Sponsor a Welder from Overseas
Qualified welders for fabrication, mining, construction, manufacturing and engineering employers in Australia and New Zealand. We find them, test their welding in person, set up interviews and handle the sponsorship and visa paperwork.
Get a recruitment plan within one business day →
Prefer to talk? WhatsApp +61 413 124 717. Your first consultation is free.
Every unfilled welding bay costs you work
If you run a fabrication shop, a mining maintenance crew or an engineering workshop, you know how it goes. Ads for welders sit for weeks, and the applicants who do turn up can’t always pass your weld test. Meanwhile, jobs queue up and deadlines slip.
Welder (First Class) (ANZSCO 322313) is on the Australian Government’s Core Skills Occupation List, so you can sponsor a qualified welder from overseas under the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa. Pressure Welder (ANZSCO 322312) is on the list too.
A few questions worth answering honestly:
- How many welders do you need?
- How long have the positions been vacant?
- What have you already tried?
- What happens to your business if you can’t fill them?
How it works
Step 1: Tell us what you need
Send us the role, the welding processes and positions you need (for example MIG, TIG, stick or flux-cored; plate or pipe), the materials, site location, roster, salary range and start date. Within one business day you’ll get an initial recruitment plan. Your first consultation is free.
Step 2: We check the role can be sponsored
Before you spend money, we check the basics. Is your business eligible to sponsor? Is the occupation on the right list for the visa? Does the salary meet the threshold? What labour market testing is needed? Which visa fits best?
Step 3: Labour market testing in Australia
In most cases, you must advertise the role in Australia (labour market testing) before you nominate an overseas worker, unless an exemption applies. We’ll help you get this right.
Step 4: We source and screen candidates
We source welders, screen their résumés, interview them and check their references.
Step 5: Practical trade testing in the Philippines
Our testing centres in the Philippines conduct trade testing for Australian and New Zealand skills assessments, following the same pathway as Trades Recognition Australia (TRA).
Step 6: Meet your shortlist
Join one of our employer interview tours to the Philippines or the UAE and meet your shortlisted candidates in person before you decide.
Step 7: Skills assessment, if needed
Some welders need a formal skills assessment from Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) before they can apply for a 482 visa. For Welder (First Class), it’s mandatory for applicants holding passports from Brazil, China, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, the Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam or Zimbabwe, unless they’re exempt. Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) runs these assessments through approved registered training organisations (RTOs). TRA says an outcome takes about 9 weeks once complete evidence is provided, and costs up to $5,320 (Pathway 1, for applicants without an Australian qualification: documentary evidence $1,120, technical interview $2,000 and practical assessment $2,200). We’ll explain who pays which costs at your consultation. We’ll tell you early whether your candidate needs one.
Step 8: Sponsorship, nomination and visa
Our registered migration agents prepare and lodge:
- Standard Business Sponsorship, which approves your business as a sponsor
- the nomination of the welder position
- the worker’s visa application
In New Zealand, we work through employer accreditation, the job check and the Accredited Employer Work Visa instead.
Which visa?
| Visa | What it’s for | Key points |
|---|---|---|
| Skills in Demand (subclass 482), Core Skills stream | The main temporary employer-sponsored visa | Welder (First Class) 322313 and Pressure Welder 322312 are on the Core Skills Occupation List. Nominations can be for up to 4 years. The salary must meet the Core Skills Income Threshold and the market rate. |
| Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) | Permanent residence | Usually reached through the Temporary Residence Transition stream, once the worker has worked on a 482 visa for at least 2 of the last 3 years. Direct Entry may suit some experienced candidates. |
| Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (subclass 494) | Regional employers | Welder (First Class) and Pressure Welder are on the occupation list for the 494. Ask us whether your location counts as regional. |
| Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) | Employers in a DAMA region | There are 13 DAMAs. Each covers its own list of occupations and concessions, and you need endorsement from the region’s representative before you apply for a labour agreement. We’ll check whether yours covers welders. See our DAMA guide. |
| New Zealand: Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) | NZ employers | You must be an accredited employer with an approved job check. Welder and Pressure Welder are on New Zealand’s Green List, Tier 2, which can lead to a Work to Residence visa after 24 months’ work in NZ, if the worker is paid at least 1.3 times the median wage over that time and meets the other requirements. |
Indicative timeline
From enquiry to your worker starting on site typically takes about 6 months. Every case is different, and the government sets processing times, not us, so this isn’t a guarantee. A typical sequence:
| Stage | Indicative time |
|---|---|
| Recruitment plan | Within 1 business day |
| Labour market testing (advertising in Australia, unless exempt) | Varies with the advertising required |
| TRA skills assessment (if required) | About 9 weeks after TRA receives complete evidence (TRA estimate) |
| Sponsorship, nomination and visa processing | Varies. See the Home Affairs global visa processing times |
| Typical total, from enquiry to worker on site | About 6 months (typical, not guaranteed) |
What it costs
There are two kinds of cost: government charges, which are set by law and paid to the government, and our recruitment fees.
Our recruitment fees (recruitment process outsourcing)
| Stage | Fee |
|---|---|
| First consultation | Free |
| Candidate sourcing and initial screening | $1,500 |
| Shortlisting and interviews | $1,500 |
| Successful placement | $4,500 |
| Total per successful hire | $7,500 |
GST is not charged on these fees. Migration agent fees are separate: our registered migration agents’ professional fees for the sponsorship, nomination and visa applications are quoted on top of the $7,500.
