How to get sponsored as a mechanical engineering technician in Australia

Occupation list status and visas

• Occupation: Mechanical Engineering Technician, ANZSCO 312512.
• Lists: Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL), Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL).
• Employer-sponsored visas in our list data: 482, 494 and 186.
• Industry: Engineering / Manufacturing.
• Caveat: for the 482 Core Skills stream and the 186 Direct Entry stream the occupation excludes positions involving low-skilled tasks, such as retail mobile phone repairs and repairs of small consumer devices like tablets and smart watches. A position inside a caveat cannot be nominated under this occupation (WIDEN's copy of the Home Affairs list, read 6 November 2026).

The 482 Specialist Skills stream (salary at least A$146,576) is not available, because it excludes ANZSCO major groups 3, 7 and 8 and this occupation is in major group 3. The job you are offered must match the Mechanical Engineering Technician duties; a different role cannot be nominated under this code.

Skills assessment, registration and English

Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) is the assessing authority for Mechanical Engineering Technician (312512). For a 482, a skills assessment is needed only where the Department's instrument lists the occupation for your passport country; for the 494 and 186 the rules differ, so check before you pay for one.

Mechanical Engineering Technician was one of the 15 most-granted occupations for primary temporary skilled (482) visas in the 2025-26 program year to 31 December 2025, with about 530 grants (Home Affairs rounds to the nearest 10).

Source: Home Affairs: temporary resident (skilled) report, 31 December 2025 (table 1.18)

English: you must meet the visa's English requirement, which differs between the 482, 494 and 186 and by passport. A registered migration agent can confirm which test score you need.

Pay

A sponsored mechanical engineering technician must be paid at least A$79,423 (2026–27) and no less than an Australian mechanical engineering technician doing the same job. Accept only a written offer that meets the threshold.

Who you are up against, and where

3 mechanical engineering technicians have profiles on SponsorTalent seeking sponsorship, 1 of them in Australia now. Employers compare profiles, so a complete one (assessment status, English result, licence or registration, and the locations you will accept) is what gets you shortlisted.

The employers who usually hire mechanical engineering technicians: manufacturers, mining and resources contractors, building services and HVAC firms, equipment service companies, utilities.

Step by step

1. Check that your work matches Mechanical Engineering Technician (ANZSCO 312512) and gather proof of your qualification and experience.
2. Find out whether you need a skills assessment and sit an English test if your passport does not exempt you.
3. Create a free profile so employers searching mechanical engineering technician candidates can find you, and apply to sponsored mechanical engineering technician jobs.
4. Approach employers directly from the approved sponsor list.
5. Once an employer offers to sponsor you, the employer lodges the sponsorship and nomination and you lodge the visa. For the legal steps in your case, book a registered migration agent at WIDEN. Do not resign or travel until the visa is granted.

Frequently asked questions

Can a mechanical engineering technician be sponsored in Australia?

Yes. Mechanical Engineering Technician, ANZSCO 312512, is on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) and the Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL). In SponsorTalent's list data it is eligible for the 482, 494 and 186 employer-sponsored visas. An employer must sponsor and nominate you.

Who assesses mechanical engineering technicians for migration?

Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) is the assessing authority for Mechanical Engineering Technician (312512). For a 482, a skills assessment is needed only where the Department's instrument lists the occupation for your passport country.

What salary must a sponsored mechanical engineering technician be paid?

At least A$79,423 for 2026–27, and no less than the market rate for the same job.

How do employers find mechanical engineering technicians on SponsorTalent?

Employers search candidate profiles at /find/mechanical-engineering-technician. A free profile with your assessment status, English result and experience makes you findable; applying to listed jobs is also free.