Working in Australia
For Pakistan passport holders · Checked 2026-08-15
Pakistani citizens can be hired in Australia on the Skills in Demand visa, but only if the employer is an approved sponsor and the job pays at least about AUD 79,500 a year — Australia has no low-wage work visa route, and the no-employer skilled visas require passing a points test.
What the employer must have
- Must be an approved business sponsor with the Department of Home Affairs and lodge a nomination for the specific job before the worker can apply for the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa.
- Must pay at least the Core Skills Income Threshold — AUD 79,499/year for nominations lodged from 1 July 2026 (AUD 146,717 for the Specialist Skills stream) — or the market salary rate for the role if that is higher.
- Cannot recover sponsorship or migration costs from the worker — charging the worker for the nomination is illegal.
What you must do before you leave
- Before leaving Pakistan for any foreign job, register with the Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment (BEOE) Protector of Emigrants — this is required by the Emigration Ordinance 1979 whether you found the job yourself (direct emigrant) or through a licensed Overseas Employment Promoter (OEP).
- Your foreign employment contract is countersigned by the Protectorate and you receive an Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC); FIA immigration checks it at the airport and can stop you from boarding without it.
- Direct-emigrant registration involves official fees of roughly Rs 9,000-10,000 (OPF welfare fund, insurance, registration, OEC) paid to BEOE/National Bank — not to any private agent.
Things to watch
- immi.homeaffairs.gov.au blocks automated access (HTTP 403), so the 1 July 2026 thresholds were verified via two concordant professional immigration alerts; one migration agency publishes slightly lower figures (AUD 79,423 / 146,576) — see notes.
- Points-tested visas (subclass 189/190) need no employer but require a skills assessment, English test and a competitive points score — they are not a walk-in route.
- beoe.gov.pk also blocks automated fetches; the registration requirement is corroborated by secondary Pakistani sources citing the Emigration Ordinance 1979.
- The occupation must be on Australia's skilled occupation list — most manual and low-wage jobs are not on it.
What you may lawfully be charged
THE MOST A LICENSED AGENT MAY LAWFULLY CHARGE YOU as a service charge is PKR 15,000 (PKR 6,000 if you found the job yourself and only need the paperwork done). You do not hand it over — you deposit it in a bank and the agent is paid only after the Protector of Emigrants confirms you reached the job. Anything he spends on your ticket, medical or visa must come with a signed, stamped receipt.
Rule 15 and 15A, Emigration Rules 1979 (SRO 1058(I)/2023). Charging more is punishable by up to 14 years — Section 22(a), Emigration Ordinance 1979.
⚠️ Never pay anyone for a job offer or a visa on this route. Legitimate employers and licensed agents do not charge workers for jobs.
Official sources
This describes the immigration system, not your personal case, and not this specific vacancy.