Temporary skilled visa workers are playing a vital role in keeping Australia’s construction and trades sectors moving, filling critical labour gaps during a period of strong demand and persistent skill shortages.
New analysis from job management platform NextMinute shows that, while visa holders make up just under 2% of the national trade workforce, some states are far more reliant. In Western Australia and the Northern Territory, nearly 4% of trades are employed on temporary skilled visas, double the national average. Across the country, over 17,500 visa holders are working in core trades such as motor mechanics, structural steel workers, glaziers, plumbers, and electricians.
Alex Jenks, CEO of NextMinute, says: “In regions like Western Australia and the Northern Territory, temporary visa workers aren’t just topping up the workforce, they’re essential to keeping projects on track. Nearly 4% of trades in these states depend on these visas, which means that immigration policy and visa processing times can have direct consequences on project timelines and costs.”
Motor mechanics have the highest reliance on visa workers, at 5.6%
Motor mechanics show the highest visa reliance, with 5.60% of the workforce made up of temporary visa holders, 6,505 out of 116,128 workers nationally. Structural steel and welding trades workers follow with 5.26%, and glaziers come next at 4.61%.
“These highly technical roles are the backbone of many construction sites,” says Jenks. “When visa worker availability fluctuates, it impacts everything from equipment maintenance to project delivery.”
| Rank | Occupation | Workforce Size | Visa Holders | Visa Holders as % of Workforce |
| 1 | Motor Mechanics | 116,128 | 6,505 | 5.60% |
| 2 | Structural Steel and Welding Trades Workers | 69,216 | 3,644 | 5.26% |
| 3 | Glaziers | 8,757 | 404 | 4.61% |
| 4 | Electronics Trades Workers | 25,943 | 725 | 2.79% |
| 5 | Metal Fitters and Machinists | 122,589 | 2,634 | 2.15% |
The majority of Australia’s visa workers come from the UK
The United Kingdom supplies the largest share of Australia’s trade visa holders, with 1,312 skilled workers across key occupations (7.47%), followed by India with 699 (3.98%) and South Africa with 633 (3.61%).
New Zealand also ranks high in interest, placing third globally for online searches for Australian trade roles (around 690 per month). However, New Zealanders can work in Australia without a visa under the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement.
Images Courtesy of: NextMinute
Jenks adds: “New Zealand’s visa-free status enables their workers to step in quickly to fill skills shortages, offering a unique advantage. For other countries relying on visa pathways, delays or uncertainties in migration processing can significantly impact project delivery and workforce stability.”
Western Australia and the Northern Territory have double the national average of visa workers
The data shows that Western Australia and the Northern Territory stand out with visa workers making up nearly 4% of their trade workforce, double the national average, highlighting how some regions are far more dependent on overseas labour to meet demand. In contrast, states like Tasmania and South Australia have less than 1% visa reliance, underscoring the varied impact of labour shortages across Australia.
| Rank | State | Total Trade Workforce Per State | Total Trade Visa Holders Per State | Visa Holders as Percent of Workforce |
| 1 | Western Australia | 134,350 | 5,059 | 3.77% |
| 2 | Northern Territory | 8,515 | 295 | 3.46% |
| 3 | New South Wales | 239,599 | 4,759 | 1.99% |
| 4 | Queensland | 204,107 | 3,253 | 1.59% |
| 5 | Victoria | 219,433 | 3,434 | 1.56% |
| 6 | Australian Capital Territory | 9,591 | 93 | 0.97% |
| 7 | South Australia | 63,277 | 551 | 0.87% |
| 8 | Tasmania | 17,613 | 110 | 0.62% |
| National | 896,485 | 17,554 | 1.96% |
Methodology:
NextMinute analysed Australian Government data on temporary skilled visa holders in key construction and trade roles, comparing visa numbers against total workforce sizes to determine visa reliance by state and nationally. Additionally, global online job search volumes were examined to identify the top countries searching for Australian trade jobs (June 2025). This approach highlights how visa dependence varies across trades and regions, offering insight into migration trends shaping Australia’s construction and trades workforce.
About NextMinute:
NextMinute was founded in Auckland, New Zealand in 2016. Many of our friends and family members are builders and tradespeople, and we got tired of seeing them battle the paper shambles of running construction jobs. They were delivering great results for customers, but being weighed down with paperwork which often impacted their personal lives and business growth. We thought things like invoicing, scheduling, and quoting should be really easy and something that could be done in the “next minute”, not on the weekend or late at night after a long day.
Working closely with our friends, we built our job management software from the ground up to help construction trade businesses. Today, around 600 businesses trust NextMinute to help manage their business. With team members in New Zealand and Australia, we’re growing faster than ever and always looking for innovative ways to make your life easier.
Feature Image Courtesy of: NextMinute
