Sponsored Visa is perhaps the most popular form of immigration to Australia on both permanent and temporary basis. As the name suggests these visas are essentially sponsored by employers based in Australia for hiring skilled professionals. Applicants opting for this category of immigration need to furnish work order or employment notification, declaration of sponsorship from employer, and relevant supporting documents of professional qualifications.
Employer sponsored visa in Australia is issued on both temporary and permanent bases, the former with validity of up to four years and the latter beyond that period. In fact temporary visa is often an avenue for securing a permanent visa.
Among the temporary variety, subclass 457 or Business Long Stay Visa is the most sought after. Employers under a same application are able to nominate several candidates for different posts. These sponsored visas are specifically meant for skilled workers and professionals. An employer for recruiting a group of skilful personnel might apply for 'Labour Agreements'. These agreements allow Australian employers to hire skilled overseas manpower for their business or manufacturing activity. 'Service Sellers' is another class of temporary visa that enables overseas suppliers of goods or services to enter into trade agreements with Australian companies as per terms of GATS (General Agreement of Trade and Services).
A permanent visa entitles an immigrant to settle in Australia lastingly. Employer Nomination Scheme allows employers to sponsor skilled overseas professionals for a period beyond four years. Migrants travelling to Australia on an ENS Visa, or Subclass 186 visa is eligible to stay and work in Australia on a permanent basis. A RSM (Regional Sponsored Migration) scheme visa or Subclass 187 allows regional employers or employers in sparsely populated Australian locations to hire skilled professionals from foreign countries. Under ENS or RSMS an immigrant residing on a temporary visa could become a permanent settler in this country.
