SIA · UK & Ireland → Australia

Relocate to Australia as a recruiter.

Most people selling you the move have never made it. We're Australians who grew up here, on these beaches and in the surf clubs, and we've put UK and Irish recruiters on Australian desks for years. A migration lawyer attached to the business handles the visa; we handle the sponsor-ready shortlist, the comp maths and where to actually live.

NSW Rec2Rec AOY · 22/23/24
10 yrs
placing recruiters
4.98★
82 verified reviews
ANZ
generalist coverage
Who you're trusting

We actually grew up here.

Plenty of rec-to-recs will happily put you on a 24-hour flight off the back of a Bondi stock photo. We're not that. We're a team that grew up in Australia and in its surf clubs, the same clubs that teach you the coast, the culture and the difference between a good suburb and a tourist trap.

That local grounding is the whole point. Start In Australia sponsors South Maroubra Surf Life Saving Club, so when we tell you which city fits your sector, which suburb suits a fresh arrival and which agency owner is worth your time, you're hearing it from people who live it, not read it off a brochure.

A move this big should come from someone who's stayed, not just someone who's selling.

Start In Australia · proud sponsors of South Maroubra SLSC
The routes in

Recruitment is on the list, there's more than one way over.

A quick orientation, not formal migration advice. We work out which of these actually fits you on the first call.

SubclassVisaWho it suitsNote
482 Skills in Demand / TSS Most common first move. Employer-sponsored, 2 to 4 years, recruitment is on the relevant occupation lists. Sponsor must be approved, we keep a live shortlist.
186 Employer Nomination Scheme The permanent route, often after time on a 482 with the same sponsor. Pathway to PR via your agency.
189 Skilled Independent Points-tested, no sponsor needed if you qualify. Full PR from day one. Best if your points stack up, we help you read it.
WHV Working Holiday (417 / 462) Under 35 and want to land first, look second. Many recruiters arrive on a WHV then convert. A fast way in while you line up a sponsor.

Start In Australia handles the recruitment; the formal visa work is handled by the migration lawyer associated with the business. We orient you here, then they confirm your eligibility and run the application, so the job offer and the visa are managed together.

How it works

From "should we do this?" to billing in Sydney.

1

Work out the route

We figure out the realistic visa path for you, your timeline and what your UK/IE billing record is worth in the Australian market, with our migration lawyer confirming what's actually open to you.

2

Sponsor-ready shortlist

We introduce you only to agencies that are approved sponsors and actually want offshore billers, not businesses that will waste three months then pull out.

3

Interview from abroad

We run the time zones and prep you for the differences in the AU market, while our migration lawyer manages the visa application and sponsorship paperwork end to end.

4

Land well

Suburb guidance, what to expect in your first 90 days, and a check-in once you are on the desk. We have made this move; we know where it gets hard.

Insider knowledge

What we'll tell you that the job ads won't.

We've moved recruiters from the UK and Ireland for years and made the move ourselves. The hard parts are rarely the visa, they're the comp maths, the city choice and which sponsor is real.

  • Which visa is genuinely open to you, confirmed by our migration lawyer, not guessed
  • Which agencies hold current sponsor approval and are hiring offshore
  • How a London or Dublin billing record reads to an Australian owner
  • Realistic base + commission once you convert GBP/EUR thinking to AUD
  • Sydney vs Melbourne vs Brisbane for your sector and lifestyle
  • Suburbs that suit a fresh arrival, Coogee, Bondi, Manly and the quieter wins
  • Timelines: WHV-first vs 482-first, and what each does to your start date
FAQ · UK & Ireland → Australia

Questions before you book the flight.

Can a UK or Irish recruiter get a visa to work in Australia?
Yes, recruitment consultant roles sit on the relevant Australian skilled occupation lists, which makes employer sponsorship (subclass 482, leading to 186) a well-trodden path. Some recruiters also qualify for the points-tested 189 for permanent residency from day one, and many under 35 arrive on a Working Holiday visa and convert. We map the realistic route for you on the first call.
Which Australian agencies sponsor recruiters?
More than people think, but the list changes constantly and a lapsed sponsor approval wastes months. We keep a live shortlist of agencies that hold current sponsorship and genuinely want offshore billers, and we only introduce you to those.
Do you charge me for relocation help?
No. Start In Australia is funded by the hiring agency, exactly like the rest of our rec-to-rec work. Visa guidance, the agency shortlist and suburb advice are free to you.
Who handles the visa and immigration side?
We have a migration lawyer associated with the business who handles the formal immigration advice and your visa application end to end. We're recruiters, not migration agents, so the job search and the visa run in parallel, under one roof, instead of you stitching together an agency and a separate lawyer yourself.
How long does it take to move?
It depends on the route. A Working Holiday visa can have you here in weeks; an employer-sponsored 482 typically runs a few months from offer. We give you an honest timeline for your situation and build the job search around it.
The next step

Fifteen minutes to map the whole move.

Visa route, target cities, the comp maths and a sponsor-ready shortlist. We'll tell you honestly whether, and how, to make the jump.