Employer Nomination Scheme, ENS (subclass 186)

The Employer-sponsored visa category provides the opportunity for Australian and overseas employers to sponsor and employ skilled and suitably qualified foreigners who have skills and/or experience in particular occupations which are required in Australia.

This visa has been altered substantially in the last year, with the breadth of scope having become much wider, and three streams within the visa being introduced. If you are a skilled worker from outside Australia or a skilled temporary resident who already lives and works in Australia, you may be eligible. Once approved, you are able to live and work permanently in Australia and access healthcare and social security. It can also provide a pathway to Australian citizenship.

To apply for this visa:

You must be nominated by an approved employer
You must be younger than 50 years of age at the time of application
You must meet the skills and qualification requirements in the nominated occupation
You must meet the English language requirements

The three streams of this visa are:

The Temporary Residence Transition stream: this is if you hold a subclass 457 visa and have worked for two years in Australia and your employer wants to offer you a permanent position in the nominated occupation. There is no skills assessment;
The Direct Entry stream: this is if you have never, or only briefly, worked in the Australian labour market, or you have not held a subclass 457 visa for the last two years, or are applying from outside Australia. You will need to pass a positive skills assessment in the nominated occupation, and provide evidence of three years of relevant work experience;
The Agreement stream: this is if you have been sponsored by an employer through a tailored and negotiated labour or regional migration agreement.

Employers are expected to meet the following requirements:

They must operate an active and lawful business in Australia
They must have a genuine need for a paid employee to fill a skilled position
They must offer a skilled position in the applicant’s field that is full-time for a duration of at least 2 years
They must pay a market salary rate
They must comply with Australian immigration and workplace relations laws
They must nominate a skilled position from the Consolidated Sponsored Occupation List (Direct Entry), or a consistent or similar position to that sponsored under the 457 visa (Transition stream).
They must meet the prescribed benchmark for the training of Australian citizens and permanent residence if they have been operating for more than 12 months, or demonstrate an auditable plan to do so if they have been operating for less than 12 months (Direct Entry), or demonstrate that you have met and continue to meet the training requirements associated with the granting of the subclass 457 visa (Transition stream).
They must have a labour or regional migration agreement signed by all relevant parties, identifying a skills shortage and why vacancies can’t be filled by Australian workers, specifying the number of skilled workers from outside Australia needed and the age, skill and English language requirements relating to the nominated positions.

Other Australian visa types:

Australian Skilled Migration Visas