Sponsorship · ANZSCO 234116 · Home Affairs list read 5 September 2026
Aquaculture or Fisheries Scientist: how sponsorship actually works
Short answer: an approved Australian sponsor can nominate a Aquaculture or Fisheries Scientist (ANZSCO 234116) on: 482 Skills in Demand (Core Skills stream); 186 Employer Nomination Scheme. The salary must meet the CSIT (A$79,423 from 1 July 2026) or the market rate. Below: the sequence, the employer's real costs, the skills assessment, current processing times — and the honest part about finding the employer in the first place.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed September 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - ANZSCO 2022 / 2013
- 234116 / —
- Employer sponsored
- 482 · 186
- Lists
- CSOL
- Salary floor 2026–27
- A$79,423
- Assessing authority
- VETASSESS
- Nomination fee
- A$330
The sequence, in order
Sponsorship is three sequential government approvals — skipping ahead is how applications die:
- Sponsorship. The business becomes an approved Standard Business Sponsor (or already is one). New sponsors budget weeks for this step.
- Nomination. The sponsor nominates the specific Aquaculture or Fisheries Scientist position — genuine need, salary settings at or above the CSIT (A$79,423), and labour-market evidence where required. Home Affairs (04 September 2026): 50% within 57 days, 90% within 9 months.
- Visa. The worker applies against the approved nomination, with the skills assessment (VETASSESS) where required by passport and occupation. 482 Core Skills visas: 4 months / 9 months.
Occupation eligibility read 5 September 2026 from the Home Affairs skilled occupation list.
What it costs the employer
| Government charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Nomination application | A$330 |
| Skilling Australians Fund levy (per nomination year) | A$1,200 (turnover < A$10M) · A$1,800 (≥ A$10M) |
| 482 visa application — primary applicant (worker's charge unless the employer covers it) | A$4,015 |
| 186 visa application — primary applicant | A$6,140 |
Charges read August 2026 from the Home Affairs pricing service — all visa fees. The SAF levy and visa charges are forfeited on refusal, which is why the nomination evidence is where the money is protected. Professional fees are separate, fixed and quoted in writing before any work.
No employer yet? The honest part
No agent can conjure the employer, and paying for advice before one exists is usually money wasted. What works:
- A complete, specific candidate profile at SponsorTalent — free, searched directly by employers approved to sponsor.
- Applications aimed at businesses that already sponsor — their careers pages and job ads say so.
- The skills assessment (VETASSESS: A$1,205.60 in Australia / A$1,096.00 offshore, checked August 2026) started in parallel, so an offer converts to a lodgement fast.
Experience but no qualification? RPL for Aquaculture or Fisheries Scientist
Genuine work experience can be assessed by a Registered Training Organisation toward the Australian qualification — worth doing only when it connects to the skills assessment and visa above. Free honest check first; fee only where the pathway is real, refunded if no qualification issues.
Regional and DAMA options
Where the standard lists fall short, regional employers can access Designated Area Migration Agreements — 12 regions with negotiated occupation lists and concessions (age, English, salary) the standard program does not offer. Whether a DAMA region lists Aquaculture or Fisheries Scientist on current settings is confirmed with the region's DAR. How DAMAs work · Is my city regional?
Sponsoring a Aquaculture or Fisheries Scientist? Get a written first read.
Tell us the role and the business. You get a straight answer on the pathway, the caveats that apply, the documents and the timing — and a fixed-fee quote if you want the nomination prepared.
Related occupations (VETASSESS): Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker · Accommodation and Hospitality Managers nec · Actor · Actors, Dancers and Other Entertainers nec · Actuary · Advertising Specialist · all occupations
Keshab Chapagain, MARN 1576536. General information only, not migration advice. Lists, thresholds, charges and processing times are set by the Department of Home Affairs and change; each figure above states the date it was read and is refreshed monthly.
Questions we get asked first
Can a Aquaculture or Fisheries Scientist be sponsored for an Australian work visa?
Yes — on the Home Affairs skilled occupation list (read 5 September 2026), Aquaculture or Fisheries Scientist (ANZSCO 234116) is available for: 482 Skills in Demand (Core Skills stream); 186 Employer Nomination Scheme. The employer must be (or become) an approved sponsor and nominate the position.
What does it cost an employer to sponsor a Aquaculture or Fisheries Scientist?
Government charges (checked August 2026): nomination fee A$330, 482 visa application A$4,015 (primary applicant), 186 visa application A$6,140 — plus the Skilling Australians Fund levy, legislated at A$1,200 per nomination year for businesses under A$10M turnover and A$1,800 per year at or above it. Professional fees are separate and quoted in writing.
What is the minimum salary to sponsor a Aquaculture or Fisheries Scientist?
For 482 Core Skills nominations lodged from 1 July 2026: the Core Skills Income Threshold, A$79,423, or the annual market salary rate for the role in that location — whichever is higher. Guaranteed annual earnings only; superannuation is on top. Roles paid A$146,576+ can use the Specialist Skills stream instead, which has no occupation list.
How long does sponsoring a Aquaculture or Fisheries Scientist take right now?
Home Affairs (04 September 2026): 482 nominations — 50% within 57 days, 90% within 9 months; 482 Core Skills visas 4 months / 9 months. A business not yet an approved sponsor adds the sponsorship application ahead of that. Complete, consistent applications sit at the fast end.
I'm a Aquaculture or Fisheries Scientist without an Australian employer — what actually works?
The sequence that works: a complete candidate profile on SponsorTalent (free — employers approved to sponsor search it directly), direct applications to businesses that advertise sponsorship, and your skills assessment (VETASSESS) started in parallel so you are lodgement-ready when an offer lands. No agent can conjure the employer — anyone who charges you before one exists is selling the wrong thing.
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