Do you pay a recruiter to work in Australia? Who pays which costs in an OT, speech pathology or physio move

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

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If your recruiter operates in Queensland and you’ll be living here temporarily, you don’t pay them: the Private Employment Agents Code of Conduct bans an agent from taking a fee, deposit or bond from you for finding you work (s18, in force from 1 September 2026). And if an employer sponsors you, asking you for any benefit in return for sponsorship is unlawful under the Migration Act (s245AR), with civil and criminal penalties.

We’re free to clinicians. Employers pay us; you pay nothing, for the placement or for anything else.

That doesn’t make the whole move free. You still pay your own registration or assessment fees, usually your English test, and possibly your visa charge, flights and setting-up costs, unless an employer agrees to cover them. Below are the rules that decide who pays, then every cost in a typical move, with what the law says and where it’s open to negotiation. General information only, not legal or visa advice.

Rule 1: Queensland recruiters can’t charge you

Under the Queensland code, subject to the Industrial Relations Act 2016:

No fee, deposit or bond from a work seeker who lives, or intends to live, temporarily in Australia, for finding them work here (s18). As we read it, that includes clinicians coming on a temporary visa, such as a Skills in Demand (482) or working holiday visa.
No paid add-ons for any work seeker: an agent can’t make you pay for its own services or resources, such as CV or interview help, as a condition of finding you work, or make you use a supplier it nominates (s19). This applies whatever your visa.
An information statement first. Before providing any service, the agent must give you the Government’s information statement, which says agents must not charge fees in breach of the law and how to complain (s29).
The employer’s fee is set in writing. An agent can only recover its fee from the employer if it confirms the amount in writing before it starts (s20).

Other states: the rules on agents charging work seekers differ by state, and we’ve only checked Queensland’s. If your recruiter is based elsewhere, ask in writing whether they charge you anything, and under which state’s rules. The other questions worth asking any recruiter are on choosing a recruiter.

Two separate rules apply if an employer sponsors you:

No benefit for sponsorship. It’s unlawful for anyone to ask for, or receive, a benefit from you in return for a sponsorship-related event, such as the employer applying to be a sponsor, nominating your role, employing you on a sponsored visa or the visa being granted, even if the event never happens (Migration Act s245AR). Offering such a benefit is also a breach (s245AS). Be wary of anyone who wants a payment or anything else in exchange for sponsoring you.
Certain costs stay with the sponsor. A 482 sponsor must not recover, transfer or take action that results in you (or anyone else) paying certain costs (regulation 2.87, Australian Border Force, page updated 20 October 2026). The Fair Work Ombudsman puts it more broadly for 482 holders: employers must “not make you pay for any costs relating to your recruitment”, and must not pass on the costs of the business becoming or being an approved sponsor, including migration agent costs.

The ABF page doesn’t list the costs one by one, so where an item below isn’t clearly covered, a registered migration agent can confirm it. Ask before you sign anything with a repayment, bond or deduction clause.

Every cost in a move, and who pays it

Cost	Official amount	Charged to	Can it end up with you?
Recruiter’s placement fee	Agreed between agent and employer, confirmed in writing (s20)	Employer	Not from a Queensland agent if you’re here temporarily (s18). We never charge clinicians
Recruiter’s “extras” (CV, interview coaching)	—	—	Can’t be a condition of finding you work in Queensland (s19)
The sponsor’s own costs: sponsorship and nomination fees, the Skilling Australians Fund levy, its migration agent	Set out for employers on what it costs to sponsor	Employer	The sponsor must not pass on certain costs (reg 2.87), and the FWO says that includes the costs of becoming or being a sponsor, including migration agent costs. A migration agent confirms which costs are covered
Migration agent for your own visa advice	Set by the agent; you agree it with them (NSW Government guidance). Some charities and legal aid services help free if you meet their criteria (OMARA)	Whoever engages the agent	Negotiable. Ask the employer which agent is acting and for whom
Visa application charge	186 main applicant A$6,140 from 1 July 2026 (F2026L00874). 482: check Home Affairs	The applicant lodges it	We haven’t found an official rule that settles this either way. Negotiable: get it in writing
Registration or assessment	By profession, below	You, when you apply	Usually yours. Some employers reimburse: ask
Migration skills assessment, if your visa needs one	OTC A$800 (OTs); APC A$1,674 (physios); included in SPA’s assessment (speech)	You	Usually yours; negotiable
English test, if you need one	OET full test AU$587 (US$455 in the USA); IELTS varies by centre	You	Usually yours; negotiable
Flights, shipping, temporary accommodation	No official figure	Whoever the contract says	Negotiable. If the offer has a repayment clause, get it in writing and have it checked by an adviser acting for you before you sign
Any payment “for” a job or sponsorship	—	—	Unlawful for sponsorship (s245AR). Walk away

If your visa doesn’t need a sponsor (a working holiday visa, for example, or New Zealand citizenship), the sponsor rows don’t apply. The Queensland recruiter rules still do: s19 and s29 for everyone, and s18 if you’re living here temporarily.

