Work visas and immigration

Several types of employment visas are available for foreign workers in Australia.

Business innovation visa: Good for up to five years, this provisional visa allows you to start a new business, own and manage a business, or conduct investment activity in Australia.

Skills in Demand (SID) visa: This temporary visa lets an employer sponsor a suitably skilled worker to fill a position they can’t find a suitably skilled Australian to fill. It’s good for up to four years (five years if you’re coming on a Hong Kong passport).

Global Talent Employer Sponsored (GTES) visa: This program for both established and new businesses allows employers to sponsor skilled foreign workers for niche positions that cannot be filled by Australians or through the SID visa.

Skilled regional (provisional) visa: This visa allows skilled foreign workers to legally live in certain parts of regional Australia. There are several different pathways for extended stays, returning workers, and workers’ families.

Temporary graduate visa: These visas, which provide a stay of between 1 and 3 years depending on graduating circumstances, can help you employ foreign workers who have just graduated from an Australian university.

Employer Nomination Scheme visa: This visa allows employers to nominate skilled workers for permanent residency in Australia.