Occupations in need – information for employers
The Government of Australia welcomes skilled migrants to live and work here.
Employers are able to sponsor workers from overseas either on a temporary or permanent basis via several different employer sponsored visa options. You can find an overview of these options here to see if there is one that suits your needs.
It is important to make sure that you use the correct occupation list when nominating an occupation under a particular visa option.
Employer Nominated Scheme (ENS)
To sponsor an overseas worker under this visa, the occupation must be on the Employer Nominated Skilled Occupation List (ENSOL). There are approximately 500 occupations on the list and it is regularly updated. The base minimum salary that must be met and the assessing authorities which assess the applicant’s skills are listed on the ENSOL.
Temporary Business (Long Stay) subclass 457
To sponsor a worker under this visa, the occupation must appear on the 457 list which can be accessed from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) website here.
Other employer sponsored options
Other employer sponsored visa options such as the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) and Labour Agreements do not require an occupation to appear on a specific list. However, the occupation must be assessed. In the case of the RSMS, by a Regional Certifying Body (RCB) and in the case of the Labour Agreement, by negotiation with the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC).
Other occupations in demand
There are other lists of occupations used by DIAC that are associated with visa options that are not employer sponsored.
General Skilled Migration
There are various visa options available under the General Skilled Migration category. Applicants wishing to obtain such a visa must have an occupation that is specified on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL).Points are allocated against each occupation which is used in the visa assessment process.
Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme
An occupation does not have to appear on a list to be considered under the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme. Rather the employer must obtain support for the position from a regional certifying body before lodging an application to sponsor a migrant with the Department of Immigration and Citizenship. More information is available at the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.
To get up to date information about which occupations are available for specific visa classes visit the Department of Immigration and Citizenship website.