Business Sponsorship

Visa & Citizenship Lawyers has worked with business sponsors from a variety of industries ranging from construction industries to service industries to professional industries. We have helped businesses obtain or retain the skilled employees that they need.

We understand the impact that getting the right employee for the job has on your business.

Skills Shortages in Australia
Many businesses in Australia struggle to find appropriately qualified and/or experienced employees within Australia and wish to be able to employ skilled workers from abroad. There are currently a number of skills shortages in a range of industries across Australia at this point in time.

Business Sponsor Visa Program

In certain circumstances, businesses in Australia are able to sponsor skilled non-citizen employees.

There are a number or work sponsored visas. The most commonly utilised visas are the:

• Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) formally known as the subclass 457;
• Employer Nominated Scheme (subclass 186);
• Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494)

Subclass 482
The subclass 482 visa is a temporary business sponsored work visa. The 482 visa can be granted for 2 years or for 4 years. The visa will be granted for up to 2 years if the occupation is on the short-term list. The visa will be granted for up to 4 years if the occupation is on the long-term list. If the occupation is on the long-term list, there may be a pathway towards permanent residency on the subclass 186 visa. The Department of Home Affairs have made a combined list which is to be used as a guide only and can be found here.

Sponsoring an employee on a subclass 482 visa is a 3-stage process which involves:

1. Sponsorship application. and
2. Nomination application; and
3. Visa application.

Subclass 186
The subclass 186 visa is a permanent work sponsored visas.

The subclass 186 visa can be utilised:

• If the visa applicant is already the holder of a 482 visa in what’s called the Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream; or
• Through the Direct Entry (DE) stream. The DE stream does not require the visa applicant to hold any pre-requisite visa (meaning the subclass 186 permanent visa can be applied for directly in some circumstances).

Sponsoring an employee on a 186 visa is a 2-stage process which involves:

1. Nomination application; and
2. Visa application.

Subclass 494

The subclass 494 visa is a temporary business sponsored visa that is granted for 5 years. To be eligible for the 494 visa, the visa applicant will need to have first obtained a positive skills assessment and to have worked in the occupation for at least 3 years in the previous 5 years. Once the visa applicant has held the subclass 494 visa, the visa applicant may become eligible for the Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191).

Sponsoring an employee on a subclass 494 visa is a 4-stage process which involves:

1. Sponsorship Application. and
2. Regional Certifying Body application, and
3. Nomination application; and
4. Visa application.

Eligibility Criteria
To utilise either of the above programs, the business and the visa applicant will have to meet certain eligibility criteria, which can include:

•  The business is trading legally and is operational;
• The age of potential employee;
• The English language ability of potential employee;
• The qualifications and experience of potential employee.

Check out our Work Sponsored Visa page to learn  more about work sponsored visas.

Why use Visa & Citizenship Lawyers?
Our priority is to ensure that your business:

1. Understands its legal obligations; and
2. Gets the employees that it wants working for it as soon as possible.