What’s all the buzz about visa changes?
Heightening scrutiny of the ‘genuineness’ of a particular role being sponsored by a business for a 457 visa has seen many employers seek professional support for the application processes.
Immigration crackdown on employer 457 visa sponsorship
Heightening scrutiny of the ‘genuineness’ of a particular role being sponsored by a business for a 457 visa has seen many employers seek professional support for the application processes. Government case officers are scrutinising roles being sponsored, asking:
- Have you tried to fulfill these roles locally? If so where is the evidence?
- Are the roles relevant to your business?
- Why are the roles crucial to the business?
What do you need to do?
If you’re an employer submitting a 457 visa sponsorship application, include detail, detail and more detail. Less questions from case officers means a quicker turn around.
Consider including as much information as possible to address the following 11 points as part of the application process:
- Type of business and your operations
- The industry sector your business operates in
- Any new client contracts that require this particular role to be hired
- The importance of the role with in the business
- Detailed position descriptions
- Job ads and/or agency agreements to show that the local market was considered/exhausted
- Why the business considered international recruitment
- Why the applicant is most suited for the role
- Applicants resume and any other relevant application details
- Signed employment contracts
- Any other information that supports the 457 application process
The 11 points above will help build a business case to streamline the process therefore allowing case officers to understand exactly why the business needs such a role.
It’s also important for approved Australian sponsoring employers to keep records to ensure they can defend their applications if the department audits the business.
For more information, or if you require further advice or assistance with regards to sponsorship criteria, compliance or special considerations when dismissing sponsored workers, give Businessary a call on 03 9662 9900.
Employers affected by budget changes to skilled migration
In the recent budget announcement to be launched from March 2018, the government has introduced a new levy employers will have to pay to sponsor foreign talent under the reformed skilled migration regime.
The Government is replacing the requirement on employers to contribute 1-2% of their payroll to training if they employ foreign workers, with a fixed-fee arrangement based on their annual turnover.
Business with an annual turnover of less than $10 million will be required to make the following payment:
- An upfront payment of $1,200 per visa per year for each employee on a Temporary Skill Shortage visa.
- A one‑off payment of $3,000 for each employee being sponsored for a permanent Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) visa or a permanent Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (subclass 187) visa.
Business with an annual turnover of more than $10 million will be required to make the following payment:
- An upfront payment of $1,800 per visa year for each employee on a Temporary Skill Shortage visa.
- A one‑off payment of $5,000 for each employee being sponsored for a permanent Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) visa or a permanent Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (subclass 187) visa.
For more information or to review how you could manage your current employees on a working visa, give us a call!