Trades to Australia

Australia pays trades properly. It also runs a recognition maze, and a sham-ABN scam that strips your super, leave and workers' comp.

The TRA assessment, the Job Ready Program, and state-by-state licensing have more steps than anyone expects, and the contracting scam catches arrivals in their first month. Written from the employer's side, this guide walks the recognition sequence, the regional sponsorship trade-offs, and the wage floors to insist on. By a senior HR professional with fifteen years in Australian migration. Opens in any browser, works offline.

What's inside

• TRA assessment and the Job Ready Program, step by step with realistic timelines
• State licensing by trade: what transfers, what needs local gap training
• Real wage figures by trade: award floors, penalty rates, and overtime that is actually paid
• Sham ABN contracting: how the scam works and the exact checks that protect you
• Regional sponsorship: the 494 to 191 route and what living regionally really means
• Every figure verified 1 July 2026, plus 6 working templates and checklists that save your progress

Pays for itself before you land: spotting a sham ABN arrangement before signing protects your 12 per cent super, your leave, and your workers' comp from day one.

General settlement information, not migration or legal advice. For your visa specifics, speak to an OMARA-registered agent before you arrive.