Top Occupations for Australia Immigration – Employer Sponsored Visas

The employer sponsored visa stream formed approximately 29.5% of the total skilled visa intake in 2020-2021. This is a significant proportion of visa types that are granted based on employer sponsorship. It is valuable to identify the top occupations for employer sponsored streams to identify potential prospects for visa applicants.

Migration Program Report

The Department of Home Affairs released the Migration Program Report that specifies the top occupation groups that were granted visas specific to the Employer Sponsored visa category. The breakdown of the top occupation groups for employer sponsored visa is as follows:

186 Visa

Visa Subclass 186 – Top 20 ANZSCO Occupations

Subclass 186 visa is an employer nomination scheme visa as it requires the applicant to be sponsored by an employer. The Department of Home Affairs has released information regarding the top occupations nominated in subclass 186. The following table identifies the top 20 nominated occupations for subclass 186 and the number of lodged nominations for each occupation.

 
Occupation
Lodged Nominations
1 Chef (ANZSCO 351311) 688
2 Software Engineer (ANZSCO 261313) 655
3 Accountant (General) (ANZSCO 221111) 461
4 ICT Business Analyst (ANZSCO 261111) 419
5 University Lecturer (ANZSCO 242111) 400
6 Cook (ANZSCO 351411) 381
7 Developer Programmer (ANZSCO 261312) 376
8 General Practitioner (ANZSCO 253111) 283
9 Motor Mechanic (General) (ANZSCO 321211) 273
10 Specified in Labour Agreement (LA) (ANZSCO 070499) 266
11 Café or Restaurant Manager (ANZSCO 141111) 251
12 Management Consultant (ANZSCO 224711) 226
13 Computer Network and Systems Engineer (ANZSCO 263111) 202
14 Carpenter (ANZSCO 331212) 201
15 Civil Engineer (ANZSCO 233211) 188
16 Mechanical Engineer (ANZSCO 233512) 139
17 Registered Nurse (Aged Care) (ANZSCO 254412) 126
18 Management Accountant (ANZSCO 221112) 120
19 External Auditor (ANZSCO 221213) 109
20 Marketing Specialist (ANZSCO 225113) 108
Subclass 186 visa – Top 5 Sponsoring Industries by State/Territory

The Department of Home Affairs have also detailed the top 5 industries for subclass 186 visa in each state/territory that are sponsoring applicants by approved nominations and subsequent visa grants.

Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
Top 5 Sponsoring Industries Total Nominations Approved Total Visa Grants
Education and Training 44 80
Other Services 15 23
Health Care and Social Assistance 12 34
Professional, Scientific, and Technical 10 34
Construction 5 7
New South Wales (NSW)
Top 5 Sponsoring Industries Total Nominations Approved Total Visa Grants
Professional, Scientific, and Technical 967 1726
Information Media and Telecommunications 783 1474
Construction 518 960
Health Care and Social Assistance 475 1057
Accommodation and Food Services 324 632
Northern Territory (NT)
Top 5 Sponsoring Industries Total Nominations Approved Total Visa Grants
Health Care and Social Assistance 9 28
Other Services 9 18
Accommodation and Food Services 8 10
Education and Training 5 16
Professional, Scientific and Technical 5 13
Queensland (QLD)
Top 5 Sponsoring Industries Total Nominations Approved Total Visa Grants
Health Care and Social Assistance 209 549
Professional, Scientific and Technical 181 342
Education and Training 102 252
Other Services 94 220
Construction 83 152
South Australia (SA)
Top 5 Sponsoring Industries Total Nominations Approved Total Visa Grants
Professional, Scientific and Technical 28 66
Health Care and Social Assistance 27 89
Manufacturing 14 55
Construction 11 26
Education and Training 10 29
Tasmania (TAS)
Top 5 Sponsoring Industries Total Nominations Approved Total Visa Grants
Health Care and Social Assistance 25 65
Education and Training 6 16
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing <5 11
Professional, Scientific and Technical <5 <5
Construction <5 <5
Victoria (VIC)
Top 5 Sponsoring Industries Total Nominations Approved Total Visa Grants
Professional, Scientific and Technical 575 997
Health Care and Social Assistance 413 932
Information Media and Telecommunications 279 549
Construction 200 366
Other Services 191 447
Western Australia (WA)
Top 5 Sponsoring Industries Total Nominations Approved Total Visa Grants
Health Care and Social Assistance 175 424
Professional, Scientific and Technical 163 353
Construction 100 189
Other Services 79 173
Manufacturing 56 168

494 visa

Subclass 494 visa – Top 20 ANZSCO Occupations

Subclass 494 visa is an employer sponsored visa that is specific to regional areas of Australia. It allows regional employers to sponsor applicants and address the skilled labour shortages they are experiencing within their organization. The Department of Home Affairs has released information regarding the top occupations nominated in subclass 494. The following table identifies the top 20 nominated occupations for subclass 494 and the number of lodged nominations for each occupation.

