Simple guides to working in Australia and New Zealand

Employer sponsorship, step by step

Dreaming of a job in Australia or New Zealand? Employer sponsorship is one of the safest legal ways to make it happen. Here is the short version: an employer there picks you for a real job, and that job becomes the base of your work visa. Read on to see how it works and where to begin.

Keep this order in mind: job first, visa second. It starts with a business that needs a skilled worker and cannot find one at home. That business chooses you, then gets permission from the government to sponsor or hire you. Only after that do you lodge your own visa application, tied to that one job. Every employer advertising on JobsAbroad Indonesia is ready to sponsor a visa for the right person.

• Australia uses the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482). Step one for the business: become an approved sponsor and nominate your position. Step two for you: apply for the visa. Down the track, some 482 holders move on to permanent residence through the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186).
• New Zealand uses the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV). The business gets accredited and has a job check approved, then sends you a link so you can apply. Certain jobs open a road to residence, the Green List being one example.

Australia or New Zealand? A quick comparison

Here are both visas side by side, as of October 2026. Each figure has a link to the government page it comes from; open it before you apply, since rules do change.

Step one: find the right job

Neither visa can start without a job offer, so finding the right role comes first. Look through sponsored jobs in Australia, sponsored jobs in New Zealand or every open job. Popular with our readers: Chef, Aged care, Welder, Farm hand.

Before you apply, read the requirements slowly, line by line. Do you have the experience, qualifications and English level the job asks for? If not yet, build them first. That is a better use of your time than chasing a job you cannot be sponsored for.

Applying from Indonesia or from another country

Both visas can be lodged from Indonesia. They can also be lodged from another country where you are working now. Much of the paperwork serves both countries, so one checklist does most of the job:

• Passport: check the expiry date. New Zealand wants at least 3 months of validity left after the day you plan to leave.
• Police certificates: the SKCK from the Indonesian National Police, plus certificates from other countries you have lived in, such as the country where you work now. The two countries use different rules about which countries count and how new a certificate must be. Our guides cover both, and each government explains how to get a certificate in every country.
• Proof of your skills: qualifications, trade certificates and licences. If your Australian occupation calls for a skills assessment, add that too.
• Evidence of experience: papers from your employers, such as reference letters, employment letters and payslips. A CV by itself will not do.
• An English CV: short and clear, listing your jobs, dates and main tasks.
• English scores such as IELTS or PTE, if your visa asks for them, from a test sat in person.
• Translations into English for anything written in Bahasa Indonesia or another language.

Country-by-country detail: Australia and New Zealand. Before you go, look up any requirements Indonesia has for citizens taking up work overseas, using official Indonesian government sources.

Stay safe: scams and common mistakes

Fake job offers often look exciting and urgent. The best protection for you, your savings and your family is knowing what the official rules say.

• Never hand over money for a job offer. If you pay for an offer, Immigration New Zealand can decline your visa; employers and agents there are not allowed to charge job fees at all. In Australia, a sponsor cannot make you cover its sponsorship or recruitment costs, and paying for sponsorship can stop your visa being granted.
• Visa promises are empty. The decision belongs only to the Australian or New Zealand government; nobody else can guarantee it.
• Licensed help, or none at all. In Australia, charging for immigration help is limited to registered migration agents and lawyers. In New Zealand, immigration advice has to come from a licensed adviser or an exempt person. Many people apply by themselves.
• Official payment channels only. Government fees go through ImmiAccount in Australia and through the online application system of Immigration New Zealand.
• Tell the truth, every time. Misleading or false claims and documents can lead to a refusal.

Straight from the governments: Home Affairs: visa scams and INZ: avoiding immigration scams.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a job offer before I apply for the visa?

Yes, in both countries the job comes first. In Australia, your employer must nominate your job before you can apply for the Skills in Demand (482) visa. In New Zealand, your accredited employer needs an approved job check, and then you receive a link to apply for the AEWV.

Which country is faster?

It depends on your case. As of October 2026, the Home Affairs figures for the 482 Core Skills stream are 50% of applications in 4 months and 90% in 9 months. For the AEWV, Immigration New Zealand decides 80% within 5.5 weeks. Times change, so check the official processing pages.

Can my family come with me?

Often, yes. In Australia, you can add your partner and dependent children to your 482 application. In New Zealand, they apply for visas of their own; which visas they can get is linked to how much you earn and what job you do.

Can a sponsored job lead to permanent residence?

Yes, it can. Many 482 holders in Australia go for the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) once they have 2 years with their sponsor. In New Zealand, the Green List and the Skilled Migrant Category give some workers a road to residence. Your eligibility depends on the rules when you apply.

Should I pay someone to get a sponsored job?

No. Never pay for a job offer. New Zealand employers and agents are not allowed to charge job fees, and Australian sponsors cannot pass on their sponsorship or recruitment costs. What you do pay: the government charges, plus personal costs like English tests, medicals and police certificates.

Can I apply from Indonesia, or while I work in another country?

Yes. Both visas accept applications from people outside Australia and New Zealand. The section "Applying from Indonesia or from another country" above lists what to get ready, including your SKCK and English translations.

Official sources

• Home Affairs: the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482)
• Home Affairs: Core Skills stream of the 482
• Home Affairs: English for the 482 visa
• Home Affairs: salary rules and income thresholds
• Home Affairs: visa processing times
• Home Affairs: subclass 186, Temporary Residence Transition stream
• Home Affairs: how to spot visa scams
• Immigration New Zealand: the Accredited Employer Work Visa
• Immigration New Zealand: pay rates for work visas
• Immigration New Zealand: how long an AEWV lasts
• Immigration New Zealand: residence for skilled workers
• Immigration New Zealand: avoiding immigration scams