How to get sponsored as a truck driver in Australia

Which visa can a truck driver be sponsored on?

482 Core Skills: not available, because the occupation is not on the Core Skills Occupation List in the data we hold. Check the current list on the Department of Home Affairs website before paying anyone who says otherwise.

482 Specialist Skills: not available; the stream excludes ANZSCO major groups 3, 7 and 8, and truck drivers are in group 7.

494: possible only where a regional employer can nominate the occupation under the 494 list current at the time of nomination. Confirm the occupation is on that list before relying on this route.

DAMA: a Designated Area Migration Agreement is a regional labour agreement between the Australian Government and a Designated Area Representative, usually a state or territory government department, a regional development body or a council. Each DAMA has its own occupation list, often broader than the standard lists, and may include concessions on salary, English and age. The employer applies to the Designated Area Representative for endorsement first. DAMAs have historically operated in parts of the Northern Territory, Western Australia, regional Queensland, regional New South Wales, regional South Australia and regional Victoria; verify the current list and each region's occupations on the Department of Home Affairs labour agreement pages. SponsorTalent does not hold a list of which DAMAs cover truck drivers.

Labour agreement or 186: a single business can negotiate its own agreement, which is slower than a DAMA. Some DAMAs offer the 186 labour agreement stream after a defined period of employment.

Occupation list status, ANZSCO code and assessing authority

SponsorTalent's occupation data contains no entry for Truck Driver (General): no Core Skills list status, no 482 Core Skills or 186 Direct Entry eligibility, and no assessing authority. Treat the occupation as off-list unless you can see it on the Department's current list yourself.

• ANZSCO: 733111 Truck Driver (General), major group 7.
• Core Skills Occupation List: not listed in our data.
• Visas: 494 only where its list includes the occupation at nomination; otherwise DAMA or labour agreement.
• Assessing authority: none recorded.

Salary versus the threshold

For a 494 the position must pay at least TSMIT, A$79,423, and no less than an Australian doing the same job in the same place. A DAMA may allow a concession below that; the amount is set in the regional deed. SponsorTalent does not publish average truck driver wages.

Skills assessment and licensing

No assessing authority is recorded for this occupation; a skills assessment is required only where the Department's instrument lists it for your passport country, and a DAMA or labour agreement sets its own evidence requirements. State licensing applies: heavy vehicle licence classes are issued by each state and territory road authority, and you must hold the right class before you drive. Check the regulator in the employer's state; do not assume an overseas licence will be accepted.

Work experience and English

• 482 Core Skills: at least 1 year of relevant experience in the last 5 years; IELTS 5.0 in each band or equivalent (tests from 13 September 2025); up to 4 years.
• 494: 3 years of experience, IELTS 6.0 in each band or equivalent, under 45 unless exempt; 5-year visa, 191 after 3 years.
• 186: under 45 unless exempt, IELTS 6.0 in each band or equivalent; TRT stream needs 2 years of full-time work with approved sponsors in the 3 years before nomination.

DAMAs can reduce the English requirement and, in some regions, relax the age cap. The 3-year experience requirement on the 494 is a visa criterion, not something an employer can waive.

Step by step: truck driver applying from outside Australia

1. Confirm you are inside the rules before spending money: the occupation is not on the Core Skills list, so ask any employer or recruiter which route they are using (494, DAMA or labour agreement) and which region. If they cannot name it, the offer will not lead to a visa.
2. Sit an English test unless your passport exempts you (IELTS 5.0 each band for a 482, 6.0 for a 186 or 494). No assessing authority is recorded for truck drivers; the employer's agreement or the 494 requirements will state what evidence you need.
3. Register at /register-candidate; employers searching /find/truck-driver see your profile. Apply at /sponsored-jobs/truck-driver and accept only a written offer of at least A$79,423.
4. The employer obtains Standard Business Sponsorship and lodges a nomination; you lodge the visa after that. Do not resign or travel until it is granted.

Step by step: truck driver already in Australia

On a 485, 417, 462 or 500 visa you cannot move to a sponsored visa on your own: an employer must hold Standard Business Sponsorship and lodge a nomination before you can apply. A job offer is not a nomination.

1. Keep meeting your current visa conditions while the nomination is prepared.
2. Confirm the employer is in a designated regional area (for a 494) or endorsed under a DAMA or labour agreement. A metropolitan employer without an agreement cannot nominate a truck driver.
3. If your employer will not sponsor you, register at /register-candidate and apply to sponsored truck driver vacancies; employers seeking onshore candidates use /find/truck-driver.
4. Apply for the visa before your current visa expires so you receive a bridging visa.

Already on a 482? You may be without a sponsor for up to 180 consecutive days, and 365 days in total across the visa, while a new employer lodges a nomination.

For employers: how to sponsor a truck driver

1. Standard Business Sponsorship. A$420, once; half decided in 12 days, 90% within 4 months.
2. Nomination. A$330 for a 482; half decided in 5 days, 90% within 9 months. Show the position is genuine, pays at least A$79,423 and the market rate, and that the occupation is available under the route you are using: the 494 list, a DAMA endorsement from the Designated Area Representative, or a labour agreement with the Department.
3. Visa. Lodged by the candidate. 482 Core Skills: 69 days for half of cases, 10 months for 90%; 186 Direct Entry 10 / 14 months; 494 7 / 11 months (Department figures, 4 August 2026).
4. SAF levy. A$1,200 per year of the 482 if turnover is under A$10 million, otherwise A$1,800; one-off A$3,000 or A$5,000 for a 186 or 494. Levy and fees cannot be passed to the worker.

Search sponsorship-ready truck driver candidates at /find/truck-driver; profiles show visa status, location and experience before you unlock contact details.

Frequently asked questions

Can a truck driver get a 482 visa in Australia?

Not through the Core Skills stream, because Truck Driver (General) is not on the Core Skills Occupation List in SponsorTalent's data, and not through the Specialist Skills stream, which excludes ANZSCO major group 7. A 482 is only possible under a labour agreement or DAMA covering the occupation.

Which regions have a DAMA that covers truck drivers?

SponsorTalent does not hold a list of DAMA occupations by region. DAMAs have historically operated in parts of the Northern Territory, Western Australia, regional Queensland, regional New South Wales, regional South Australia and regional Victoria. Check each region's current occupation list on the Department of Home Affairs labour agreement pages.

What salary must a sponsored truck driver be paid?

On a 494 the position must pay at least TSMIT, A$79,423 for 2026–27, and match what an Australian in the same job would earn. A DAMA may allow a concession below that figure; the amount is set in the regional agreement.

Do I need a skills assessment as a truck driver?

No assessing authority is recorded for the occupation, and a skills assessment is only required where the Department's instrument lists it for your passport country. State heavy vehicle licensing is separate; check the state regulator.

I am in Australia on a working holiday visa driving trucks. Can my employer sponsor me?

Only if the employer is in a designated regional area and the occupation is on the 494 list, or the employer is endorsed under a DAMA or holds a labour agreement covering truck drivers. The employer must hold Standard Business Sponsorship and lodge a nomination before you can apply.