Need more detailed advice after your free first consultation? Paid consultations are USD $69.
Read more about how our recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) works, or see all our services.
Government charges
Australian Government charges also apply, such as the sponsorship and nomination fees, the Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy and the visa application charge. They change regularly, usually on 1 July. We’ll confirm the current amounts and explain who pays each cost at your consultation. You can also check the Home Affairs fees and charges page.
New Zealand employers pay Immigration New Zealand’s accreditation and job check fees. We’ll confirm the current amounts in writing.
Salary: the minimum you must pay
For 482 Core Skills and 186 nominations lodged from 1 July 2026, the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) is $79,423 a year. You must also pay at least the annual market salary rate, meaning what an Australian worker would earn doing the same job at your workplace, if that’s higher. In most cases superannuation doesn’t count towards the threshold. The threshold is indexed every 1 July.
Experienced welders, especially pipe and pressure welders, often earn well above the threshold. We’ll help you benchmark the salary properly.
Your obligations as a sponsor
Sponsoring a worker comes with legal obligations. In summary, you must:
- pay the sponsored worker at least the nominated salary, on the same terms as Australian employees
- have the worker do the job they were nominated for
- not recover sponsorship, nomination, SAF levy or recruitment costs from the worker, directly or indirectly (for example through wage deductions or repayment clauses)
- keep records and give them to Home Affairs when asked
- tell Home Affairs about certain changes, such as the worker leaving, within the required timeframe
- pay reasonable return travel costs if asked
- cooperate with inspectors
Our registered migration agents will take you through the full list before you start.
Why employers choose us
- One team, from search to visa: we recruit the worker, and our registered migration agents handle the sponsorship, nomination and visa applications
- Trade testing centres in the Philippines that test for Australian and New Zealand skills assessments, following the same pathway as Trades Recognition Australia (TRA)
- Interview tours to the Philippines and the UAE, so you can meet shortlisted candidates face to face before you commit
- Fixed, published recruitment fees: $7,500 per successful hire, paid in three stages
- A free first consultation, and an employer enquiry form that gets you a recruitment plan within one business day
See our case studies.
Frequently asked questions
Is welding an occupation I can sponsor?
Yes. Welder (First Class) (ANZSCO 322313) and Pressure Welder (ANZSCO 322312) are on the Core Skills Occupation List for the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa. The role, salary and your business still have to meet the requirements.
What’s the minimum salary?
For nominations lodged from 1 July 2026, at least $79,423 a year (the Core Skills Income Threshold), and at least the market rate for the role if that’s higher.
Does my welder need a skills assessment?
For Welder (First Class), a TRA skills assessment is mandatory for 482 applicants holding passports from Brazil, China, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, the Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam or Zimbabwe, unless they’re exempt.
Do welders need a licence in Australia?
General welding isn’t a licensed trade like electrical work, but your clients or projects may require welders to be qualified to a particular welding standard or procedure. Tell us your requirements when you enquire.
Can the welder become a permanent resident?
Often, yes. After at least 2 years of sponsored work, the worker may be able to apply for a permanent Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) visa through the Temporary Residence Transition stream, if all requirements are met.
Can I ask the worker to pay back sponsorship or recruitment costs?
No. It’s against Australian law for a sponsor to recover sponsorship, nomination, SAF levy or recruitment costs from a sponsored worker, or for anyone to ask for or accept payment in exchange for sponsorship.
Can you guarantee the visa will be approved?
No. Nobody can lawfully guarantee a visa outcome. Decisions are made by the Department of Home Affairs or Immigration New Zealand. What we can do is assess your case properly, prepare complete applications and tell you about any risks upfront.
Also hiring other metal trades? See sponsor a boilermaker or metal fabricator, or our full list of services.
Get your recruitment plan within one business day
Tell us about the welding roles you need to fill. We’ll come back within one business day with an initial recruitment plan: where we’d recruit from, the likely visa pathway, an indicative timeline and costs.
Use our employer enquiry form and tell us:
- your company name, ABN or NZBN, and contact details
- the trade and number of workers you need
- the work location, roster and salary range
- your ideal start date
- whether you’ve sponsored workers before
- whether you’d like to join an interview tour to the Philippines or the UAE
Or message us on WhatsApp +61 413 124 717.
Immigration assistance is provided by our registered migration agents: Nathan Joo (MARN 1173091), Anthony Ross (MARN 0317382) and Yuri Marshall (MARN 0320165), and by Parsa Shahbandi, Solicitor (LPN 5510977). Our agents follow the Code of Conduct for registered migration agents. We can’t guarantee any visa, sponsorship, skills assessment or licensing outcome; decisions are made by the Australian Department of Home Affairs, Immigration New Zealand and the relevant assessing and licensing bodies. It is illegal for a sponsor to recover sponsorship, nomination, levy or recruitment costs from a sponsored worker, or for anyone to ask for or accept payment in exchange for sponsorship. Government charges, thresholds and requirements change regularly and will be confirmed in writing before you proceed. This page is general information, not migration advice for your situation.