This visa lets an employer sponsor a suitably skilled worker to fill a position they can’t find a suitably skilled Australian to fill.
- This category has 3 different visa subclasses:
- Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) visa
- Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) (Subclass 494) visa
- Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482)
- This visa involves a 2-step process:
- Nomination by the employer
- Visa application
These steps can be lodged separately or at the same time.
1. Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) visa
- This is a permanent visa for applicant who already got job offer from employer in Australia and employer is ready to sponsor the visa applicant for the permanent residency visa.
- There are 3 subclasses in this visa category:
A. Direct Entry stream
- This visa lets skilled workers, who are nominated by an employer, live and work in Australia permanently.
- You must be nominated by an Australian employer
- Your occupation must be on the relevant list of eligible skilled occupations.
- You must have at least Competent English
- You must have positive skill assessment (exempted in some cases).
- You must be under the age of 45
B. Labour Agreement Stream
This visa lets skilled workers who are nominated by their employer live and work in Australia permanently. The Labour Agreement stream might be for you if you currently work, or will work, for an employer who is party to a labour agreement.
- The employer must have a labour agreement
- Must be under the age of 45
C. Temporary Residence Transition Stream (TRT)
This visa lets skilled workers, who are nominated by their employer, live and work in Australia permanently.
- You must hold a 457, TSS or related bridging visa A, B or C
- Usually, you must have worked for your employer full-time for at least three years
- You must be nominated by your employer
2. (Provisional) (Subclass 494) visa:
This visa enables regional employers to address identified labour shortages within their region by sponsoring skilled workers where employers can't source an appropriately skilled Australian worker.
- be nominated by an approved work sponsor
- have an occupation on a relevant skilled occupation list
- have a suitable skills assessment for the occupation
- be under 45 years of age
- meet minimum standards of English language proficiency
3. Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482)
- This temporary visa lets an employer sponsor a suitably skilled worker to fill a position they can’t find a suitably skilled Australian to fill. Employer must be approved sponsor from the department of home affairs.
- Basic Eligibility for the visa applicant:
- be nominated for a skilled position by an approved sponsor
- have the right skills to do the job
- meet the relevant English language requirements
There are 2 streams in this visa:
1. Short-term stream
- The occupation is on the short-term skilled occupations list
- You can stay for up to 2 years or up to 4 years if an International Trade Obligation (ITO) applies.
2. Medium-term stream
- Your occupation is on either the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) or the Regional Occupation List (ROL)
- You can work in Australia for up to four years.