Australia is a great place to live and work, offering lifestyle and employment opportunities. To work, you must have a valid Australian visa with work rights. A range of temporary and permanent skilled visas are available. Australian laws provide all employees with basic rights and protection in the workplace.
If you like the idea of Australia’s climate and lifestyle and are looking for a career challenge in a country with lots of opportunities – take the next step to find out more about Australia’s skilled working visas.
Skill stream categories
There are four main skilled migrations categories:
- Point-based skilled migration
- Permanent Employer Sponsored Programme
- Business Innovation and Investment Programme
- Distinguished talent.
Point-based skilled migration
There is a range of points-based skilled migration visa options for skilled workers who want to live in Australia. Applicants can be nominated by a state or territory government agency, sponsored by an eligible relative or independently migrate (non-sponsored).
Independent migrants are selected on the basis of their skills, attributes and suitability for employment so they are in a position to contribute quickly to the Australian economy. They are not sponsored by an employer or relative in Australia.
Sponsorship by an eligible Australian relative or nomination by a state or territory government is also possible under points-based skilled migration.
Points-based skilled migration visas are subject to a points test. More information about the points test please contact our registered migration agent to assess your correct points.
Permanent Employer Sponsored Programme
The Permanent Employer Sponsored Programme consists of the following:
- Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS)
- Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS).
The programme allows employers to nominate foreign workers for permanent residence to fill genuine vacancies in their business.
Within each of these visa subclasses there will be three streams:
- The temporary residence transition stream is for subclass 457 visa holders who have worked for their employer for at least the last two years in the nominated occupation and the employer wants to offer them a permanent position in that same occupation
- The direct entry stream is for applicants who are untested in the Australian labour market and have not held a subclass 482 visa for at least the last two years or are applying directly from outside Australia
- The agreement stream is for applicants who are being sponsored by an employer through a tailored and negotiated labour agreement or regional migration agreement.
There are several options for you to work on a temporary or permanent visas. These options are not limited to:
Visitor visas
Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601)
eVisitor (subclass 651)
Transit visa (subclass 771)
Visitor (subclass 600)
Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462)
Working Holiday visa (subclass 417)
Working and skilled visas
Business Innovation and Investment (permanent) visa (subclass 888)
Business Innovation and Investment (provisional) visa (subclass 188)
Business Owner (subclass 890)
Business Talent (Permanent) visa (subclass 132)
Distinguished Talent visa (subclass 124)
Distinguished Talent visa (subclass 858)
Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186)
Investor Retirement (subclass 405)
Investor visa (subclass 891)
Regional Sponsor Migration Scheme (subclass 187)
Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)
Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190)
Skilled Recognition Graduate visa (subclass 476)
Skilled Regional (provisional) visa (subclass 489)
Skilled Regional visa (subclass 887)
State or Territory Sponsored Business Owner visa (subclass 892)
State or Territory Sponsored Investor visa (subclass 893)
Temporary Activity visa (subclass 408)
Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485)
Temporary Work (International Relations) visa (subclass 403)
Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) visa (subclass 400)
Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482)
Studying and training visas
Student visa (subclass 500)
Student Guardian visa (subclass 590)
Training visa (subclass 407)
Family and spousal visas
Adoption visa (subclass 102)
Aged Dependent Relative visa (subclass 114)
Aged Dependent Relative visa (subclass 838)
Aged Parent visa (subclass 804)
Carer visa (subclass 836)
Carer visa (subclass 116)
Child visa (subclass 101)
Child visa (subclass 802)
Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 884)
Contributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 864)
Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 173)
Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143)
Dependent Child visa (subclass 445)
New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (temporary) visa (subclass 461)
Orphan Relative (subclass 117)
Orphan Relative (subclass 837)
Parent visa (subclass 103)
Partner (Provisional and Migrant) visa (subclass 309 100)
Partner visa (subclass 801 820)
Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300)
Remaining Relative visa (subclass 115)
Remaining Relative visa (subclass 835)
Refugee and humanitarian visas
Global Special Humanitarian (subclass 202)
Protection visa (subclass 866)
Refugee visas (subclass 200, 201, 203 and 204)
Other visas
Bridging visa A – BVA – (subclass 010)
Bridging visa B – BVB – (subclass 020)
Bridging visa C – BVC – (subclass 030)
Bridging visa D – BVD – (subclass 040 and 041)
Bridging visa E – BVE – (subclass 050 and 051)
Crew Travel Authority visa (subclass 942)
Former Resident visa (subclass 151)
Maritime Crew visa (subclass 988)
Medical Treatment visa (subclass 602)
Resident Return visa (subclass 155 157)
Special Category visa (subclass 444)
Special Purpose visa
Please contact our registered migration agent to assess your suitability for any of the above streams.
