Jobs in Australia for Filipinos: the honest route from your trade to a sponsored visa and OFW Pass

Tips · 2026-10-08 · 11 min read

Filipino metal fabricator inspects a welded steel bracket at a workbench while a colleague grinds metal behind him.

Jobs in Australia for Filipinos are real, but the honest route runs through an employer who is willing to sponsor you, not through a tourist visa or a paid shortcut. In practice that means a skilled job offer, an employer-sponsored visa (the Skills in Demand visa, subclass 482, in Australia, or the Accredited Employer Work Visa in New Zealand), a DMW-licensed agency or a lawful direct hire, and then your NBI clearance, OFW Pass and PDOS before you board the plane. This guide walks that path in the order you will actually meet it.

Which jobs are realistic for Filipino workers?

Start with the work you already do well. Australian sponsorship is built around a gap the employer cannot fill locally, so a worker with proven, documented experience in a trade or technical role has a clearer case than someone hoping to switch careers on arrival.

Look at what is being advertised right now. Hands-on roles in fabrication, machining, construction and kitchens keep appearing, for example this boilermaker and metal fabricator job in Perth. Production, planning and factory roles sit under our manufacturing jobs abroad page. If you are a welder in Cebu City or a machinist in Pampanga, you are the kind of reader this route was written for.

You will not be alone when you land. The 2021 Census counted 293,892 people in Australia born in the Philippines, up from 232,391 in 2016. Across the Tasman, New Zealand's 2023 Census counted 99,264 people born in the Philippines, the largest numerical increase of any overseas birthplace.

The visa behind most offers: Australia's subclass 482

The Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) lets an Australian employer sponsor a skilled worker for a position it cannot fill with a suitably skilled Australian. It has three streams: Core Skills, Specialist Skills and Labour Agreement. Most trade and technical offers fall under Core Skills.

Occupation and pay. In the Core Skills stream your occupation must be on the Core Skills Occupation List, and your pay must meet the market rate and at least the Core Skills Income Threshold, which is AUD79,423 for nominations lodged between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027.
Experience. You need at least 1 year of relevant work experience in the occupation, gained within the last 5 years.
Skills assessment. Some occupations need a mandatory assessment by Trades Recognition Australia or VETASSESS, started before the visa is lodged.
Length of stay. Up to 4 years, working only for your sponsor in the nominated occupation.
A longer future. Your employer may later be able to sponsor you for permanent residence through the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186).

To put the income threshold in peso terms: AUD79,423 a year is roughly PHP 3,468,000, using the Reserve Bank of Australia rate of 43.67 pesos per Australian dollar on 08 Oct 2026. Treat that as a rough comparison only, because exchange rates change daily. For the full eligibility picture, read our Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa guide.

That income threshold is only part of the cost picture. Our breakdown of the Australia work visa cost in pesos covers the application charge, the family add-ons, and the employer costs you should never be asked to pay.

Want the full picture, from the minimum wage and award rates to super and casual loading? Our guide to Australian salary in pesos converts each pay floor and shows how to check an offer.

New Zealand works differently

New Zealand jobs for Filipino workers usually run through the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV). The offer must come from an accredited employer, for at least 30 hours of work a week, at least at the market rate, and the employer sends you the link to the online form. You need 2 years or more of relevant experience or a qualification at level 4 or higher in the same field. The visa costs from NZD $1540. Before you trust any offer, search the employer on the INZ accredited employer list by its name or 13-digit NZBN. A live example is this fitter, turner and welder role in Christchurch, and our Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) guide covers the rest.

Thinking seriously about New Zealand? Our guide to New Zealand jobs for Filipino workers covers the accredited employer check, the costs in pesos and the MWO Wellington steps.

Licensed agency or direct hire: the two legal ways out

The Philippine side matters as much as the visa. The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is the government body that handles the overseas employment of Filipino workers, and it recognises two lawful routes.

Before you fly, make sure your travel document is sorted too: the OEC was renamed the OFW Pass in 2023, and returning Balik-Manggagawa workers now get it free. See the full rules in our OFW Pass guide.

Through a licensed recruitment agency. Before you hand over any document, look the agency up in the DMW directory of licensed recruitment agencies. It shows whether a licence is valid, expired, delisted or cancelled. Under the 2023 DMW rules, foreign employers may advertise overseas vacancies only through DMW-licensed agencies or through the DMW itself.

If the offer came from a Facebook group or chat instead, read what the DMW warned about paid direct-hire groups before you send money or documents.

Through direct hire. The DMW defines direct hiring as being employed without a licensed agency. It is allowed only for certain employers. Employers of professionals and skilled workers may hire directly when the verified contract is above DMW standards, but the first-time hires are capped at five (5), and later workers must go through a licensed agency. Direct hires are processed online through POPS-Direct, and the free online PEOS seminar certificate is part of the Phase 2 requirements.

Want the full rules on who qualifies, the five-worker cap and how New Zealand's own verification fees work? Our guide to DMW direct hire for Australia and New Zealand walks through the whole process.

Who pays for what

Money is where many hopeful workers get hurt, so know the split before anyone asks you for cash. The table sets out the main costs under the 2023 DMW rules and Australia's sponsorship rules.

