There are many and varied opportunities for people to migrate to Australia as sponsored employees. 

All employer sponsored visas are now eligible to be lodged online

The visa options for migration to Australia as a sponsored employee include the following:

Temporary Business Visas (457)

A Temporary Business Visa (457) will allow the primary visa holder to live and work for an employer sponsor in Australia for up to 4 years.  The spouse of the visa holder is unlimited in their work rights.  There are three stages to this category of visa:

• Stage 1 - Sponsorship
  
  This stage is specifically designed to assess whether the sponsor is an eligible sponsor.  An eligible sponsor can nominate more than one position under the sponsorship and this will depend upon your requirements and the size of the sponsoring organization.
  
  
• Stage 2 - Nomination
  
  The nomination is the assessment of the position you are seeking to fill.  There are some core criteria in relation to Temporary Sponsored Migration Income Thresholds (TSMIT) and market salary levels and minimum skills required.
  
  
• Stage 3 - Visa Application
  
  This is the final step required.  This will examine the skills of the visa applicant in comparison to the nomination, ensuring that the visa applicant is suitably skilled to fill the role nominated.

Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS)

The Regional Sponsored Migration (RSMS) program is available for employers to sponsor their employee for permanent residency.

The main criteria for this visa are:

• There is a 2 year contract between the employer and the employee, which will commence within 6 months of the visa being granted, and for a minimum of 2 years.
  
• The applicant has a minimum of a Diploma level qualification.
• The applicant has is under the age of 50 years.
  
• The applicant has a minimum of competent English, and their spouse and any dependents over the age of 18 years has functional English.
• Some occupations will require a Skills Assessment.

If you currently hold a 457 visa, for a minimum of 2 years prior to applying, a number of these criteria are not required.  I will assess each on its own merits to be able to ascertain whether this is achievable.

The application for an RSMS Visa consists of 3 steps:

• Step 1 - Regional Advice
  
• Step 2 - Nomination
  
• Step 3 - Visa Application

Step 1 - Regional Advice
The advice from the Regional Certifying Body (RCB) is vital to this application. It allows the RCB to confirm that this position is difficult to fill in the local labour market and that the salary it will attract is comparable to other salaries being earned in the area.

Step 2 - Nomination
Once Regional Advice has been given, Migration Pathways will lodge your Nomination with The Department of Immigration and Citizenship(DIAC).  At this stage no further information is required to lodge the nomination, unless it is specifically required by DIAC.

Step 3 - Visa Application
Your visa application to DIAC can be lodged at the same time as the Nomination (Stage 2), or once the Nomination has been approved. 
The visa applicant is assessed, by DIAC, against base criteria. In addition you will also be required to provide results of full medical examinations and police clearances.

Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS)

The Employer Nomination Scheme is another employer sponsored visa, which is for major metropolitan areas.

Much of the criteria is similar to that of the RSMS visa in that the primary applicant must meet minimum skill and language criteria, and also have a 2 year contract with their employer, however it is a requirement under the ENS that the visa holder either holds a 457 visa for a minimum of 2 years first, or that they have a skills assessment, and at least 3 years relevant work experience.