What it costs to sponsor an overseas therapist in 2026

Written by Callum Trevorrow. Last checked 28 October 2026 against official sources.

Hiring an OT, speech pathologist or physio?Talk to us about a role

If you’re not yet an approved sponsor, becoming one costs A$420, paid when you apply to become a sponsor (or renew), not on every hire. Each Skills in Demand (482) hire then costs a A$330 nomination fee plus the Skilling Australians Fund levy for each year of the visa (LIN 19/215; Home Affairs). For a four-year 482, that’s A$5,130 per hire if your turnover is under A$10 million, or A$7,530 if it’s more (our arithmetic). For most practices the bigger number is salary: a sponsored clinician must be paid at least A$79,423 from 1 July 2026, and the market rate.

I was the inaugural director of a satellite hospital, so I’ve been the one hiring, and I’ve walked clinicians through Skills in Demand visas alongside registered migration agents. This is general information. A registered migration agent should confirm the figures for your business before you lodge anything.

One-off, per sponsor

Per hire

Pacific-passport applicants pay lower 186 charges (A$5,035, A$2,515 and A$1,260).

The 482 per-hire total by visa length

The levy is charged per year of the visa, so the length you nominate for changes the bill. Our arithmetic from the Home Affairs levy rates plus the A$330 nomination:

If you’re not yet a sponsor, add the one-off A$420 to your first hire: A$5,550 or A$7,950 for a four-year 482.

Salary: usually the biggest cost

A 482 nomination has a pay floor. The Core Skills Income Threshold is A$79,423 from 1 July 2026 (F2026L00874). On top of that, you must give the sponsored clinician equivalent terms and conditions to an Australian worker in the same role and pay at least the annual market salary rate, never below the award or agreement rate (ABF, reg 2.79). If your current offer for a new-graduate or junior role sits below the threshold, a sponsored hire will cost more than the local equivalent. Your migration agent will confirm how the threshold and market rate apply to your nomination.

Costs you can’t pass on

Some sponsorship costs can’t be recovered from or transferred to the clinician or anyone else. The general rule, and what to ask your migration agent, is on our sponsor obligations page. If you want any repayment clause in an offer (for relocation, say), get your migration agent to check it before it goes out. For the clinician’s view of sponsored roles, see visa sponsorship jobs.

What isn’t on this page, and why

• The 482 visa application charge. We only publish a figure once we’ve checked it against an official source, and we haven’t been able to confirm the current amount. Check the Home Affairs Skills in Demand page or ask your migration agent.
• The 186 nomination fee. Same reason.
• Relocation. There’s no official figure and no rule on how much you offer. Budget for what your market needs.
• Labour market testing. The instrument requires at least two ads, each open for at least four weeks, in the four months before you nominate. The cost is your advertising.

By profession

Registration timing changes when a sponsored clinician can start earning for you, and it differs by profession:

• Hiring an overseas occupational therapist: OT Board registration through Ahpra.
• Hiring an overseas speech pathologist: assessed by Speech Pathology Australia, not Ahpra.
• Hiring an overseas physiotherapist: Australian Physiotherapy Council assessment, then the Physiotherapy Board.

Regional employers

If you’re in Far North Queensland or the Townsville region, a regional labour agreement (DAMA) adds an endorsement fee per position, and changes which occupations you can sponsor. See hiring overseas allied health in regional Queensland.

Next step

If you’re weighing up a sponsored hire, tell us about the role. We’ll tell you honestly whether sponsorship makes sense for it, or whether a New Zealand or working holiday hire is worth considering instead. If the role is parental leave cover, read hiring parental leave cover for the Fair Work rules on replacement employees and fixed-term contracts.