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Staffing Agencies, Job Placement Firms, Recruiters, Contractor Roles, etc
Hi everyone. It’s been a pretty active posting week for me, and I’m really enjoying the replies and being part of this community. I now have arguably the most nuanced and complex topic that I’m about to ask.
So as I’ve mentioned before, I’m an American, born & raised, and I work in the IT sector, specifically Cyber Security. In my career in the US, I’ve worked several times as a “contractor”. What I mean by this is that the location or organization that I’m working for, I’m not an official employee of. Instead, I’m employed by another firm, who has a contract with the main employer, and as part of that contract, the main employer pays the organization I work for a sum of money, my employer takes a small cut, and then my employer pays me.
For those that are confused by my description, I’ll give you a personal example of myself. Many years ago, a Job recruitment firm called Sapphire Technologies(I can name them because the firm no longer exists), found my resume/CV online and told me that they had a contract to place a Cyber Security Specialist at a Major Educational Company(I will not name them because they still are in business). I was interested, interviewed and I got the job. While I worked side by side with many Full Time official employees of the Educational Company, officially I was not an employee of the Educational company. I was an employee of Sapphire Technologies. Paycheck wise, the Educational Company paid Sapphire, and Sapphire paid me. Sapphire received a continual minor piece of my paycheck for the length of the job contract, until a point in time came that the Educational Company hired me directly outright. This model in the United States has many names, “Temp to Perm”, “Vendor Management”, “Staff Augmentation”, “Contractor”, etc.
Now the reason I bring this up is because this model in the US works heavily with international workers. The staffing/recruiting company handled the entire hiring process, sponsored the employee’s visa, worked the entire visa process for the employee, and managed any legal visa situations directly. I know Australia has a similar model, albeit at a smaller level. I’ve written and spoken to many firms in this industry in Australia, like Hays IT, Halycon Knights, Red Apple IT, Robert Half and AUREC. One of those firms even got me a job interview, but I was passed over in the final round for someone who was based in Australia.
I’m wondering, is there a staffing/contractor/recruiting firm out there that members of this forum have worked with or have had success with in terms of job placement and sponsorship? I would love to know and hear other people’s experience with this. I know this type of industry is primarily an ICT and/or medical field type of thing. But I think if there’s a firm out there that specializes in sponsoring International workers, it could be a real benefit to many on this forum.
Thank you, and I really appreciate the assistance.
-Thomas
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3 Replies
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Hi Thomas,
Great to hear you’re enjoying being part of the community! You have been asking some good questions and I’ve been learning a lot too researching info for some of the answers! 🙂
You’ve described the contractor/staffing model really well, and yes, Australia does have a similar system, though it’s not as widespread or structured around visa sponsorship as in the U.S.
Before I go on, I’m going to repeat/reference some of the firm’s you have mentioned but including their website details for the benefit of other community members that might find this topic useful. I’m also going to reference some of the job sites I’ve mentioned in our other exchanges, just for completeness. 🙂 With all that said, let’s dig into your questions:
IT Staffing Firms That May Sponsor Visas in Australia
Many large recruitment agencies in Australia do work with international candidates, but sponsorship depends on a few factors—mainly the demand for your specific skill set and whether the company is willing to go through the visa process. Some agencies known for IT recruitment and occasional sponsorship include:
Hays IT (https://www.hays.com.au) – One of the biggest recruitment firms in Australia with a strong IT division. They occasionally place candidates in sponsored roles.
Paxus (https://www.paxus.com.au) – Specializes in IT and digital recruitment, and has been known to work with companies that sponsor skilled workers.
Halcyon Knights (https://www.halcyonknights.com.au) – IT-focused recruiter, but sponsorship is rare.
Robert Half (https://www.roberthalf.com.au) – While they do a lot of IT recruitment, their focus is more on contract roles rather than sponsorship.
AUREC (https://www.aurec.com) – Another IT recruitment agency that sometimes works with companies open to sponsorship.
Talent International (https://www.talentinternational.com) – They specialize in IT and tech recruitment, and I’ve seen cases where they placed skilled workers on sponsored visas.
Where to Find Sponsored Jobs in IT
While recruiters can be useful, many candidates looking for 482 Visa (Temporary Skill Shortage Visa) sponsorship or 186 Visa (Employer Nomination Scheme Visa) sponsorship apply directly to companies that are already sponsoring. These are some of the best places to look:
482Jobs.com – This site specifically lists jobs offering visa sponsorship in Australia, making it a great place to start.
Seek.com.au – Australia’s largest job board. Use terms like “482 visa sponsorship” or “TSS visa” when searching.
Indeed.com.au – Similar to Seek, but filters may need tweaking to find visa-sponsored jobs.
LinkedIn Jobs – Many Australian companies post direct job listings with sponsorship on LinkedIn.
A Few Considerations for IT Contracting in Australia
Sponsorship via recruiters is rare – Most companies prefer to sponsor directly rather than through a recruitment agency. However, recruiters can connect you with companies that sponsor.
Try Large technology Consulting Firms – Companies like Accenture, Deloitte, IBM, and DXC Technology do often sponsor IT professionals under the 482 visa to support large projects they have recently been awarded. Their preference isn’t to have resources with your skillset sat on a ‘bench’ waiting for projects to come in so if they win large projects, they will often consider all options, including overseas candidates..
Consider Regional Employers – Some roles in regional Australia may be easier to secure sponsorship for, as the government is encouraging skilled migration to these areas.
Next Steps
I’d recommend:
1. Checking 482Jobs.com regularly for IT sponsorship jobs (I have to plug our other sites 😉)
2. Reaching out to recruitment firms directly and asking about their sponsorship policies.
3. Looking at larger tech consulting firms that actively sponsor skilled workers.
4. Connecting with Australian-based IT professionals on LinkedIn and asking about their experiences with sponsorship.
If you want help refining your approach, feel free to ask. Wishing you the best in your job search! 👍🏻
Regards,
Mark
PS. No need to include the # Infront of our hashtags. I cleaned those up for you 🙂
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Mark, this is amazing information. Thank you so much. I’m so appreciative of all of this, and will start reaching out to some of these firms you mentioned.
Thanks again,
-Tommy
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No worries at all and best of luck..please keep in touch and let us know how your engagements go. 🤞🏻
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