EMPLOYER NOMINATION SCHEME (ENS) (186) AND REGIONAL SPONSORED MIGRATION SCHEME (RSMS) (187) VISAS

employment visa

From 1 July 2012, the permanent employment visa regime was extensively revised, and the number of visas reduced to 2:

  • Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) (186) visa, and
  • Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) (187) visa.

The ENS and RSMS scheme allows Australian employers to nominate highly skilled workers for permanent entry to Australia to fill vacancies where no suitable local candidate could be found. Since 2 April 2005, persons applying for ENS visas must have their occupation listed on an ENS skilled occupations list, which also specifies the relevant skills assessing authority.

Common Requirements

The ENS or RSMS visas are not subject to SkillSelect. However, an individual may choose to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) through SkillSelect. Australian employer groups can have access to the SkillSelect database where they can choose prospective employees who fit their requirements, and nominate them for an ENS or RSMS visa.

An Australian employer (including a partnership or an unincorporated association) may seek to act as nominator for the ENS or RSMS visa by completing the requisite nomination and paying the prescribed fees. The nomination must be approved by the Minister, and has not been withdrawn, and the position is still available to the nominee.

AVES provides assistance to employers who wish to sponsor approved skilled workers on a temporary visa and/or to highly skilled workers sponsored by employers to fill skilled vacancies in their business. These vacancies can be filled by either skilled workers from overseas, or temporary residents who are living and working in Australia.