Sponsor workers in South Australia: what employers need to know

Regional status and the 494

Adelaide is a designated regional area, so every South Australian employer can use the 494 and the state-nominated 491 as well as the 482 and 186. Regional South Australia also has its own DAMA, and Adelaide a second agreement for technology employers.

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 SA

2 Designated Area Migration Agreements cover parts of South Australia. 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 SA

Healthcare and aged care, defence and advanced manufacturing, wine and horticulture, construction, hospitality and IT dominate the approved-sponsor list.

SA Health sponsors nurses, doctors and allied health; the Department for Education is an approved sponsor for teachers with published pathways; Migration SA is the state’s skilled and business migration body.

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 SA now

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

• Aged Care Worker: 18 candidates in SA
• Chef: 8 candidates in SA
• Registered Nurse: 3 candidates in SA
• Early Childhood Educator: 3 candidates in SA
• Early Childhood Educator: 2 candidates in SA
• Physiotherapist: 2 candidates in SA
• Metal Fabricator (Welder / Boilermaker): 1 candidate in SA
• Software Developer: 1 candidate in SA
• Welder: 1 candidate in SA
• Carpenter: 1 candidate in SA

Onshore candidates already in South Australia 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: Adelaide.

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 South Australia employer use the 494 regional visa? Adelaide is a designated regional area, so every South Australian employer can use the 494 and the state-nominated 491 as well as the 482 and 186. Regional South Australia also has its own DAMA, and Adelaide a second agreement for technology employers.

Is there a DAMA in South Australia? Yes: Adelaide City Technology & Innovation Agreement (Greater Adelaide (tech/innovation employers)); South Australia Regional Workforce Agreement (Regional South Australia). 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 South Australia? SponsorTalent lists 539 employers in South Australia, 539 of them flagged as sponsoring employers, and 64 candidate profiles currently located in the state. 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 SA 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 South Australia? 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.