Your own fees, by profession

You pay these to the body when you apply (fees current in October 2026), and they’re the costs most often worth asking an employer to reimburse:

Occupational therapists: OT Board through Ahpra, A$388 (A$250 application + A$138 registration; A$130 in NSW), plus A$688 if you need a portfolio assessment; OTC skills assessment A$800 if your visa needs one. See the OT registration guide.
Speech pathologists: Speech Pathology Australia, not Ahpra: A$825 on the MRA or A$2,000 for the OSQCA if every stage passes first time, and the same assessment serves for migration. Canadian speech-language pathologists can’t currently use the MRA. See the SPA MRA guide.
Physiotherapists: Australian Physiotherapy Council A$1,742, A$3,490 or A$8,321 by route (as at 21 October 2026), then the Physiotherapy Board through Ahpra, A$672 (A$452 + A$220; A$200 in NSW); Council migration skills assessment A$1,674 if needed. See Express FLYR, FLYR or APEP.

Against that, the award minimum in year 1 is A$1,308.80 a week for OTs and physios (AQF 7) and A$1,308.80 to A$1,444.90 for speech pathologists, depending on whether your degree is AQF 7, 8 or 9 (from 1 October 2026). Queensland Health HP3 starts at A$83,824 a year (from 1 September 2026). Every fee line, with English test prices by country, is in the move cost checklist; which assessment does what is in skills assessments compared.

If someone asks you to pay

A recruiter in Queensland asking for a fee: the information statement they must give you tells you how to complain to the Queensland department.
An employer asking for money or a benefit for sponsorship: don’t pay, and talk to a registered migration agent. The OMARA website also links to Home Affairs’ form for reporting unlawful immigration assistance.
Deductions or pay problems once you’re working on a 482: the Fair Work Ombudsman says visa holders can’t get into trouble or have their visa cancelled for contacting it about pay or workplace rights.

I’ve been on the other side of recruiters. I built this to be the one I wished I’d had.

Who else is involved in a move, and what each of them does, is on who can help you move. How to spot whether a sponsored role is real is on visa sponsorship jobs.

Your next step

OTs: check whether your degree is on the OT Board’s recognised list, because that decides whether your own fees are A$388 or include a A$688 portfolio assessment.
Speech pathologists: check whether you can use SPA’s MRA (A$825) or need the OSQCA (A$2,000).
Physios: check which Council route your country puts you on, from A$1,742 to A$8,321 before Ahpra.

The pathway check asks those questions for your profession, so you know which costs are yours before you talk to any employer.

Related guides

Ahpra registration for overseas occupational therapists: the 3 pathways, fees and EnglishOverseas OTs register through one of 3 OT Board pathways, from A$388 in fees (A$250 + A$138). Which one is yours, by country, plus CORS and English.
Choosing a recruiter for your move to Australia: 8 questions for OTs, speech pathologists and physiosEight questions for any recruiter, us included: fees, Queensland's information statement, who gives visa advice, sponsor costs and your Fair Work rights.
Express FLYR, FLYR or APEP: the Australian Physiotherapy Council pathways for overseas physiotherapistsOverseas physios go through the Physiotherapy Council: Express FLYR A$1,742, FLYR A$3,490 or APEP A$8,321. Stages, times and who qualifies, by country.
What it costs to move to Australia as an OT, speech pathologist or physio: the official fees, by professionOfficial fees by profession: Ahpra and the OT Board, OTC, SPA MRA or OSQCA, the Physiotherapy Council, English tests and pet quarantine. Checked Oct 2026.
Registration, job or visa first? The order that works for OTs, speech pathologists and physiosRegistration (or SPA assessment) comes first. SPA's MRA takes up to 7 weeks, physio Express FLYR about 3. The order and published times by profession.
The Speech Pathology Australia Mutual Recognition Agreement, explained: the rules for each countrySPA's MRA costs A$825 and takes up to 7 weeks, but each country's association sets a different bar, and Canada's is paused. Side-by-side rules and MRA vs OSQCA.
Allied health jobs with visa sponsorship in Australia: who sponsors, and how to tell from the advertWho sponsors overseas OTs, speech pathologists and physios, Queensland Health's case-by-case stance, how to read an advert, and what a sponsor can't charge you.
Who can help you move to Australia as an OT, speech pathologist or physio? Who does what, what it costs, and whenWho does what in a move: Ahpra, SPA or the Physio Council, registered migration agents, recruiters, sponsors, the ATO and Medicare. What each costs, and when.

Sources

Written by Callum Trevorrow, Physiotherapist and founder
Callum Trevorrow is a physiotherapist with experience across public, private and community settings, across the lifespan. He has led a hospital, and now leads a multi-site allied health company that employs overseas staff.
Last checked 28 October 2026. Sources are listed below. How we check.

General information only, not migration or legal advice. Visa advice should come from a registered migration agent (we work alongside them). Registration decisions are made by Ahpra and the professional bodies, not by us. Fees and rules change: check the linked official source before you rely on a figure.