How to Get Sponsorship to Australia as a Foreign Skilled Workers

November 14, 2024

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How to Get Sponsorship to Australia as a Foreign Skilled Worker

If an approved firm cannot locate a suitable Australian citizen or permanent resident to fill a job opening, it may invite a foreign worker to cover the skill gap.

The firm may welcome skilled personnel on either temporary or permanent visas. There are several solutions accessible, each with its own set of needs and circumstances.

To nominate overseas workers for certain visas, the employer must first become an approved sponsor. Without it, they will be unable to invite abroad candidates.

Learn more about Australian sponsorship and how to gain sponsorship as Overseas Skilled Workers to Australia in this article.

What is an Australian Sponsorship?

Australian sponsorship enables employers to sponsor skilled foreign workers to come and work in Australia. If the employer is not an approved sponsor, he cannot nominate a skilled worker for immigration to Australia. Sponsorship is classified into many forms based on a variety of characteristics. Here’s a quick summary of the various sorts of sponsorship:

Standard Business Sponsorship (SBS): This is the most prevalent form of sponsorship. This sponsorship allows corporations and employers to sponsor talented people for temporary or permanent visas. This sponsorship is valid for five years.

Accredited Sponsorship: Accredited sponsorship is designed for businesses that regularly sponsor skilled people. It provides additional benefits over normal sponsorship.

Temporary Activity Sponsorship (TAS): This is intended for short-term activities like training or cultural exchanges. The validity period for this type of sponsorship is five years from the date of grant.

So, here is a general guide to applying for Australian sponsorship. Have a peek.

How Overseas Skilled Workers Can Gain Sponsorship to Australia

The application process and eligibility standards for each form of sponsorship can differ depending on a variety of circumstances. Here are the main steps that employers must take before applying for any sort of sponsorship:

Step 1: Establish the requirement for international personnel.
Step 2: Check the occupation list.
Step 3: Select the proper visa.
Step 4: Check sponsorship eligibility criteria.
Step 5: Apply to be an approved sponsor. Step 6: Nominate the post.
Step 7: Complete the visa application.

Below is a full breakdown of each stage to help you understand better.

Step 1: Show the Need for Overseas Workers

If you want to sponsor or invite an overseas skilled worker to Australia, you must demonstrate that you cannot locate an appropriate Australian candidate for the role. This requires you to do labor market testing (LMT).

As a sponsor, you must market the post and demonstrate your recruitment efforts during this test. The goal is to establish that there are no qualified Australian citizens or permanent residents available to fill the position. Simply said, there is a skill deficit in the country for that particular role.

That is why you are considering welcoming competent foreign migrants. So, here are some of the prerequisites for labor market tests that you must fulfill.

Use at least two different outlets to publicize the position.
Make sure the adverts run for at least 28 days.
Provide confirmation of the advertisements and any answers you received.

Furthermore, keep in mind that some occupations are excluded from labor market testing, so double-check your industry’s unique needs.

Step 2: Check the Occupation List.

Ensure that the occupation you are considering for sponsorship is on the list of acceptable skilled vocations. The Australian Government updates this list on a regular basis to reflect the needs of the Australian employment market.

The list includes a wide variety of vocations, including healthcare, engineering, information technology, and trades.
Each employment requires unique skills and qualifications from the individual.

If your intended occupation is not listed, you may need to negotiate a labour agreement with the Australian government.

To ensure compliance with the terms of the nomination or visa, you must demonstrate that you will pay the skilled worker the applicable market wage. Furthermore, your specified occupation will affect the visa alternatives or streams for which the employee may apply.

Step 3: Select the appropriate visa.

Choosing the appropriate visa is critical for the sponsoring process. As a result, select a visa that is in your employee’s best interests and meets your requirements. To achieve this, use Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO). Check the requirements and conditions of different skilled visas to see if you match the sponsoring eligibility criteria.

These are some of the visa alternatives for sponsored skilled workers. Investigate each possibility in detail.

Temporary skills shortage visa (subclass 482)

This visa is aimed to address the country’s skills shortfall. This visa is valid for four years. However, the duration of stay is determined by the occupation and the worker’s qualifications.

Employer Nomination Scheme Visa (Subclass 186).

It is a permanent visa intended for workers with a high degree of competence and experience. To demonstrate their expertise, the candidate must receive a favorable skills assessment.

Skilled employer-sponsored regional (provisional) visa (subclass 494).

The goal of this visa is to address a skills deficit in the defined regional areas. This is a temporary visa, and the individual must submit a positive skills evaluation to obtain it.

