Employing a skilled migrant

When the right skills can’t be found locally, skilled migrants can help fill workforce gaps and keep your business running smoothly.

Employer sponsorship

If you are an employer with a skilled labour shortage, and you can’t find an appropriately skilled Australian worker, visa pathways, programs and resources are available that may support your needs.

The visas below may enable you to retain temporary visa holders already employed in your organisation, or recruit skilled workers from overseas. Both visas provide a pathway to permanent residency for visa holders.

Temporary Skills Shortage visa (subclass 482) 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) supports regional employers with identified labour shortages in their region.

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

Designated Area Migration Agreement

A Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) is a formal agreement between the Australian Department of Home Affairs and a regional, state or territory authority. It provides concessions and greater employer access to overseas workers.

Queensland currently has DAMAs in Far North Queensland (FNQ) and Townsville (North Queensland):

FNQ DAMA is operated by the Cairns Chamber of Commerce
Townsville DAMA is operated by Townsville Enterprise Limited.

Employing skilled migrants holding other visas

As an employer, you can also use 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.

Other visa types are listed in the table below, with links to relevant information on the Australian Department of Home Affairs’ website.

Migrant cohort	Overview of visa types
International students	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 Master’s 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. Learn more about: o Work options for international students o International students' workplace rights.
International graduates	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. No additional costs or obligations to employers apply when hiring an international graduate.
Humanitarian migrants	Refugee visas, through 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. Learn more about: o An employer’s guide to working with refugees o A social entrepreneur’s guide to boosting refugee economic participation.
Skilled Migrants	Points-tested skilled visas are facilitated through the Queensland State Nominated Migration Program and the Australian 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. As an employer, you 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 structure 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 2 years. Skilled Independent (Permanent) visa (subclass 189): a permanent visa that allows workers to live and work anywhere in Australia.
Temporary visas	Temporary Worker visa (subclass 400) enables Australian business to be supported 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 build on the existing connections between Australia and the United Kingdom (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 businesses in Australia and Indonesia the opportunity to send employees to undertake workplace placements for up to 12 months in the other country.
Working Holiday Makers	The Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) and Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462) allow people 18 to 30 years old inclusive (and for subclass 417 up to 35 years old for some countries) to have a 12-month holiday in Australia, during which they can undertake short-term work and study. Working Holiday Makers (WHM) are subject to limitations on how long they can work for the same employer and can seek to apply for a 2nd or 3rd WHM visa, after meeting specified work requirements. For more information, see specified work and visa conditions.

Understanding visa conditions

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

VEVO provides details relating to migrants’ current in-effect visas, including:

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

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

Professional migration advice

To make sure your business meets all visa and sponsorship requirements, you may wish to consider speaking with a registered migration agent or an Australian legal practitioner for professional migration advice.