Permanent Workers

The main options for a business to sponsor permanent skilled workers are:

1. Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS)
2. Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS)
3. Labour Agreements

Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS)

The ENS allows Australian employers to sponsor highly skilled employees who are foreign nationals for a permanent visa to work in Australia. Employees can be from overseas or temporarily resident in Australia.

Applying for an ENS involves a two-step process:

1. employer nominates a position. In this step, the employer needs to identify the position to be filled and the skills and experience required for the position.

   The requirements of this application are comprehensive. The employer must demonstrate the need for the position and why it can’t be filled from within Australia.

2. once the position has been approved, the employee must apply for a permanent visa to work in Australia.

"ISA Group has a proven track record in helping businesses recruit the skilled people they need. Although the application process is a complex one, we make sure the process is as smooth and as timely as possible. We understand that ‘time is money’ to a business."

Noelene Merrey, Principal Migration Agent

Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS)

The RSMS enables employers in regional Australia to fill full-time, permanent skilled positions they are unable to fill from the local labour market. It involves a three-step application process:

1. employer must apply for certification of a nominated position with a Regional Certifying Body.

2. once certified, the employer lodges the nomination the position with the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.

3. employee applies for a visa to work in Australia.

ISA Group can assist with all stages of this application process.

Labour Agreements

Labour Agreements are formal arrangements that enable the recruitment of a number of permanent overseas skilled workers. There is a range of situations whereby negotiating a Labour Agreement could be advantageous; for example:

• an industry association needs to negotiate a wide agreement for the supply of needed skills
• where occupations are not on the list of approved occupations for the permanent Employer Nomination Scheme or Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme yet a genuine skills shortage exists or occupations are not covered under the Australian & New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO).

Labour Agreements involve a three-step process:

1. an employer or industry body requests access to a Labour Agreement to the Federal Government, which then considers the request and negotiates between the parties to the agreement.
2. after the agreement has been signed by all parties, the employer is required to nominate the positions to be filled.
3. employees then apply for a visa to be allowed to work in Australia.

For more information about what occupations require a Labour Agreement, email noelene@isa.com.au

Although negotiating a Labour Agreement is a complex process, they can provide significant benefits to a business or industry association by creating a framework under which overseas workers can be recruited with greater efficiency, which saves time and money in the long run.