The government is continuously tightening its belt when it comes to allowing international workers into Australia, either on a temporary or permanent basis. This is making it increasingly complex and time-consuming for local businesses to sponsor international workers, particularly in metropolitan areas. If you’re looking overseas to access the expertise and skills you can’t currently find locally, there are some important things you need to consider before you get started. Before you begin recruiting international talent to boost your business, you’ll need to apply to become a sponsor –there are several categories of ‘sponsor’ you can apply for, according to your needs. The skilled worker you sponsor may be: living overseas and wanting to travel and work in Australia, oralready in Australia on another type of visa which does not currently allow them to work, oralready living and working on another visa in Australia, for example, a person holding a Temporary Work skilled visa (subclass 457) or Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482). Regardless of the circumstances of the skilled worker you are trying to attract, you’ll need to ensure their skills are on the list of eligible skilled occupations – these are the skills that the government officially recognises as not being currently available in Australia. When making your application, you will need to provide evidence to demonstrate that you have advertised in Australia to find the skills you need locally – this is known as labour market testing. Your application will also need to include a copy of the employment contract for your proposed international talent, which must be signed by the applicant after the close of the market testing period. There are several different visas that can be applied for – both temporary and permanent – and deciding which is most appropriate will depend on your business needs as well as your candidate’s skills and intentions. We Can Help Even once you’ve checked all the boxes for a visa application, there is no guarantee that it will be successful. The Ayers Group is one of few companies that is approved by the Australian Department of Immigration to hire and on-hire international workers. Our experts can help you by advising on and arranging, temporary and permanent visas for the foreign workers who have the approved skills you need. We can provide pre-approval of your applicant and even take your contractor on as a tax employee of the Ayers Group, freeing you of the risks associated with visa sponsorship. Talk to an expert from the Ayers Group today.