Jobs in Australia With Visa Sponsorship: Who's Hiring 2026

Jobs in Australia with visa sponsorship are still available in 2026, but they are concentrated in a clear group of occupations: health care, construction and electrical trades, engineering, IT and early childhood education. These are the jobs Australian employers struggle to fill locally, so they are the ones most likely to sponsor a worker from overseas. Here is where the demand is, what the jobs pay, and where to find genuine openings.

The big picture: fewer shortages, but key gaps remain

The Australian Government's labour market agency, Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), published its 2026 Occupation Shortage List in October 2026:

Shortages have eased as the job market cooled slightly, but JSA says many shortages remain persistent, especially in trades and professional jobs.

Australia also had 212,400 online job ads in August 2026, up 4.8% on a year earlier, according to JSA's Labour Market Dashboard. Health care and social assistance is the country's largest employing industry, with about 16% of all workers.

Sectors hiring overseas workers in 2026

1. Health care and aged care

Health is the biggest and most persistent shortage area:

• 31 health professional occupations have been in shortage in every list since 2022, JSA says.
• Registered nurses (about 7,400 ads) and general practitioners and resident medical officers (about 5,800) were among the most-advertised occupations in Australia in August 2026.
• Aged and disabled carers are one of the fastest-growing jobs, with about 27,300 more workers in a year, according to JSA's occupation profile.

State health departments recruit internationally. For example, Queensland Health says it is hiring nurses, midwives, and medical and allied health professionals from overseas, and WA Health welcomes internationally qualified nurses, midwives, doctors, dentists and allied health staff. Health workers need Australian professional registration (AHPRA) before they can practise.

2. Construction and electrical trades

Trades are the group with the highest share of occupations in shortage (48%). JSA says persistent shortages are concentrated in construction trades, engineering trades and electrotechnology and telecommunications trades, and in jobs important to the clean energy transition.

Big projects keep demand high, for example:

• Western Sydney Airport, with up to 8,500 jobs as it grows
• The NSW Teralba train factory, with 550 ongoing and 780 construction jobs
• WA's biggest wind farm, with up to 400 construction jobs

3. Engineering

Some engineering roles moved out of shortage in 2026, but JSA says other engineering occupations remain in shortage, and engineering is one of the main professional shortage areas alongside health and science. Mining regions are also hiring: see mining jobs in North West Queensland.

4. IT and technology

Software and applications programmers are one of Australia's larger skilled occupations (about 185,000 workers) and among the best paid. JSA lists several ICT roles among those that moved out of shortage in 2026, so competition is higher. Experienced specialists still have the best chance of sponsorship.

5. Early childhood education

JSA names early childhood education among the professional jobs in persistent shortage, alongside health and engineering.

6. Hospitality and agriculture

These sectors hire many workers, but JSA's 2026 list shows fewer roles in national shortage in labouring and sales jobs. No Sales Workers occupations are in shortage, and no Labourers occupations have been in shortage every year since 2021. Sponsorship here usually depends on the specific role (for example, a qualified chef rather than general kitchen or farm work). Check the shortage list for your exact occupation before you apply.

How much do these jobs pay?

Median full-time earnings before tax, from JSA's occupation profiles (based on ABS earnings surveys):

Yearly figures are weekly pay × 52, rounded. Actual pay depends on the employer, state, experience and award or agreement. Amounts are in Australian dollars.

How to apply

1. Search the official job board. The Australian Government's job board is Workforce Australia, where thousands of jobs are advertised every day. You can create a free account to upload your résumé, set job alerts and apply.
2. Go straight to employers' careers pages. For health jobs, use official boards such as Queensland Health careers for international applicants and the WA Health international applicants page, which links to the WA Health jobs board. For other sectors, use the careers page of the named company or project.
3. Check your occupation. Look up your job on the 2026 Occupation Shortage List. Jobs in shortage are the most likely to be sponsored.
4. Get your qualifications ready. Have your degree, trade certificates, experience letters and an Australian-style résumé ready. Health workers will need AHPRA registration.
5. Apply and say you need sponsorship. State clearly in your application that you are applying from overseas, so the employer knows from the start.

Stay safe

• Never pay for a job offer or "guaranteed sponsorship". Genuine Australian employers do not sell jobs.
• Ignore WhatsApp and Telegram job groups and anyone selling a "convertible visa" that can supposedly be turned into a work visa later.
• Apply only on official sites: Workforce Australia or the employer's own careers page.

Read: how to spot a fake job offer.

What it means for job seekers

• Health care and trades give you the best chance. These are the largest and most persistent shortage areas in Australia.
• Check the official list first. If your occupation is not in shortage, sponsorship will be much harder to find.
• Pay is good, but check the details. Compare any offer with the median pay above and ask for the salary in writing.
• Regional areas often need workers most. Be open to jobs outside Sydney and Melbourne.

Related: Australia skilled visa salary thresholds for 2026–27 · Australia unemployment holds at 4.7%

More openings: all Australia jobs