Employer Sponsored Visa – Townhall Education & Visa Services

The Employer Sponsored Visa program allows Australian businesses to sponsor skilled foreign workers to fill job vacancies that cannot be met locally. This visa pathway helps employers meet workforce demands while offering skilled workers the opportunity to live and work in Australia—temporarily or permanently.

There are several key visa subclasses under this stream:

Subclass 482 – Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) Visa
Enables employers to sponsor workers for up to 2–4 years, depending on the occupation stream.
Subclass 186 – Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) Visa
A permanent residency visa for skilled workers nominated by an approved employer.
Subclass 494 – Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) Visa
A temporary visa for regional employers to sponsor workers for up to 5 years, with a path to permanent residency.

Visa Requirements

Common requirements across employer-sponsored visas include:

A valid job offer from an approved Australian employer
The position must be on a relevant Skilled Occupation List
Skills assessment and relevant qualifications/experience
Proof of English language proficiency
Meet health and character requirements
For PR options (Subclass 186/494), age and work experience criteria may apply

Eligibility Criteria

You may be eligible if you:

Have the skills and experience required for an occupation on the skilled list
Are nominated by an Australian business with valid sponsorship status
Meet the age limit (usually under 45 for permanent pathways)
Can prove English proficiency (IELTS, PTE, etc.)
Hold any necessary licensing or registration required for your role in Australia