Sponsor workers in Queensland: what employers need to know

Regional status and the 494

Brisbane is not a regional area. The Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast are designated regional centres and the rest of the state is regional, so employers from Toowoomba to Cairns can use the 494 and the state-nominated 491 as well as the 482.

Under the 494 the worker lives and works in a regional area for the sponsor for five years, with the permanent 191 after three; a Regional Certifying Body advises on each nomination. The 482 and 186 apply everywhere. 482 versus 494 nomination compared.

DAMAs in QLD

2 Designated Area Migration Agreements cover parts of Queensland. A DAMA lets an endorsed employer inside the region nominate occupations the national lists omit (drivers, front-of-house hospitality, plant operators, care and farm roles among them) with concessions on age, English and salary. The employer is endorsed by the region’s representative first, then holds a labour agreement with the Department, then nominates on the 482 labour-agreement stream.

Settings change at each renewal; the representative confirms the current occupation list. How the route works: DAMA sponsorship; the decision between routes: PALM, labour agreement or DAMA.

Who sponsors in QLD

Healthcare and aged care, mining and resources (the Bowen and Galilee basins), agriculture, tourism and hospitality, construction and the trades make up most of the approved-sponsor list.

Queensland Health hospital and health services recruit internationally and sponsor nurses, doctors and allied health, and the Department of Education sponsors teachers for regional and remote schools.

See which businesses in your sector already hold sponsorship: companies that sponsor and the approved-sponsor directory. A competitor on the list is evidence that the route works in your industry.

Candidates in QLD now

Occupations with the deepest candidate pools in Queensland right now, with the employer search for each:

• Aged Care Worker: 24 candidates in QLD
• Registered Nurse: 21 candidates in QLD
• Chef: 17 candidates in QLD
• Early Childhood Educator: 11 candidates in QLD
• Early Childhood Educator: 5 candidates in QLD
• Software Developer: 4 candidates in QLD
• Truck Driver: 4 candidates in QLD
• Plumber: 2 candidates in QLD
• Motor Mechanic: 2 candidates in QLD
• Retail Manager: 2 candidates in QLD

Onshore candidates already in Queensland are the quickest hires: no relocation, a VEVO check instead of a visa queue, and sponsorship from a known employee. Who can work for you today and what to check when an employee asks for sponsorship.

By city: Brisbane · Gold Coast · Cairns · Townsville · Toowoomba · Bundaberg · Rockhampton · Mackay · Gladstone · Biloela.

Steps, cost and time

1. Confirm the occupation is on the Core Skills or regional list and the role pays at least A$79,423 and the market rate. Occupation pages state list position and caveats.
2. Apply for Standard Business Sponsorship (A$420; median 11 days) and start labour market testing the same week: two ads of 28 days or more within four months of lodging on platforms with national reach. UK citizens are exempt. LMT rules.
3. Search candidates free, unlock the contacts you want to interview (A$30 each) or post a featured listing (A$149 with five unlocks).
4. Lodge the nomination (A$330 plus the levy of A$1,200 per visa year under A$10m turnover) with the visa (A$4,015 for a 482). Core Skills visas took a median of four months in September 2026. Full timeline.
5. Keep the sponsor obligations record from day one. Obligations.

Is it worth it for your business? The cost-benefit in one page.

Frequently asked questions

Can a Queensland employer use the 494 regional visa? Brisbane is not a regional area. The Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast are designated regional centres and the rest of the state is regional, so employers from Toowoomba to Cairns can use the 494 and the state-nominated 491 as well as the 482.

Is there a DAMA in Queensland? Yes: Far North Queensland DAMA (Cairns and Far North Queensland); Townsville / North Queensland DAMA (Townsville and North Queensland). Each has its own occupation list and concessions, and the employer must be endorsed by the regional representative before the Department issues a labour agreement.

How many sponsoring employers and candidates are there in Queensland? SponsorTalent lists 531 employers in Queensland, 527 of them flagged as sponsoring employers, and 143 candidate profiles currently located in the state, plus 10 live sponsored job ads. The national approved-sponsor directory holds 3,582 businesses traceable to the Department of Home Affairs list. Figures update hourly.

What does it cost a QLD employer to sponsor? The same everywhere in Australia: sponsorship approval A$420, nomination A$330 and the Skilling Australians Fund levy of A$1,200 per visa year (A$1,800 at A$10m turnover or more), none of it recoverable from the worker. The worker normally pays the A$4,015 visa charge. Regional endorsement for a DAMA can carry its own fee.

How long does sponsorship take in Queensland? Three to five months for an onshore hire and six to eight for an offshore one at the Department’s September 2026 medians (sponsorship 11 days, nomination 64 days, 482 visa four months); 494 visas were taking a median of eight months and a first DAMA endorsement adds months before the first nomination.