  Occupation Lodged Nominations
1 Cook (ANZSCO 351411) 180
2 Retail Manager (General) (ANZSCO 142111) 57
3 Café or Restaurant Manager (ANZSCO 141111) 26
4 Hairdresser (ANZSCO 391111) 25
5 Child Care Worker (ANZSCO 421111) 24
6 Baker (ANZSCO 351111) 23
7 Marketing Specialist (ANZSCO 225113) 22
8 Chef (ANZSCO 351311) 20
9 Retail Pharmacist (ANSZCO 251513) 19
10 Specified in Labour Agreement (LA) (ANZSCO 070499) 18
11 Geologist (ANZSCO 234411) 16
12 Personal Assistant (ANZSCO 521111) 16
13 Contract Administrator (ANZSCO 511111) 15
14 Registered Nurse (Perioperative) (ANZSCO 254423) 15
15 Dentist (ANZSCO 252312) 14
16 Pastrycook (ANZSCO 351112) 12
17 Registered Nurses Nec (ANZSCO 254499) 11
18 Massage Therapist (ANZSCO 411611) 10
19 Office Manager (ANZSCO 512111) 9
20 Sales and Marketing Manager (ANZSCO 131112) 8
Subclass 494 visa – Top 5 Sponsoring Industries by State/Territory

The Department of Home Affairs have also detailed the top 5 industries for visa subclass 494 in each state/territory that are sponsoring applicants by approved nominations and subsequent visa grants.

Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
Top 5 Sponsoring Industries Total Nominations Approved Total Visa Grants
Accommodation and Food Services 7 8
Professional, Scientific and Technical 5 5
Health Care and Social Assistance <5 11
Education and Training <5 6
Other Services <5 <5
New South Wales (NSW)
Top 5 Sponsoring Industries Total Nominations Approved Total Visa Grants
Accommodation and Food Services 65 95
Retail Trade 16 9
Health Care and Social Assistance 13 27
Manufacturing 8 6
Other Services 8 16
Northern Territory (NT)
Top 5 Sponsoring Industries Total Nominations Approved Total Visa Grants
Accommodation and Food Services <5 <5
Health Care and Social Assistance <5 <5
Other Services <5
Retail Trade <5 <5
Queensland (QLD)
Top 5 Sponsoring Industries Total Nominations Approved Total Visa Grants
Accommodation and Food Services 52 92
Health Care and Social Assistance 51 80
Other Services 22 39
Retail Trade 13 23
Professional, Scientific and Technical 12 24
South Australia (SA)
Top 5 Sponsoring Industries Total Nominations Approved Total Visa Grants
Professional, Scientific and Technical 8 15
Accommodation and Food Services 5 5
Other Services <5 6
Arts and Recreation Services <5 <5
Construction <5 5
Tasmania (TAS)
Top 5 Sponsoring Industries Total Nominations Approved Total Visa Grants
Health Care and Social Assistance <5 <5
Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services <5 <5
Other Services <5
Retail Trade <5 <5
Wholesale Trade <5 <5
Victoria (VIC)
Top 5 Sponsoring Industries Total Nominations Approved Total Visa Grants
Accommodation and Food Services 16 17
Professional, Scientific, and Technical 7 14
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing <5 7
Health Care and Social Assistance <5 9
Other Services <5 6
Western Australia (WA)
Top 5 Sponsoring Industries Total Nominations Approved Total Visa Grants
Accommodation and Food Services 56 64
Professional, Scientific and Technical 30 65
Health Care and Social Assistance 28 52
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing 20 9
Other Services 20 38
482 Visa

Visa Subclass 482 – Top 20 ANZSCO Occupations

Visa Subclass 482 is a temporary skill shortage visa that allows employers to sponsor applicants to temporarily fulfill a shortage where the organization is unable to find a skilled Australian. The Department of Home Affairs has released information regarding the top occupations nominated in subclass 482. The following table identifies the top 20 nominated occupations for subclass 482 and the number of lodged nominations for each occupation.

  Occupation Lodged Nominations
1 Chef (ANZSCO 351311) 1664
2 Resident Medical Officer (ANZSCO 253112) 1585
3 Software Engineer (ANZSCO 261313) 1580
4 Developer Programmer (ANZSCO 261312) 1020
5 ICT Business Analyst (ANZSCO 261111) 972
6 Cook (ANZSCO 351411) 794
7 Marketing Specialist (ANZSCO 225113) 736
8 Accountant (General) (ANZSCO 221111) 694
9 Café or Restaurant Manager (ANZSCO 141111) 665
10 Analyst Programmer (ANZSCO 261311) 561
11 ICT Systems Test Engineer (ANZSCO 263213) 534
12 Management Consultant (ANZSCO 224711) 499
13 Sales and Marketing Manager (ANZSCO 131112) 468
14 Recruitment Consultant (ANZSCO 223112) 463
15 Motor Mechanic (General) (ANZSCO 321211) 442
16 ICT Support Engineer (ANZSCO 263212) 425
17 General Practitioner (ANZSCO 253111) 419
18 Corporate General Manager (ANZSCO 111211) 387
19 Systems Analyst (ANZSCO 261112) 322
20 ICT Project Manager (ANZSCO 135112) 315
Visa Subclass 482 – Top 5 Sponsoring Industries by State/Territory

