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Overview

Temporary visa for skilled professionals who will be sponsored by an Australian employer. This visa addresses labour shortages for specific skills which employers can’t easily source in Australia.

Eligibility Criteria

• You have an eligible occupation on the respective skilled occupation list.

• You are nominated for a work position by an Australian employer who intends to recruit you for their business.

• You have relevant skills and qualifications for your occupation

• You have vocational English speaking ability

• You can satisfy the requirements for good character and health

• For those who are currently in Australia; you hold a valid substantive visa or bridging visa (A, B or C) and comply with your current visa condition.

3 main parts to the 482 visa application:

• Sponsorship / Labour agreement

• Nomination

• Visa application (and skills assessment for some occupations)

3 Streams available under the Subclass 482 Visa

• Short-Term Stream (STSOL)

  • Applicable if the visa holder’s occupation is under the short term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL). This visa stream is valid for up to 2 years or

  • 4 years if International Trade Obligations (ITO) applies and up to 5 years for Hong Kong passport holders).

• Medium-Term Stream (MTSSL)

  • Applicable if the visa holder’s occupation is under the Medium and Long-Term Strategic Skills List (MTSSL) or on the Regional Occupations List (ROL). This visa stream is valid for up to 4 years (up to 5 years for Hong Kong passport holders). Option to apply for permanent residency after 3 years (if requirements are met).

• Labour Agreement Stream

  • Applicable if the employer has a labour agreement with the Commonwealth / state government (DAMA agreements to address skill shortages. Special arrangements/ concessions may apply. If granted, the visa will be valid for up to 4 years (up to 5 years for Hong Kong passport holders).
    

Overview

Permanent visa for highly skilled workers who are nominated and to be sponsored by Australian businesses.

Eligibility Criteria

• You have a valid occupation listed on the Medium Long-Term Skill Shortage (MLTSSL) or the subclass 186 visa occupation list.

• Under 45 years old

• 3 years post-qualification work in the nominated occupation

• Meet the English language requirements or EILTS score of 6 in each component.

• For temporary residence transition stream: You are 50 years old or below at the time of application.

Benefits

• Permanent Visa

  • This visa will allow the holder to stay indefinitely with the privilege to work and study in Australia.

• Include Family Members

  • The main applicant can include eligible family members when submitting the visa application.

• Medicare

  • Valid subclass 186 visa holders are eligible for Medicare.

3 Streams available under the Subclass 186 Visa

• Direct Entry Stream (DE)

  • The direct entry stream is mainly for applicants who haven’t held a subclass 457 (Temporary Work Visa) or subclass 485 (Temporary Skill Shortage Visa) for their nominating employer. This is for skilled workers who are:

    • Applying for an eligible skilled occupation

    • Have at least 3 years of relevant work experience

    • Have positive skills assessment

• Labour Agreement Stream

  • The labour agreement stream is only applicable for a skilled worker who will be sponsored by an employer through a labour agreement. The said labour agreement is developed between the Australian Government and the employers themselves.

• Temporary Residence Transition Stream (TRT)

  • The temporary residence transition stream is mainly for skilled workers who currently hold a subclass 457 (Temporary Work Visa) or subclass 485 (Temporary Skill Shortage Visa) and have worked for 2 years or 3 years respectively. They must also hold a valid subclass 457 or subclass 482 for the same occupation with their employer who is willing to offer them a permanent position.
    

Overview

The Skilled Employer Sponsor (Regional) visa subclass 494 allows employers within the eligible regional areas of Australia to sponsor skilled workers for their business. This visa commenced on 16 November 2019 replacing the Regional Skilled Migration Scheme (RSMS) subclass 187.

Eligible regions are classified under 3 categories:

• Category 1: Located outside major cities of Australia

  • Major cities include Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

• Category 2: Cities and Major Regional Centres

  • Perth, Adelaide, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Canberra, Newcastle/Lake Macquarie, Wollongong/Illawarra, Geelong and Hobart.

