Employing a migrant worker

There are many good reasons for employers to consider employing people that hold visas, or to recruit from overseas. Below are key facts to consider when hiring workers on a visa and when sponsoring a skilled migrant.

Understanding visa conditions

Visa Entitlement Verification Online system (VEVO) allows employers and other organisations to check visa conditions. 

VEVO outlines details relating to people’s current in-effect visa:

• which visa
• the expiry date
• the date visa holders must arrive by, if coming from overseas
• the period of stay (how long visa holders can stay)
• conditions (what visa holders can and can't do).

To access the VEVO, register via the Department of Home Affairs website. 

Employer Sponsorship

If you are an employer with a labour shortage, and can’t find an appropriately skilled Australian worker, visa pathways, programs and resources are available to support you accessing talent for your workforce.

These include the:

• Temporary Skills Shortage visa (subclass 482) which enables an employer to sponsor a suitably skilled overseas worker to fill a position when a suitably skilled Australian worker isn’t available.
• Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494) which supports a regional employer with an identified labour shortage in their region. 
• The Temporary Skills Shortage and Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visas both provide pathways to permanent residency for visa holders and enable employers to:
  • retain temporary visa holders already employed (see below)
  • recruit skilled overseas workers.

Information about employing overseas workers, and becoming a standard business sponsor is available on the Department of Home Affairs website. 

Employing skilled migrants holding other visas

Employers are also able to utilise other visa pathways, or hire skilled migrants who hold certain temporary visas, without becoming a standard business sponsor and undertaking the obligations of employer sponsorship.

These include the:

• Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) provides international students with 18 months to 5 years of full-time post study work rights after completing an eligible qualification in Australia. This visa allows international graduates to be tested in the Australian labour market, where they can help fill skills gaps. There are no additional obligations when employing a Temporary Graduate visa holder, to employing any local worker.
• Temporary Worker visa (subclass 400) if your Australian business could be helped by workers with highly specialised skills, knowledge or experience that can't reasonably be found in Australia.
• The Temporary Activity visa (subclass 408) allows workers to come to Australia to do specific types of work on a short-term, temporary basis.
• The Innovation and Early Careers Skills Exchange Pilot aims to aims to build on the existing connections between Australia and the UK, by establishing a new and streamlined mobility pathway for early career professionals and demonstrated innovators from the UK.
• The Skills Development Exchange Pilot gives organisations in Australia and Indonesia the opportunity to send employees to undertake workplace placements for up to 12 months in the other country.
• Working Holiday Maker visas provide young adults to have a 12-month holiday in Australia, during which they can undertake short-term work and study.
• Refugee visas Australia’s Refugee and Humanitarian Program is part of international efforts to protect refugees, respond to global humanitarian need and provide specialist support. Many humanitarian migrants arrive with the skills to make a strong contribution to Australia’s workforce.
  • An employer’s guide to working with refugees
  • Boosting refugee economic participation A social entrepreneur’s guide Boosting refugees’ economic participation
• Student visas allow people to visit Australia to participate in eligible courses of study. Student visa holders can work up to 48 hours a fortnight when their course of study or training is in session (students studying a masters by research or doctoral degree, and their families, have no work limit).
• There are some opportunities for international students to undertake work experience, vocational placements, internships and volunteer work while they are studying.

Find out more about:

• work options for international students
• international students' workplace rights. 

Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA)

Points-tested skilled visas

Points-tested skilled visas are facilitated through the Queensland State Nominated Migration Program (SNMP) and Department of Home Affairs Skilled Independent visa program, to attract and retain highly skilled migrants who can help support our medium to long-term priority skills needs.

Employers can hire holders of the following visas without any additional obligations to employing a local worker:

• Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) a 5-year visa with a pathway to permanent residency. The provisional to permanent nature of this visa is designed to support regional areas, with visa holders able to qualify for permanent residency after living and working in a regional area for at least 3 years.
• Skilled Nominated (Permanent) visa (subclass 190), a permanent visa that allows workers to live and work anywhere in Australia. Visa holders commit to living and working in Queensland for at least two years.
• Skilled Independent (Permanent) visa (subclass 189), a permanent visa that allows workers to live and work anywhere in Australia.  

Guides for employers

The Queensland Government, Engineers Australia and Consult Australia worked in partnership to develop Attracting and Retaining Engineers from Migrant Backgrounds: A Guide for Employers.

This guide provides practical advice and information to help you tap into workers from migrant backgrounds with engineering qualifications, international skills and knowledge. 

Professional migration advice

You may consider using paid services from a registered migration agent or an Australian legal practitioner.