Retail occupations you can sponsor in Australia: store managers, butchers, pharmacists, and the roles you cannot

The list, role by role

List positions change with each instrument; verify the occupation on the Department’s current Core Skills list by ANZSCO code. Retail nominations, especially Retail Manager, draw the Department’s closest genuineness scrutiny because they have historically been used to sponsor shop staff: a small store with two part-timers nominating a “manager” at the salary floor is the pattern that gets refused.

The roles you cannot sponsor: who can work for you now

The floor does not have to wait for a visa. Three groups can work for you today without sponsorship, and retail already runs on them:

• International students: 48 hours a fortnight in term, unlimited in breaks, which fall over Christmas trading for most courses. Employing international students.
• Working holiday makers (417 and 462): any role, six months per employer; register with the ATO for the 15 per cent rate. Employing working holiday makers.
• Partner, graduate (485) and bridging visa holders: full work rights, a VEVO check and nothing else. Who can work for you now.

SponsorTalent lists retail candidates by visa and city, so you can see who can start on Monday before you make contact; search is free and a contact unlocks for A$30.

The mistake to avoid

Do not nominate the role under an occupation it is not. A sales assistant nominated as a Retail Manager, a shop supervisor as a Retail Buyer or a counter hand as a Butcher is tested against the duties, the qualification, the size of the business and the pay, and a mismatch is refused, can bar the business from sponsoring for years, and exposes the worker to cancellation. If the person genuinely does the listed job, nominate that job at its rate; if not, use the routes above.

Frequently asked questions

Which retail jobs can be sponsored on a 482 visa? Retail Manager (General), butcher or smallgoods maker, baker, pastrycook, retail pharmacist, pharmacy technician, hairdresser, beauty therapist and, with caveats, retail buyer and sales and marketing roles are on the Core Skills list. Sales assistants, supervisors, checkout operators, shelf fillers, storepersons and pharmacy sales assistants are not.

Can I sponsor a store manager? Yes, as Retail Manager (General) (142111), if the person genuinely manages the store (staff, stock, budgets, compliance) in a business large enough to need a manager, at a salary of at least A$79,423 or the market rate. The Department tests retail manager nominations closely.

Can a franchise or fast food outlet sponsor its manager? ANZSCO classifies fast food and quick-service outlet managers under Retail Manager (General), which is on the Core Skills list, so a genuine outlet manager can be nominated. The genuineness test on store size, staff and salary applies in full, and the kitchen staff cannot be sponsored as chefs or cooks because fast food is a limited-service venue.

Can I sponsor a sales assistant? No. Sales assistant, retail supervisor, checkout operator and shelf filler are on no skilled list. Some regional DAMAs list retail supervisors; otherwise the pool is students, working holiday makers and other visa holders already in Australia.

Can a supermarket sponsor a butcher? Yes. Butcher or Smallgoods Maker (351211) is on the Core Skills list, with a Trades Recognition Australia assessment on a Certificate III in Meat Processing or equivalent.