Steps to permanent employment

The Employer Nomination Scheme allows an Australian employer to nominate a skilled worker to permanently migrate and live in Australia.

A successful applicant can then live and work in Australia on a permanent basis or study in an Australian school or university.

They also receive subsidised healthcare through Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS); access certain social security payments (subject to waiting periods); be eligible for Australian citizenship (subject to the residency eligibility criteria) and sponsor people for permanent residence.

The visa application process is usually completed in two stages:

Step 1: Employer nomination of the positions

The first step in the Employer Nomination Scheme is approval of the nomination of the position as an ‘approved appointment’.The approval is based on a number of conditions required by DIAC.

This includes requirements relating to the business operations and the criteria that the employment of skilled overseas workers must be to the benefit of Australia.

The particulars of the positions and the conditions of employment must also satisfy criteria and comply with the guidelines set by DIAC.

These include working conditions and salary levels.

Step 2: Employee application

If the nominated position has gained approval from DIAC, the next step is to submit the employee’s visa application.In order for the visa to be granted the employee must make a valid application and must satisfy the criteria set out by the Department.The application process can include assessment of the applicant’s ability to meet the visa’s language, health and character requirements.