The Employer Sponsored Visas – A Guide For An Employer
Are you looking to sponsor your fellow employee but puzzled by the visa rules?
You have come to the right place!
Generally Speaking, there are three visa options available when comes to sponsoring an employee.
Subclass 482 – TSS Visa
There are three steps involved in applying for this visa –
- Application for Standard Business Sponsor Status
- Application for Nomination
- Application for Visa Application
For information that relates to applying for a TSS (482) visa please click here.
To qualify for a Standard Business Sponsor one must:
- be lawfully trading in/outside Australia; and
- meet and be committed to the training requirement.
For Nomination one must:
- nominate their employee for a position that closely matches one of the occupations listed on the Combined Skilled Occupation List .
- pay their nominee a minimum salary (Currently $53,900) and match the market salary rate for the proposed position.
- unless exempt, meet the Labour Market Testing requirement
Subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme) Visa
This is a permanent residency visa.
There are two steps involved in applying for this visa –
- Application for Nomination
- Application for Visa Application
For Nomination one must:
- be lawfully trading in/outside Australia; and
- meet and be committed to the training requirement.
- nominate their employee for a position that closely matches one of the occupations listed on the Skilled Occupation List .
- pay their nominee a minimum salary (Currently $53,900) and match the market salary rate for the proposed position.
For information that relates to applying for a 186 visa please refer to our Employer Sponsored Visa page by clicking here.
Subclass 494 (Skilled Employer Sponsor) Visa
This is a temporary residency visa for up to 5 years. A subclass 494 visa holder can apply for permanent residence after 3 years.
Under the Direct Entry Stream, there are three steps involved:
- Application for Regional Certifying Body (RCB) Certification
- Application for Nomination
- Application for Visa
For Nomination one must:
- be lawfully trading in/outside Australia; and
- nominate their employee for a position that closely matches one of the occupations listed on either the relevant Skilled Occupation List.
- pay their nominee the market salary rate for the proposed position.
For information that relates to applying for a 494 visa please refer to our Employer Sponsored Visa page by clicking here.
Once your nominee’s visa is granted, the nominee must make a genuine attempt to remain in employment with their sponsor for minimum two years.
A glance of 482 , 186 and 494 visas
| Visas | 482 visa | 186 visa | 494 visa |
| Sponsor’s Location | Anywhere in Australia | Anywhere in Australia | Legislated regional areas in Australia |
| Training Levies | $1,200 per year or part year for small businesses (those with annual turnover of less than $10 million) and $1,800 per year or part year for other businesses. | $3,000 per nominee for small businesses (those with turnover less than $10 million) and $5,000 for other businesses. | $3,000 per nominee for small businesses and $5,000 for other businesses. |
| Limitation On Occupations | An sponsor can only sponsor their employees whose occupations are on the relevant Skilled Occupation List. | An sponsor can only sponsor their employees whose occupations are on the relevant Skilled Occupation List. | An sponsor can only sponsor their employees whose occupations are on the relevant Skilled Occupation List. |
| Minimum Salary Requirement | Yes and the nominee must be offered a market salary rate. | Yes and the nominee must be offered a market salary rate. | Yes and the nominee must be offered a market salary rate. |
| Visa Conditions | Unless a permission is granted, a 482 visa holder must only work for their sponsor while holding their visas. | Not applicable | A 494 visa holder must live and work in a regional area of Australia. |
The Labour Agreement
The options mentioned above only allow an Australian employer to sponsor skilled foreign workers.
Are you an employer who is looking to sponsor an employee in the following (but not limited to) situations:
- A meat processing company sponsoring a qualified meat worker.
- A fishing company sponsoring a deck/fishing hand.
- A fast food restaurant sponsoring a manager/supervisor.
We might be able to assist you by negotiate a labour agreement with the Department of Immigration on your behalf so that you could sponsor a semi-skilled worker.
To qualify for this pathway you must be able to demonstrate there is genuine and significant demand for the nominated occupations and that this demand cannot be met from within the Australian labour market.
Require further assistance?
If you prefer to book a private appointment to see our registered migration agent please call us on 0861899070.