• Category 3: Regional Centres and Other Regional Areas

  • Designated regional area postcodes

Eligibility Criteria

• Under 45 years of age

• Have a relevant occupation on the respective occupation list

• Nominated by an approved work sponsor

• Have a suitable skills assessment for the occupation

• Meet the minimum standards of English language proficiency

Sponsor Requirements

• Located in designated regional areas

• Sponsoring valid professions under the list of eligible occupations.

• Approval by a Regional Certifying Body (RCB)

• Meet the Australian Market Salary Rate (AMSR)

Benefits

• Subclass 494 does not require a second nomination

  • Visa holders can apply for permanent residency without a second nomination stage as long as they meet the application requirements for the Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa subclass 191.

• Lower cost for employers

  • Only one Skilled Australian Funds (SAF) levy stage for the subclass 494 nomination (better option than the two stages such as the PR pathway from Temporary Skilled Shortage (TSS) subclass 482 visa to Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) subclass 186).

• Include Family Members

  • The main applicant can include family members (partner, dependent child and dependent grandchild) when submitting the visa application.

• Medicare

  • Valid subclass 494 visa holders are eligible for Medicare (Health insurance is not required).

The Options Available

• Employer-Sponsored Stream

  • The employer-sponsored stream allows employers to address the identified labour shortages within their region. Australian employers within the eligible region can sponsor overseas skilled workers to fill their workforce needs for their business operation. If granted, the visa holder can live, work and study within his/her designated regional area for 5 years.

• Labour Agreement Stream

  • The labour agreement stream is only available for skilled workers who are nominated by an Australian employer who has a labour agreement. The said labour agreement is developed between the Australian Government and the Australian employer. If granted, the visa holder can live, work and study within his/her applied designated area for 5 years.

• Subsequent Stream

  • The subsequent stream is only available for the family member (partner, dependent child and dependent grandchild) of the main 494 visa applicants. This visa stream must be submitted separately allowing them to accompany the main 494 visa holders in Australia. The subsequent stream comes with rights to work and study but only within the designated regional area where the main 494 visa holder applied for.
    

Overview

Temporary visa for individuals who wish to undergo workplace-based training in Australia (professional development/ registration or occupational development).

3 major steps in a 407 visa application:

• Temporary activity Sponsorship

• Employer’s Nomination ( 3 streams- see below)

• Visa application

Nomination- Types

• Stream 1: Occupational Training required for registration

  • This is for workplace-based training required for the nominated person to get an occupational registration, membership or licensing (examples: doctors, nurses, lawyers etc)

• Stream 2: Occupational Training to improve skills in an eligible occupation

  • This is for workplace-based training tailored to allow the nominated person to improve his/her skills for a specific occupation included in the list of eligible skilled occupations.

• Stream 3: Occupational Training for capacity building overseas

  • Overseas qualification

    • This is available for foreign students and can be valid for up to 6 months. The nominated person must meet the following:

      • Currently enrolled at a foreign educational institution

      • Complete a period of practice, research or observation to gain their qualification

      • The necessary workplace-based training is specifically tailored for the occupation

  • Government Support

    • This nomination is available for those who meet either of the requirements below:

      • Has the support of a government agency in Australia. In addition, the supporting government agency from Australia must be at the national or state/territory level.

      • Has the support from the government in the home country of the nominated person. In addition, the supporting government from the nominated person’s home country must be at the national, state/territory or provincial level.

  • Professional Development

    • This nomination is available for those who are to take professional development programs that require face-to-face teaching in a classroom or similar setting in Australia. These are likely decided and initiated by the overseas employers wherein they send off their managerial or professional employees to improve skills.

Eligibility Criteria

• Functional English

• meet character, health requirements

• *if nomination is under stream 2 enhance skills- must show recent 12 months experience in the last 24 months before the visa lodgement No age limit

• have adequate financial support and adequate health insurance

Benefits

• Available for onshore or offshore applicants

• Can be valid for up to 2 years

• Allows applicant to build on their skills and experience

• Be able to travel out and re-enter Australia multiple times as long as the visa is valid

• Include eligible family members to Australia as your companion during your stay.