Cost	Who pays	What the rules say
Passport, NBI clearance, PSA birth certificate, school records, TESDA certificate, DOH-prescribed medical	Worker	Documentation costs are the worker's, together with PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG and SSS membership
Placement fee	Worker, only where allowed	Up to one (1) month basic salary, paid after signing the approved contract, with a BIR-registered receipt; none for New Zealand jobs
Visa and stamping fee, airfare, DMW processing fee, OWWA membership	Employer	Listed as employer costs in the 2023 DMW rules
Becoming a sponsor, nomination and the Skilling Australians Fund levy	Australian employer	Cannot be passed on to the worker or the worker's family
Anything else	Nobody	The DMW rules say no other fees in any amount, form or purpose may be charged to the worker

For scale, the base subclass 482 application charge is AUD4,015.00, about PHP 175,000 at the same 08 Oct 2026 rate, and Australia says it is illegal to pay an employer to sponsor you, including through salary deductions.

Your step-by-step route from the Philippines

Prepare an English CV. List your exact duties, tools, machines and certificates for each job. A tool like Build AI CV can help you lay it out the way Australian employers read it.
Book an English test if your visa or employer asks for one. IELTS or PTE taken at a test centre, not at home.
Check whether your occupation needs a skills assessment and, if it does, start it before the visa is lodged.
Secure a genuine offer from an employer you have verified, through a licensed agency or a lawful direct hire.
Get your NBI clearance. Home Affairs accepts the National Bureau of Investigation clearance as the police certificate for the Philippines. Applications start online on the NBI clearance portal, followed by a branch visit for your photo and fingerprints; the basic fee is ₱130 plus an e-payment charge.
Do your visa medical with an approved panel physician (Home Affairs lists clinics in Manila, Makati City, Taguig City, Cebu City, Davao City and Baguio City), using your HAP ID.
Lodge the visa online. Australian applications go through ImmiAccount only; New Zealand ones through the link your accredited employer sends.
Finish the Philippine exit steps. Get your OFW Pass (the renamed OEC), which is valid for 60 days from issue and works for one exit, and attend the mandatory PDOS run by OWWA.
Start work on time. Subclass 482 holders must begin employment within 90 days of entering Australia.

Common mistakes Filipino applicants make

Paying for a "sure" visa. No one can promise an Australian visa. Anyone selling a visa, a "work permit" or permanent residency is misleading you.
Trusting Facebook groups. A DMW advisory warned about chats and groups giving misleading advice to direct-hire applicants and demanding money; they were not created or endorsed by the DMW.
Skipping the licence check. An agency with an expired or cancelled licence cannot legally deploy you, however friendly its staff seem.
Booking flights too early. For direct hires, the DMW says flights should be finalised only after clearance is issued.
Leaving the NBI clearance to the last week. A "HIT" (a name match) can mean returning after 5 to 10 working days.
Coming on a visitor visa to look for work. You cannot work in Australia on a Visitor visa or an ETA.

Spotted something that looks wrong? The DMW Migrant Workers Protection Bureau takes reports of illegal recruitment at 87221192 or mwpb@dmw.gov.ph, and the DMW hotline is 1348.

Frequently asked questions

Can I apply for jobs in Australia from the Philippines without an agency?

Yes, but only in limited cases. The DMW allows direct hiring by certain employers, including employers of professionals and skilled workers whose verified contract is above DMW standards, capped at five workers hired for the first time. Direct hires are evaluated online through POPS-Direct, and the PEOS certificate is part of the Phase 2 requirements.

How much English do I need for an Australian work visa?

For the subclass 482 Core Skills and Specialist Skills streams, the IELTS minimum is 5.0 in each of listening, reading, writing and speaking, for tests taken on or after 13 September 2025. The test must be taken within 3 years before you apply, and fully online at-home tests are not accepted.

Is it legal for an agency to charge me a placement fee?

Under the 2023 DMW rules, a licensed agency may charge a placement fee of up to one month of basic salary, paid only after you sign the DMW-approved contract and with a BIR-registered receipt. For New Zealand jobs, a POEA advisory said licensed agencies may not charge placement fees at all.

Can my family come with me on an employer-sponsored visa?

For the subclass 482 visa, you can include your partner and dependent children in the application, and they can live, study and work in Australia. Each extra applicant has its own charge: AUD4,015.00 for each applicant 18 and over and AUD1,005.00 for each one under 18.

Do I still need an OFW Pass if I already have my Australian visa?

Yes. A DMW circular states that all OFWs need an OFW Pass when leaving for or returning to work overseas, and departing workers present their OEC or OFW Clearance to the Immigration Officer. Your visa lets you enter Australia; the OFW Pass is what clears you to leave the Philippines as a worker.

Key takeaways

The realistic route is an employer-sponsored visa: subclass 482 in Australia or the AEWV in New Zealand.
Use a DMW-licensed agency or a lawful direct hire, and check every licence and employer yourself.
Sponsorship costs belong to the employer; paying for sponsorship is illegal in Australia.
Get your NBI clearance, medical, OFW Pass and PDOS done in order, without rushing the flight.
Stay patient, kabayan: a careful application beats a fast, risky one.

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