The Department of Home Affairs have also detailed the top 5 industries for visa subclass 482 in each state/territory that are sponsoring applicants by approved nominations and subsequent visa grants.

Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
Top 5 Sponsoring Industries Total Nominations Approved Total Visa Grants
Accomodation and Food Services 72 53
Health Care and Social Assistance 66 50
Professional, Scientific and Technical 57 44
Other Services 31 28
Construction 26 12
New South Wales (NSW)
Top 5 Sponsoring Industries Total Nominations Approved Total Visa Grants
Information Media and Telecommunications 3029 2326
Professional, Scientific and Technical 2037 1424
Health Care and Social Assistance 1348 1126
Construction 1024 668
Accommodation and Food Services 906 249
Northern Territory (NT)
Top 5 Sponsoring Industries Total Nominations Approved Total Visa Grants
Health Care and Social Assistance 111 94
Accommodation and Food Services 34 25
Other Services 31 26
Education and Training 23 16
Professional, Scientific and Technical 22 18
Queensland (QLD)
Top 5 Sponsoring Industries Total Nominations Approved Total Visa Grants
Health Care and Social Assistance 1045 879
Accommodation and Food Services 427 288
Professional, Scientific and Technical 366 272
Other Services 220 165
Construction 214 158
South Australia (SA)
Top 5 Sponsoring Industries Total Nominations Approved Total Visa Grants
Health Care and Social Assistance 172 168
Professional, Scientific and Technical 79 73
Construction 68 58
Information Media and Telecommunications 67 57
Manufacturing 59 58
Tasmania (TAS)
Top 5 Sponsoring Industries Total Nominations Approved Total Visa Grants
Health Care and Social Assistance 86 54
Accommodation and Food Services 20 14
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing 17 15
Other Services 8 5
Education and Training 6 <5
Victoria (VIC)
Top 5 Sponsoring Industries Total Nominations Approved Total Visa Grants
Information Media and Telecommunications 1562 1141
Professional, Scientific and Technical 989 706
Health Care and Social Assistance 804 634
Accommodation and Food Services 527 291
Other Services 427 312
Western Australia (WA)
Top 5 Sponsoring Industries Total Nominations Approved Total Visa Grants
Health Care and Social Assistance 733 637
Accommodation and Food Services 425 297
Professional, Scientific and Technical 421 329
Mining 397 297
Other Services 379 317

Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA)

Designed Area Migration Agreements (DAMA) are labour agreements that allow regions within Australia to work with the Department of Home Affairs in identifying industries that experience skill shortages. Applicants can view the regions that are open to accepting DAMAs based on the skill shortages and then seek an employer to sponsor them. This provides a visa pathway for the applicant and works to supplement a region-specific skill shortage.

The Department of Home Affairs has released information regarding the top 20 ANZSCO occupations under a DAMA labour agreement. The following table identifies the top 20 nominated occupations for DAMAs and the number of approved nominations for each occupation.

  Occupation Lodged Nominations
1 Child Care Worker (ANZSCO 421111) 41
2 Specified in Labour Agreement (LA) (ANZSCO 070499) 30
3 Cook (ANZSCO 351411) 19
4 Beauty Therapist (ANZSCO 451111) 10
5 Dental Assistant (ANZSCO 423211) 9
6 Chef (ANZSCO 351311) 8
7 Hairdresser (ANZSCO 391111) 8
8 Motor Mechanic (General) (ANZSCO 321211) 5
9 Retail Supervisor (ANZSCO 621511) 5
10 Bookkeeper (ANZSCO 551211) <5
11 Forklift Driver (ANZSCO 721311) <5
12 Gaming Worker (ANZSCO 431311) <5
13 Accounts Clerk (ANZSCO 551111) <5
14 Aged or Disabled Carer (ANZSCO 423111) <5
15 Agricultural and Horticultural Mobile Plant Operator (ANZSCO 721111) <5
16 Aquaculture Farmer (ANZSCO 121111) <5
17 Café or Restaurant Manager (ANZSCO 141111) <5
18 Earthmoving Plant Operator (General) (ANZSCO 721211) <5
19 Hotel or Motel Receptionist (ANZSCO 542113) <5
20 Welder (First Class) (ANZSCO 322313) <5

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