How to Sponsor a Bricklayer in WA: A Guide for Employers

By Amanda O'Shaughnessy, Registered Migration Agent | MARN 2619599

Last updated: 4 October 2026

If your WA business is struggling to find a skilled bricklayer, or you already have a reliable worker whose visa is running out, employer sponsorship may be worth exploring.

Bricklayer is an occupation that can potentially be sponsored through the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482). But finding someone who can do the job is only the beginning. Your business, the position and the worker must each meet the relevant requirements.

For a bricklaying contractor or construction business, the practical questions are usually straightforward: can we sponsor this person, what do we need to organise, how much should we budget, and could the WA Construction Visa Subsidy Program help?

This guide explains the key considerations before you commit.

A sponsorship pathway for bricklayers in WA

Bricklayer, ANZSCO 331111, is listed on the Home Affairs Core Skills Occupation List. That means the occupation can be considered for the subclass 482 Core Skills stream, subject to the business, nomination and visa requirements.

The 482 is a temporary visa that generally allows an eligible worker to work for their sponsor for up to four years. It may suit an employer looking to retain a bricklayer already in Australia or recruit a suitably skilled person from overseas.

The job must match the occupation being nominated. A worker mainly carrying materials, mixing mortar or assisting other tradespeople should not be nominated as a skilled bricklayer simply because they work on a bricklaying crew. The duties and evidence must support the skilled role.

Your business and the proposed position

For the standard 482 pathway, your business generally needs approval as a Standard Business Sponsor. A small business can become a sponsor; the assessment turns on its circumstances and supporting evidence.

Expect to provide information about the business's lawful operations, financial position and genuine need for the role. For a bricklaying business, relevant evidence might include current projects, contracts, workforce details and a clear explanation of the duties the worker will perform.

The proposed position must be genuine. A job title on an employment contract is not enough if the actual duties, hours or employment arrangements do not support the nomination.

You can complete the business sponsorship stage before identifying a worker. Standard Business Sponsorship is generally approved for five years, but it does not automatically approve each position or worker. See Home Affairs' sponsor guidance.

Qualifications, experience and skills assessments

The proposed bricklayer needs evidence of the skills and experience required for the role. This may include trade qualifications, apprenticeship records, employment references and records showing paid work.

For the 482 Core Skills stream, the worker generally needs at least one year of relevant work experience in the nominated occupation or a related field.

Some applicants must obtain a formal skills assessment. Whether one is mandatory depends on factors including the occupation, country of passport and any applicable exemption. Trades Recognition Australia is the relevant assessing authority for bricklayers, with assessments undertaken through the applicable program and approved providers.

An assessment is not automatically required for every bricklayer.Check this early: it affects the evidence, cost and timing of the application. Our article on skills assessments for 482 workers explains the distinction.

The worker must also meet the applicable English, health, character and other visa requirements. The Home Affairs Core Skills stream page and Trades Recognition Australia provide official guidance.

Salary and recruitment requirements

The salary needs to satisfy both the applicable visa income threshold and the Annual Market Salary Rate requirements. The market rate reflects what an equivalent Australian worker would earn for the same work in the same location.

For standard Core Skills nominations lodged from 1 July 2026, the Core Skills Income Threshold is $79,423 a year. The required salary may be higher if the market rate is higher. Compulsory superannuation should not be counted towards that threshold, and variable overtime or a headline subcontractor rate should not be assumed to satisfy the nominated earnings requirements.

Employers should review the proposed ordinary hours, guaranteed earnings, award or agreement obligations and salary evidence together. See Home Affairs' salary requirements.

Labour market testing is also generally required unless an exemption or alternative arrangement applies. For most standard nominations, this means at least two compliant advertisements, with the position advertised for at least four weeks within the four months before lodgement.

Check the requirements before placing advertisements, and keep copies and recruitment records. The fact that a worker is already employed by you does not automatically remove labour market testing. Read the official labour market testing guidance. There are exemptions for LMT.

