There are, however, numerous conditions that must be met by applicants before they can commence working under the 457 visa. Businesses bear some responsibility under the 457 visa conditions and can sponsor a worker under the terms of the visa if they cannot find an Australian worker to fill the position.

Furthermore, a sponsoring business must demonstrate that it is a lawfully operating and well established business that meets the relevant Australian workplace requirements, complies with the number of 457 visa employees, is committed to the local workforce and engages in appropriate recruitment practices.

These strict conditions are important, as they serve to safeguard 457 visa workers against job instability and exploitative workplace practices, whilst also preserving the employment prospects of local workers.

Nomination for a 457 visa

Due to the stringent terms and conditions imposed upon all businesses looking to sponsor a 457 visa applicant, there are relatively few jobs available to skilled international workers. Consequently, jobs that fulfil the requirements of the visa are in high demand.

Fortunately, the system is designed in such a way as to ensure that all successful applicants for the 457 visa are employed through the sponsorship of eligible businesses.

To begin the visa application process, an approved business must nominate a skilled international worker and identify the specific position that the worker in question would fill. This is an important step, as it ensures that all skilled international workers entering Australia with a 457 visa will be employed.

To begin the nomination process, a business must provide the relevant government department with the name of the international worker, outline the state in which the international worker will be employed and demonstrate that it meets all of the necessary employer requirements in Australia.

Following this, the business in question must draft a set of employment guidelines in accordance with Australian workplace requirements and provide these guidelines to the Department of Immigration with their nomination.

Finally, the business must demonstrate that it meets the criterion stipulated under the visa conditions and it must meet the temporary skilled migration income threshold. Because there are so many steps – each of varying complexity – it is advisable that businesses and applicants alike engage a qualified migration agent or lawyer to assist with the application and nomination process.

Positions in demand for 457 visa sponsorships

Throughout Australia skilled workers are in constant demand, across a range of industries. Demand is constantly shifting, however, and this means that employment under a 457 visa can prove to be far more challenging in some industries than others.

Currently, there are numerous commercial sectors that are suitable for 457 visa applicants – all of which require a dynamic and multitudinous variety of skills and qualifications.

Perhaps the most available positions for 457 visa applicants include those in healthcare, automotive repairs and commercial consultancy.

Healthcare

Australia’s healthcare system is one of the broadest, most efficient in the world. The remarkable diversity of healthcare services across rural and urban Australia demands a workforce that is equally as diverse and well equipped to manage the health and wellbeing of a growing nation.

Presently, there is somewhat of a shortage of nursing and medical staff across certain areas of Australia and because of this the industry is seeking qualified healthcare workers to strengthen the workforce.

Being reputable and well established, hospitals and other such healthcare facilities are well equipped to fulfil the requirements stipulated by the Department of Immigration with regard to 457 visas, which is a considerable advantage to applicants.

The financial stability and community standing offered by hospitals and healthcare facilities places them in an ideal position to ensure that all nominations and applications for 457 employment are managed efficiently and effectively, with the best possible chance of success.

Automotive Industry

Another Australian industry that is currently seeking to strengthen its workforce is the automotive industry – in particular, automotive repairs. If you peruse some of the larger job advertising websites on the Internet, you will find a large number of automotive repair shops advertising positions to both local workers and 457 visa applicants.

The automotive industry in Australia is large and dynamic, with advances in technology and the demand for automotive services increasing considerably in recent years. This is perhaps one of the factors contributing to the increasing demand for skilled mechanics, panel beaters and other such automotive professionals.

Positions of this nature offer a range of benefits to 457 applicants and these benefits vary in nature.

Automotive workshops are often locally run businesses and this means that they are looked upon favourably by the Department of Immigration. Because they are typically locally run businesses, employers in the automotive repairs industry are almost invariably dedicated to the local workforce and can therefore demonstrate a genuine commitment to local labour, as per the requirements of 457 visa sponsorship.

Commercial Consultancy

With Australian commerce expanding rapidly through strengthened international trade and innovative industrial advancements, there is a high demand for skilled business consultants throughout growing Australian businesses.

Qualified and skilled professionals are necessary to manage the directional objectives, practical requirements and human resources issues of local and multinational businesses that have seen considerable growth in recent years.

This is an excellent workplace in which to seek sponsorship as a worker under the 457 visa. The economic importance on international trade throughout Australian businesses means that – amongst other things – businesses will be seeking to network and expand the diversity of their workforce, which has led to an increased demand for international workers.

Additionally, large corporate businesses are well equipped to fulfil the conditions imposed upon them by the 457 visa.

The expansive resources of these businesses ensure that the nomination and application process will be managed smoothly and the economic prospects of the commercial sector indicate that these types of positions can be both lucrative and stable.

Need help with your 457 visa? Get in touch with the expert migration agents at Results Migration today on 1800 808 717.

The post 457 Visa Occupations in Demand appeared first on Results Migration.

The Department of Immigration and Border Control (DIBC) oversees the issuing of work and other visas in Australia. Negotiating the tricky process of dealing with the DIBC to secure the right visa isn’t for the faint-hearted. Here’s our lowdown on employer sponsored visas in Australia.

Employer sponsored visas

Employer sponsored visas differ from many other types of Australian visa, such as a tourist visas. Employer sponsored visas allow you, as an employer, to recruit skilled workers from overseas to fill job vacancies you wouldn’t otherwise be able to fill.

