Employer Sponsored Visa

There are several visa options available for Australian businesses that want to sponsor skilled overseas workers. The most suitable visa subclass will depend on the worker’s location (onshore or offshore), occupation, skills, and experience.

The employer sponsored visa pathway is generally divided into three main stages:

Standard Business Sponsorship (SBS)

Before a business can sponsor any overseas worker, it must first be approved by the Department of Home Affairs as a Standard Business Sponsor. To gain approval, the business must demonstrate:

• It is a lawfully operating business in Australia
• It has the financial capacity to meet all sponsorship obligations
• It has a genuine need to sponsor overseas workers

Once approved, the sponsorship approval is usually valid for 5 years

Nomination Application

Once the business is an approved sponsor, the next step is to nominate a specific position to be filled by a skilled overseas worker. For the nomination to be approved, the employer must:

• Offer a salary that meets or exceeds the relevant Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) or Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT)
• Pay the worker at least the Annual Market Salary Rate (the rate an Australian worker would be paid for the same role in the same location)
• Complete Labour Market Testing (in most cases) to show that no suitably qualified Australian worker was available for the position

Visa Application

The final stage is the visa application itself, which is lodged by the overseas worker (the nominee).

This stage focuses on the applicant’s skills, qualifications, English language ability, and character. Depending on the visa subclass and occupation, the applicant may need to provide:

• A positive skills assessment
• Evidence of competent English (e.g. IELTS, PTE, or equivalent)
• Health and police clearances