To be eligible for a 482 visa you must meet the following:

• Be nominated to work in an approved occupation on The Skilled Occupation Lists,
• Meet the skill requirements for the nominated occupation,
• Have been nominated by an approved business, and
• Have the appropriate English language skills.

You can be in or outside Australia when you lodge your application and include your family member in the application. The processing time frame for this application can range between 4 to 8 weeks. If approved the visa will be valid for a period up to 4 years (depending on the approved occupation) and you may be eligible to apply for a permanent residency after 3 years. If you have any questions regarding this Australian work sponsorship visa, don’t hesitate to contact us.

As part of the visa conditions you must comply with the following:

• Maintain health insurance for you and any including family members throughout the duration of the visa,
• Work in the same nominated occupation for the same sponsor unless you transfer your visa over to another employer, and
• If you cease employment you must find another employer to sponsor you within 60 days, apply for a different visa category or make arrangements to leave Australia.

The Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) 186 visa is one of the permanent visa programs available to those who are highly skilled and are offered a permanent position by an eligible Australian employer. 

This visa program involves a two-step process; firstly, be nominated by an approved Australian employer and then lodging a visa application under one of the three nominated streams:

• Temporary Residence Transition Stream: You can apply through this stream if you have worked in the nominated occupation under the 457/482 visa for at least three years with the same sponsor/employer.
• Direct Entry Stream: You can apply for this stream if you are highly skilled (with an approved skills assessment if you are applying for the ENS) and have at least three years full time work experience.
• Agreement Stream: You can apply for this stream if you are sponsored by an Australian employer that has access to an approved labour hire agreement by the government and offer you a permanent position to fill.

In addition, to be eligible you must meet the following general criteria:

• Be under the age of 45,
• Have the required skills and qualifications for the nominated position provided in the Skilled Occupation Lists,
• Have the appropriate English language skills,
• Meet the health and character requirements, and
• Be willing to fill the nominated position for at least two years.

Over the last 14 years IMMIGATE has assisted many skilled migrants fill permanent positions with sponsored Australian employers and we have never had any ENS applications’ rejections. Contact us for a free visa assessment to guide you through your best work sponsorship visa options.

The skilled employer sponsored regional visa subclass 494 is a temporary work visa valid for a period of 5 years. It was introduced on the 16th of November 2019 as a new government initiative to support regional areas and grow the Australian economy by filling skills gaps and building productive capacity in the labour market.

Regional employers and skilled migrants applying for this visa program have access to more occupations than are available to metropolitan areas, priority processing of visa applications, and additional points for certain points-tested migrants who are sponsored to settle in regional Australia.

Most locations of Australia outside major cities (Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane) are classified as designated regional areas for migration purposes with a specified list of postcodes.

This visa program involves a two-step process; firstly, be nominated by an approved Australian employer and then lodging a visa application under one of the two nominated streams:

• Employer Sponsored Stream: You can apply for this stream if you are sponsored by a standard employer located in a regional area to fill a nominated position that cannot be filled by a skilled Australian worker.
• Labour Agreement Stream: You can apply for this stream if you are sponsored by an Australian employer that has access to an approved Labour Agreement by the government and offer you a position to fill.

In addition, to be eligible you must meet the following general criteria:

• Have an occupation on a relevant skilled occupation list,
• Have a suitable skills assessment for the occupation,
• Have at least 3 years relevant work experience in your nominated occupation,
• Meet minimum standards of English Language proficiency, and
• Be under 45 years of age.

The 494 visa approval grants you the following advantages:

• Live, work and study in the designated regional areas of Australia for 5 years,
• Travel in and out of Australia throughout the duration of your visa including your family members,
• Gain additional points under the Skilled Migration Points Test, and
• If eligible, apply for a permanent residency after 3 years from the time your visa is granted

IMMIGATE is a serious supporter for the regional migration program. Over the years we have established strong ties with a number of Australian employers who are suffering from the skills shortage and always seeking to source the right skills. If you are a skilled worker and looking to work in regional Australia don’t waste the opportunity in reaching out to us for a free visa assessment. We can provide you with all the advice you need on work sponsorship visa programs in Australia.