The employer sponsored visa programs enable local South Australian businesses to fill skills needs when they have been unable to fill a skilled position locally.
If you are having difficulty filling vacancies locally in your business, sponsoring a skilled migrant through an employer sponsored visa program may help you fill your skills needs.
There are two employer sponsored visa pathways available to local businesses in South Australia.
- Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) - Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482) & Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494) - Labour Agreement Streams
- Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494 Employer Sponsored Stream)
Applying for endorsement or seeking advice for employing overseas workers will allow you to:
- Recruit skilled workers in cases where you are unable to find a local worker
- Access an extensive list of occupations with a range of concessions to the standard skilled visa criteria.
It is essential that employers and migrants are aware of the law to avoid possible worker exploitation.
Exploitation can take many forms, for example employers paying below the minimum salary threshold, or transferring the cost of sponsoring to the visa applicant. It is illegal for a person to pay an employer to sponsor them for a visa.
Additional laws have been introduced by the Department of Home Affairs to address migrant worker exploitation.
There are serious penalties for employers who breach these laws, including up to 2 years’ jail and fines. Employers may also be prohibited from employing more temporary visa holders for a period of time.
More information on migrant worker protections and information for employers and labour hire intermediaries can be found at the Department of Home Affairs website.