The Australian Government permits employers who are unable to find an Australian citizen or permanent resident to fill a job vacancy to employ and sponsor foreign workers or skilled workers who can relocate to Australia through a range of skilled visa options, skilled workers living in Australia with no work permit or skilled workers living and working in Australia with another kind of visa. Employers with a legally established business or businesses with a labor agreement are qualified to be sponsors in Australia. They can sponsor skilled workers whose jobs are on the Skilled Occupations List to live and work in Australia. There are several visa options for people requiring sponsorship in Australia; these visas are categorized under:
- Regional Visas
Under the regional visas, we have several visa options with provision for sponsorship through the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494). This visa allows employers to sponsor skilled workers to live, work, and study only in designated regional areas of Australia, travel to and from Australia for 5 years, and, if eligible, apply for permanent residence after 3 years from when their visa was granted. This visa type operates under three different streams, each with its peculiarities. We have:
To qualify for the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional Visa, you must:
- Receive a nomination from an accredited work sponsor
- Have an occupation on the skilled occupation list
- Possess a valid skills assessment for the given occupation
- Be no older than 45 years
- Satisfy the minimum requirements for English language proficiency.
- Possess at least 3 years of relevant work experience in your selected occupation.
- Exclusively work for your sponsor or a related entity unless an exception applies.
- Temporary Skilled Visas
Categorized under the temporary skilled visa, the Temporary Skill Shortage Visa (subclass 482) allows skilled workers to live, work, and study in Australia for 4 years, with exceptions for Hong Kong passport holders who may stay in Australia for up to 5 years. This visa type operates under four different streams, we have:
- The Core Skills Stream
- The Specialist Skills Stream
- The Labour Agreement Stream
- The Subsequent Entrant
Based on your stream, you can live, work, study, travel to and from Australia, and be eligible for permanent residency. This also determines your eligibility and requirements, some of which include:
- Nomination to work in an occupation listed in the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL), in an occupation classified under Major Groups 1, 2, 4, 5, or 6 in the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO), you must have a salary that meets the Specialist Skills Income Threshold, or belong to a specified occupation according to the Labour Agreement terms.
- A minimum of 1 year of relevant work experience in your chosen occupation or a related field
- A relevant skills assessment, if required for your occupation
- Working only for your sponsor or a related entity unless you qualify for an exemption.
- Meeting the minimum English language proficiency standards, unless you are exempt from this requirement.
3. Permanent Skilled Visas
Under the Permanent Skilled Visa, we have the Regional Sponsor Migration Scheme (subclass 187), which allows skilled workers to live, work, and study in Australia permanently without a time limit, sponsor qualifying relatives to join them in Australia, and, if qualified, obtain Australian citizenship. This visa type operates under two streams, we have:
The eligibility for this visa varies based on the above streams, which might include:
- Having an occupation on the relevant list of eligible skilled occupations
- A nomination from an Australian employer to work in a position in regional Australia
- A minimum of 3 years of relevant work experience, depending on your occupation
- A skills assessment
- An agreement to remain employed with your nominating employer in regional Australia for a minimum of 2 years
