Employer Nomination Scheme (186)
The Employer Nomination Scheme (186) gives you (and any family members) permanent residency.
There are two Employer Nomination Scheme (186) streams.
As the most commonly applied for and granted visa program for skilled workers to obtain sponsorship and employment in Australia, the 457 visa program allows people to work temporarily in Australia for up to four years, but it does not guarantee residence.
How does the 457 visa work?
With a 457 visa you can work in Australia for up to four years. You can bring your family with you (they can work and study) and you can travel in and out of Australia as often as you like.
The employer/sponsor must
apply to be a sponsor to recruit overseas workers; nominate the positions they want to fill; recruit the overseas workers to fill the nominated positions; and act as a sponsor for employees applying for a visa.
You as the employee accept the offer of employment from the employer; apply for the visa; and meet all the conditions of your visa.
Am I eligible for the 457 visa?
To apply for a 457 visa as an employee, your application must follow that of your sponsoring employer. To be considered for a 457 visa, you must meet the following criteria:
•You must be sponsored by an employer to fill a nominated position.
•You must work in a skilled occupation that's been approved by the Australian Government on the Consolidated sponsored occupations list.
•You must have skills, qualifications, experience and an employment background which match those required for the position.
•You must have English language skills equivalent to a test score of at least 5 across the four test components in an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test, or higher. You may also be required to demonstrate these skills through a formal test.
•You must be eligible for any relevant licences or registration required for the nominated position.
•You must demonstrate that you are to be paid at least the minimum salary level that applies at the time a decision is made on your visa.
•You must meet all health requirement as set out by Information Form 1163i.
•You must meet all character requirements.
•If you are in Australia at the time of application, you must not have prohibitive restrictions or limitations placed on your current visa.
•You must, if over the age of 18, be willing to declare your respect of Australian values and adhere to Australian law.
•You must have health insurance.
•You must pay all relevant non-refundable application fees.
1. TEMPORARY RESIDENT TRANSITION
If you currently hold a 457 visa, and have done so for at least two years (with the same 457 sponsor), you are eligible for the Temporary Resident Transition stream on the Employer Nomination Scheme (186).
2. DIRECT ENTRY
If you have not been working on a 457 visa for two years (with the same employer), but you can pass the skill assessment and have three years post-qualification work experience in your nominated occupation, you are eligible for the Direct Entry stream on the Employer Nomination Scheme (186).
SKILL ASSESSMENT
If you require a skill assessment we will manage this with you. We provide checklists of documents needed, we review and advise on your paperwork and we lodge and following up with the assessment body.
APPROVAL TO SPONSOR
You must be sponsored by an eligible employer. The employer will need to meet the training benchmark. We help your employer with this and all other steps of their sponsorship of you on the Employer Nomination Scheme (186). Your employer can be located anywhere in Australia to sponsor you on this visa.
ELIGIBILITY FOR THE EMPLOYER NOMINATION SCHEME (186)
You must meet the requirements around age, English skills and skill (work experience and/or qualifications) in an occupation on the Consolidated Skilled Occupation List (CSOL). The job must be at the correct salary level, full time and be offered for at least two years.
FREE VISA ASSESSMENT
We can determine your eligibility for the Employer Nomination Scheme (186). Please complete our online assessment form and we will provide information on the steps, fees and process.