UK: no labour market testing, no English test

Why UK hires are quicker: three exemptions

The exemptions remove the four-week advertising wait and the two items that most often delay offshore hires. A UK nomination lodged with a complete file can be decided at the Department’s September 2026 medians of 64 days (nomination) and four months (Core Skills visa), or 37 days on the Specialist Skills stream for roles at A$146,576 or more. Confirm the current labour-market-testing exemption list on the Department’s page before relying on it; the list is set by trade obligations and has changed since 2023.

Who Australian employers hire from the UK

• Trades: electricians, plumbers and gas engineers, carpenters and joiners, bricklayers, HGV mechanics, welders and fabricators, refrigeration engineers. UK NVQ Level 3, City & Guilds and apprenticeship records map to the Australian Certificate III standard that TRA assesses.
• Nurses and midwives: UK registration is well understood by Ahpra; English is exempt for registration too where the qualification was completed in the UK, which removes the IELTS 7.0 bar that stalls most overseas nurses.
• Teachers: UK-trained teachers are exempt from the AITSL English test and are recruited by state departments and independent schools, especially for secondary mathematics, science and special education. See teaching sponsorship.
• Engineers, project and construction managers, quantity surveyors: Engineers Australia and VETASSESS assessments; UK chartered status helps.
• Chefs and hospitality managers: subject to the limited-service-restaurant caveat and the salary floor.

Candidate context: visa sponsorship jobs from the UK.

The Australian side, step by step

1. Confirm the occupation is on the Core Skills or regional list and the salary meets A$79,423 and the market rate. Our occupation pages state list position and caveats: sponsored jobs by occupation.
2. Standard Business Sponsorship (A$420; median 11 days) if you do not already hold it.
3. Nomination (A$330 plus the Skilling Australians Fund levy of A$1,200 per visa year under A$10m turnover) lodged with the visa application (A$4,015 for a 482; A$6,140 for a 494 or 186). No labour market testing evidence for a UK citizen, but keep the passport copy.
4. Licensing after arrival for electricians (Offshore Technical Skills Record and provisional licence through TRA, then gap training), plumbers and gas fitters (state registration), and refrigeration mechanics (ARCtick). Carpenters, bricklayers and most other trades start with a White Card.

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

The Working Holiday pipeline

UK passport holders can hold a Working Holiday visa up to age 35 and, since 1 July 2024, do not need specified regional work for a second or third year. The result is a large onshore pool of British tradespeople, nurses and hospitality staff already working on Australian sites, many of whom want a sponsor before their third year ends. Condition 8547 still limits work with one employer to six months unless an exemption or permission applies, so an employer who wants to keep a good Working Holiday maker should lodge the nomination early. What to check when an employee asks you to sponsor them.

Permanent residency and age

Most UK hires go 482 then 186 Temporary Residence Transition after two years with the sponsor. The 186 generally requires the worker to be under 45 at application, which matters for experienced British tradespeople; the 482 itself has no age limit, and regional 494 nominations and several DAMAs carry age concessions. Plan the permanent route at the start if the candidate is over 40.

Finding UK candidates

Register free, search by occupation and filter by current location (the UK, or an Australian city for Working Holiday makers already here). Contact unlocks cost A$30; a featured listing is A$149 with five unlocks. Search candidates.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need labour market testing to sponsor a UK citizen? No, for 482 nominations of UK citizens the Department applies a labour-market-testing exemption under the Australia–UK free trade agreement in force since 31 May 2023. Keep evidence of the worker’s UK citizenship with the nomination, and check the Department’s current exemption list, which is set by trade obligations.

Does a British worker need an English test? No. UK passport holders are exempt from the English requirement for the 482, 494 and 186. For professional registration (nursing, teaching), a qualification completed in the UK also generally satisfies the regulator’s English standard.

Does a UK tradesperson need a skills assessment? Not for the 482 in most cases: the Department’s mandatory skills-assessment instrument does not list UK passport holders for the trades it covers. A TRA assessment is still required for the 186 Direct Entry, and many employers ask for one anyway. Licensed trades need the state licence after arrival regardless.

How long does it take to sponsor someone from the UK? Without labour market testing, a complete nomination and visa can be lodged within days of the decision. At the Department’s September 2026 medians (64 days nomination, four months Core Skills visa, 37 days Specialist Skills) plan on three to five months to a start date, including notice and relocation.

Is there a UK-side process? No. The UK imposes no exit permit, contract attestation or recruitment-agency requirement on citizens taking work in Australia.