Keeping a bricklayer who is already in Australia

You may already employ a bricklayer on a Working Holiday visa, another temporary visa or a 482 visa sponsored by a different business. Sponsorship may be possible, but the person's current visa conditions and ability to apply in Australia need to be checked.

Start before the current visa becomes a problem. Lodging a sponsorship or nomination application does not itself extend the worker's visa or give them permission to keep working.

What your business should budget for

The government charges generally include $420 for Standard Business Sponsorship if required, a $330 nomination fee, and the Skilling Australians Fund levy. The levy is generally $1,200 per year or part of a year for a business with annual turnover below $10 million, or $1,800 for other businesses.

For example, a business below the $10 million turnover threshold applying for sponsorship and nominating one worker for four years would generally pay $5,550 in sponsorship and nomination government charges. The worker's visa application charge, professional fees and other expenses are separate.

Professional fees are additional and depend on the services required. Recruitment, skills assessment and relocation costs may also need to be considered.

The employer must bear sponsorship and nomination costs, the SAF levy and associated migration agent and recruitment costs. These cannot be passed to the worker through wage deductions or a repayment agreement. Our guide to the cost of sponsoring a worker in Australia explains the breakdown and payment obligations, with links to Home Affairs.

WA Construction Visa Subsidy Program support

The WA Construction Visa Subsidy Program (CVSP) can help eligible construction businesses offset migration expenses. The Employer Sponsored Stream offers milestone payments of up to $10,000 per eligible skilled migrant.

The WA Government describes three milestones: $2,000 at registration, $4,000 when the worker's visa is granted, and $4,000 when the worker commences employment. Each payment remains subject to eligibility, evidence and the program's terms; it is not an automatic upfront discount on sponsorship.

Eligible expenses may include recruitment, authorised migration representative fees, visa application fees and relocation. The employer stream covers eligible subclass 482, 494 and 186 pathways. Businesses must be undertaking residential and/or commercial building and construction work in WA, with a valid ABN and an eligible occupation. Bricklayer appears on the program's published eligible occupation list.

Exclusions include labour hire companies and Group Training Organisations acting as direct employers. Check the current terms, worker circumstances and claim requirements before relying on funding or committing to costs.

Read the WA Government's CVSP overview and milestones and government eligibility summary. Nua can help you consider CVSP eligibility alongside the sponsorship pathway.

Plan for the role beyond the first visa

A 482 visa may be one part of a longer workforce plan. Depending on the worker and business, an employer-sponsored permanent pathway or a skilled migration option may also warrant assessment.

Permanent residence is not automatic after a 482 grant. Discuss the longer-term plan early so the business and worker understand what may be possible without treating it as a promise. A 186 permanent visa may be an option after 2 years on the 482.

Get a clear plan before committing to sponsorship

A useful first assessment brings the business and worker information together. Your projects and proposed role need to align with the worker's qualifications, experience, visa history and available evidence.

Before your consultation, gather the worker's CV, passport nationality, current visa details if they are in Australia, trade qualifications and employment history, together with the proposed duties, work location, hours and salary. This gives the assessment a practical starting point.

Nua Migration supports employers in Perth and across Western Australia with business sponsorship, nominations, visa applications and longer-term migration planning, with a particular focus on construction and skilled trades.

Amanda O'Shaughnessy, Registered Migration Agent, worked within the WA State Government's Construction Migration Office before establishing Nua Migration. Her experience helps employers understand how migration requirements and construction workforce needs fit together.

Contact Nua Migration to discuss the bricklayer you want to retain or recruit, your business's sponsorship options and whether CVSP support may be available. You can also explore our employer migration services.

Amanda O'Shaughnessy | Registered Migration Agent | MARN 2619599

This article provides general information and is not migration advice for your business or an individual worker. Requirements, government charges, income thresholds and subsidy terms can change. Official information was checked in October 2026; eligibility and available support should be confirmed for your circumstances before applying or committing to expenditure.