Employer sponsored visas in Australia fall into two categories: Temporary visas and permanent visas. Some of the employer sponsored visas allow you to recruit a worker from overseas to fill a vacancy, but only for a finite period of time. Other types of employer sponsored visas in Australia can actually lead to your skilled worker gaining permanent residency. For this reason they can be an enticing option for a skilled worker already thinking of coming to Australia.

Generally, the framework applicable to employer sponsored visas is geared towards ensuring that these visas are only used to recruit workers to fill vacancies that can’t be filled by existing Australian workers. That way, it’s hoped that Australian workers are protected from an influx of cheaper overseas labour…and that overseas workers are protected from exploitation once they arrive here.

Becoming a sponsor for the purposes of employer sponsored work visas in Australia

In order to recruit skilled workers from abroad, you’ll have to become a sponsor. Becoming a sponsor doesn’t just rely on you meeting ongoing obligations once a visa is granted to your skilled worker. There’s a preliminary stage: You’ll have to apply for, and be granted, approval to be a sponsor. These requirements aim to ensure that dodgy businesses that are just a cover for immigration scams are detected and cannot use employer sponsored visas as a ruse for bypassing immigration laws.

Your ongoing obligations as an employer under employer sponsored visas in Australia

Once you gain approval to be a sponsor, that isn’t the end of the process. As an employer, if you want to sponsor workers to come to Australia, you’ll have a number of ongoing obligations. For example, you’ll have to:

• Ensure your worker has a current, valid visa that permits them to do the job you’ve employed them to do.

• Pay them at least the minimum wage.

• Ensure that they have certain basic workplace rights and that their working conditions comply with Australian workplace laws.

• Keep adequate records.

Believe it or not, these ongoing obligations and monitoring continue for some time after you cease to be a sponsor.

Features common to most employer sponsored visas in Australia

Most employer sponsored visas in Australia share some or all of the following requirements:

Occupation

Generally speaking, your prospective employee will find it impossible to get an employer sponsored visa unless their occupation is listed in either the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) or the Consolidated Skilled Occupation List (CSOL).

Qualifications, skill and experience levels

It isn’t enough for your worker to be employed in a particular occupation. For most employer sponsored visas, they’ll also have to satisfy minimum levels of skills, qualifications and experience. Depending on their job, they may have to pass a skills assessment. The skills assessment is conducted by an assessing authority. For example, if they’re a doctor, the assessing authority is the Medical Board of Australia.

English language proficiency

In most cases, the skilled worker you want to hire will also have to pass an English language test. Accepted tests include the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), as well as a number of other tests.

Your worker’s level of English language proficiency based on the outcome of the testing is important. It also has an impact on the employer sponsored visa options open to them.

Age

Though there are some important exceptions, your prospective employee will also have to be under a certain age. For example, applicants for many of the employer sponsored visas must be under the age of 50.

Health, good character and insurance

In many cases, they’ll also have meet certain health requirements by passing a medical examination. They’ll have to be deemed a person of good character and they will have to make arrangements for their own health insurance policy whilst in Australia. In most cases they won’t be covered by Medicare.

Location

In some cases, your worker will have to live and work in a particular area, such as regional Australia. Again, the focus here is on addressing shortages of skilled labour.

Different types of employer sponsored visas in Australia

There are a number of employer sponsored visas in Australia. This isn’t intended to be a comprehensive list but here are some of the most common employer sponsored visas that may assist you to recruit skilled workers from abroad:

Temporary work (skilled) visa (subclass 457)

One of the most common visas is the temporary work (skilled) visa. As the name suggests, this visa only allows the worker you’ve recruited from abroad to come to Australia for a period up to 4 years.

Employer nomination scheme visas (subclass 186)

The employer nomination scheme visa will give a skilled worker permanent residency. There are two main streams:

1. Direct Entry: This is open to a worker who hasn’t held a temporary work (skilled) visa before but can pass the applicable skills assessment and has sufficient work experience.

2. Temporary resident transition: This is where your worker has already held a temporary work (skilled) visa (subclass 457) for at least 2 years. You can nominate them for a permanent visa under this scheme

The Agreement Scheme

If you’re an employer, in some cases, you can negotiate a labour agreement with the Australian Government. It will permit you to recruit a set number of workers from abroad where there’s a skill shortage in a particular area.

Regional sponsored migration scheme visas (subclass 187)

This type of employer sponsored visa is a pathway to Australian permanent residency in Australia. It might be open to you if you’re an employer in regional Australia and you’re struggling to fill job vacancies. Whether you’re in ‘regional Australia’ depends on your postcode applicable to your location. There is a list of designated postcodes that you can search. These visas are designed to help employers fill vacancies in rural and regional areas of Australia.

The occupational trainee stream of the training and research visa (subclass 402)

A training and research visa is another category of employer sponsored visa in Australia. In the context of running your business, this might be open to you if you’re looking to employ an occupational trainee.

Employers who are in the public sector

There are also other types of visa that are open to skilled workers who are sponsored by a state or territory government, as opposed to sponsorship by a private sector employer. For example, the Australian skilled regional sponsored visa (subclass 489) is one such option.

Taking the headache out of employer sponsored visas in Australia

As an employer, you’ve got enough on your plate without having to navigating your way through the confusing array of employer sponsored visas in Australia. At Results Migration, we can assist you to meet the requirements of becoming a sponsor. We’ll ensure that you tick all of the boxes along the way so that you can focus on what’s truly important: growing your business and finding the right people for the job.

Click here to discover other ways in which Results Migration can help to solve your Australian visa problems, or call us today on 1800 808 717.

The post Hiring from Abroad? Here’s The 101 On Employer Sponsored Visas In Australia appeared first on Results Migration.