Sponsoring real estate agents and property managers: the honest position

Which roles are on the list

From the Home Affairs skilled occupation list, read 6 November 2026. ✓ means the occupation is listed for that visa; caveats shown are the 482 Core Skills caveats; the list sets the 186 Direct Entry caveats separately. Check the live list before you advertise.

In the cities

For an agency in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane, the sales and property management roles have no standard sponsored route: they are not on the Core Skills list, and the 494 is regional only. The exception is a high earner. The Specialist Skills stream has no occupation list and excludes only trades workers, machinery operators and drivers, and labourers, so a sales agent whose guaranteed annual earnings are at least A$146,576 can be considered. Commission that is not guaranteed does not count towards that figure; see the Specialist Skills stream.

Conveyancers and valuers are on the Core Skills list and can be sponsored on the 482 in any location, at the market rate and at least A$79,423.

Regional agencies

Real Estate Agent, Real Estate Agency Principal and Property Manager are on the Regional Occupation List, so an agency anywhere other than Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane (including Perth, Adelaide, the Gold Coast and Canberra) can nominate them for the 494, with labour market testing and Regional Certifying Body advice, and with a path to permanent residence through the 191 after three years. See sponsoring on the 494 and check the location with is my city regional?. A DAMA for the region is the other route to check.

Licensing

A visa does not let anyone work as an agent without the state or territory licence or registration that role needs. The worker needs the licence before they can do the work, and the sponsor needs it to show the position can actually be filled; plan the licence alongside the nomination, not after it.

What the decision maker looks at: the workplace postcode (for the 494), the occupation list the role sits on, evidence the worker holds or can obtain the licence, and a position description showing listing, selling or managing work rather than administration. The genuine position test is reg 2.72(10)(a) of the Migration Regulations 1994 for the 482; the 494 nomination is approved under reg 2.73B. Worked example (illustrative only): a Parramatta agency and a Newcastle agency each want a property manager. Parramatta is in Sydney, so only the Specialist Skills stream could work; Newcastle is outside Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, so the 494 is open with RCB advice.

Costs and salary

For a 482 Core Skills nomination the salary must be at the annual market rate and at least the Core Skills Income Threshold, A$79,423 for nominations lodged from 1 July 2026; the Specialist Skills stream needs at least A$146,576; a 494 needs the market rate and at least A$79,423. The employer pays the sponsorship application (A$420), the nomination charge (A$330 for a 482) and the Skilling Australians Fund levy (A$1,200 or A$1,800 a year for a 482 depending on turnover), and none of these can be passed on to the worker. Work out the total with the calculator on the cost to sponsor a worker, and check your advertisements with the LMT ad checker.

Check the role before you advertise

Most real estate enquiries turn on location and pay: whether the office is regional, and whether the guaranteed salary reaches the Specialist Skills threshold. In an employer consultation Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536, registered since 2015) works through the occupation, the duties, the salary and the visa that fits. A$330 inc. GST for 30 minutes or A$550 for 60 minutes, credited in full if you engage the practice. You can also start with the free sponsor eligibility check.

Book an employer consultation →

In other currencies: A$330 is about US$225, €205 or £170; A$550 is about US$380, €340 or £285 (approximate, November 2026).

General information, not migration advice. No visa outcome can be promised; every nomination is decided by Home Affairs.