Step 4: Check Sponsorship Eligibility Criteria.

Before sponsoring a skilled worker, you must ensure that your organization meets the eligibility requirements. Eligibility criteria include financial stability and adherence to Australian working laws. Additional needs include the following:

You must have a legally established and running business in Australia.
You must provide strong evidence that you are utilizing local workers.
You must demonstrate that you will pay the sponsored worker at least the market salary rate.
Your occupation must be on the Skilled Occupation List.

Step 5: Apply to become an approved sponsor.

To sponsor a skilled worker to Australia, you must first become an official sponsor. To do this, you must submit an application to the Department of Home Affairs. Remember that you may also need to apply for approved sponsorship, which provides priority processing.

The following is a general summary of the process of becoming an approved sponsor.

Download the Standard Business Sponsor application from the ImmiAccount website.
Fill out the sponsorship application form and attach all relevant documentation.
Sponsorship paperwork contains the Australian Business Number (ABN), financial statements, and information about the business’s ownership and management. Evidence of local employment commitments.
Pay the application cost of AUD420.
If your application is granted, you will be issued a Transaction Reference Number (TRN).
With this number, you will be considered eligible to sponsor workers for classes 482 or 494.

Remember that Standard Business Sponsorship approval is usually good for five years. Following that, you may extend or renew it based on continued compliance with sponsorship terms.

Step 6: Nominate the Position.

Once you have been recognized as a sponsor, the following step is to suggest a skilled worker for the assigned role. Fill out a nomination application form and submit it through ImmiAccount. Please include the following information in your application:

Details about the position you’re providing to overseas workers.
Evidence of meeting wage standards.
Labor market testing results (if applicable).
The application fee for nominating a skilled worker is AUD 330.

If the nomination is granted, give the TRN number to the skilled worker. They can apply for a visa with this number.

Step 7: Complete the Visa Application.

This is the ultimate step, intended for skilled workers. However, you must confirm that your nomination fits the eligibility requirements. Here are some of the essential actions the nominee must take to apply for the visa.

The worker must demonstrate their qualifications, work experience, and English language skills.
The worker may be asked to provide a skills assessment from a relevant assessing authority.
The worker must comply with the Department of Home Affairs’ health and character requirements.
Download the application form from the ImmiAccount website.
Fill it out correctly and attach any necessary documents.
Pay the visa application fee and complete the form.
Wait patiently for the visa results, since processing times vary depending on a variety of circumstances.

Important Things to Remember for Sponsors

There are specific requirements that all sponsors must meet. This includes the following:

Sponsors must pay the Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy. This grant is meant for the training of Australian employees.
The grant amount is determined by the business’s annual turnover and the duration of the visa.
Sponsors must follow Australian employment regulations and visa conditions.
If the candidate meets specific qualifying requirements, many temporary visas, such as subclass 186, provide avenues to permanent residency.

Cost of getting sponsorship from other countries to work in Australia?

Employers must pay various fees when sponsoring overseas skilled personnel. Here’s a breakdown of these costs:

Application fees
Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) charge.

Detailed information on these costs is presented below.

Application Cost for Sponsorship

The application charges for nomination and becoming an accepted sponsor vary as follows:

To become an approved sponsor (SBS), you must submit AUD 420.
You will have to pay AUD 330 to nominate a candidate for the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) Visa (subclass 482).
The fee for proposing a candidate for the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) Visa (subclass 186) is AUD 540.

Skilled Australians Fund (SAF) Levy

The SAF levy is a mandated contribution that businesses must provide when nominating employees. The levy contributes to the training and development of Australian workers. However, the amount is determined by the business’s annual turnover and the period of the overseas worker’s stay.

If your business’s annual turnover is less than AUD 10 million:

You must pay AUD 1,200 per year or part thereof for each subclass 482 visa worker.
You must pay AUD 3,000 as a one-time payment for each 186 or 494 visa worker.
If your company has an annual revenue of AUD 10 million or more:
You must pay AUD 1,800 per year or part thereof for each TSS visa worker.
You must pay AUD 5,000 one-time fee for each ENS or SESR visa worker.

Final Thoughts

So there you have it—a detailed tutorial on how to sponsor overseas workers in Australia. By completing the methods indicated above, you can successfully obtain sponsorship to bring international skilled workers to Australia. Ensure that you meet the qualifying requirements and adhere to Australian labor market regulations and legislation.

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VISA SPONSORSHIP JOBS