One of the most common questions people in other countries ask is: How can I get sponsored to work in Australia?
From the outside looking in, it looks like a tough thing to achieve. The key thing is to work out whether you have a skill or qualification that matches Australia’s current needs.
The states and territories of Australia publish ‘occupation lists’ every six months. Those lists indicate the current economic needs of Australia, in terms of its employment. Click here to see the current Skilled Nominated Occupation List for Queensland.
Two things to know about being sponsored to work in Australia
There are two things that are important for you to understand about being sponsored to work in Australia.
The first is that employers in Australia must try to recruit from Australia before looking overseas.
The second is that you are more likely to gain a sponsorship if you are willing to work in a regional area. Regional Australia experiences significant skills shortages. By moving to a regional area, you help the community, and are more likely to gain a place.
You can try to get sponsored by an employer yourself
This means that you need to do a bit of work. You will need to have an Australian resume, and will need to start building networks. If you are young, and you qualify for a working holiday visa, that’s a great way to come to Australia start building that network.
If you don’t qualify for a working holiday visa, you will need to do some research. Find the companies that have a use for your skill or qualification, and start reaching out to them.
Remember, make sure you find out whether the company would sponsor someone from overseas before you invest a lot of time nurturing that connection.
Where can I research jobs and employers?
There are some key online websites that Australians use to search for jobs. It’s a good way to gain familiarity with how positions are advertised, and with the types of companies that do business here. Some of the key databases are Seek, CareerOne, and JobSearch.
Register your interest on SkillSelect
Australia has an electronic system, called SkillSelect, that allows you to lodge an Expression of Interest for skilled migration. This system will ask you for a range of information, depending on which visa for which you want to be considered.
Australian employers, state and territory governments, and even the federal government, uses SkillSelect to find people who might fit the jobs that they have available. If you fit, then you will likely be invited to apply for a visa.
SkillSelect is a passive, but effective, method of getting sponsored to work in Australia. It allows you to put in an expression of interest, and know that your skill-set matches what Australians are looking for.
All people interested in points-based migration, as well as business investment or innovation programs, have to submit an expression of interest on SkillSelect.
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