Skilled Visa Information for Australia – Department of Home Affairs
| Standard Business Sponsor (SBS) | Become a sponsor Standard business sponsor (homeaffairs.gov.au) | If you are a Standard Business Sponsor, you can sponsor someone to work for you on a Temporary Skill Shortage visa (TSS) (subclass 482) or Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494). Sponsorship is valid for 5 years from the date of approval. |
| Accredited Sponsor | Sponsoring skilled workers Accredited sponsor (homeaffairs.gov.au) | If you have an approved SBS, you can apply for accredited status. With an accredited status, in addition to the benefits of the SBS, you will receive priority when the associated subclass 482 or subclass 494 visa is processed. |
| About Sponsorship | Learn about sponsoring (homeaffairs.gov.au) | A variety of safeguards exist within employer sponsored visas that are designed to put job opportunities for Australia workers first. These ensure that overseas workers complement, but do not displace Australian workers. |
| Cost of Sponsoring | Cost of sponsoring (homeaffairs.gov.au) | Outline of costs, including: SBS and nomination costs, SAF levy and how this is calculated. |
| Labour Market Testing | Labour market testing (homeaffairs.gov.au) | Labour market testing (LMT) generally involves advertising the position in Australia. How and when you test the labour market, and what proof we require, will depend on which stream you are nominating under. |
| Skilled visas (Employer Nomination required) | ||
| Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482) | Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482) (homeaffairs.gov.au) | This temporary visa lets an employer sponsor a suitably skilled worker to fill a position they can’t find a suitably skilled Australian to fill. You must be nominated by an Australian employer whose business is actively and lawfully operating (see Standard Business Sponsor for more information for employers). |
| Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494) | Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494) (homeaffairs.gov.au) | This visa enables regional employers to address identified labour shortages within their region by sponsoring skilled workers where employers can’t source an appropriately skilled Australian worker. You must be nominated by an Australian employer whose business is actively and lawfully operating (see Standard Business Sponsor for more information for employers). This is a temporary visa, with a streamlined pathway to permanent residency. |
| Skilled visas (State or Territory Nomination required) | ||
| Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) | Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) (homeaffairs.gov.au) | This visa is for invited skilled workers to live and work in regional Australia. You can only apply for this visa if you are invited and nominated by a state or territory government, or if you are sponsored by an eligible relative. This is a temporary visa, with a streamlined pathway to permanent residency. |
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| Permanent Residence (Regional Skills) visa | ||
| Permanent Residence (Regional Skills) visa (subclass 191) | Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191) Regional Provisional stream (homeaffairs.gov.au) | This visa allows people who have lived and worked in designated regional areas of Australia on an eligible visa, live and work in Australia permanently. This visa does not commence until 16 November 2022. |
| Labour Agreements | ||
| Designated Area Migration Agreement | Designated Area Migration Agreements (DAMA) (homeaffairs.gov.au) | A designated area migration agreement (DAMA) is a formal agreement between the Australian Government and a regional, state or territory authority. It provides access to more overseas workers than the standard skilled migration program. DAMAs operate under an agreement-based framework, providing flexibility for regions to respond to their unique economic and labour market conditions. |
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| Other useful links | ||
| Skilled Occupation List | Skilled occupation list (homeaffairs.gov.au) | The skilled occupation list (SOL) summarises the occupations Australia needs to fill skill shortages. |
| Global Visa Processing Times | Global visa processing times (homeaffairs.gov.au) | Processing times are available for most visa products, but will exclude some. These include visas closed to new entrants, visas subject to capping and queueing, or those which have a low volume of applications. Global visa processing times are updated monthly. |
| Current Processing Priorities | Skilled visa processing priorities (homeaffairs.gov.au) | Skilled migration visa applications are processed according to government policy priorities, which are outlined in the Ministerial Directions. |
| Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List | Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List (homeaffairs.gov.au) | The Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List (PMSOL) identifies 44 occupations which fill critical skills needs to support Australia’s economic recovery from COVID-19. Employer sponsored nomination and visa applications with an occupation on the PMSOL will be given priority processing. |
| Visa Entitlement Verification Online system (VEVO) | Check visa conditions online (VEVO) (homeaffairs.gov.au) | VEVO allows visa holders, employers, education providers and other organisations to check visa conditions. |
Kind regards
Servet and Jessica
NSW/ACT Business, Industry and Regional Outreach Officer
Department of Home Affairs
Email: BIRO.NSW.ACT@homeaffairs.gov.au
