Five things to know about employing overseas workers for the first time

The five things in this article will help you decide to employ an overseas worker for the first time. They give you a good understanding of your position, and clarity around what you need to be doing.

Know your capacity in employing someone from overseas

Decide whether you have the time, resources, or training capacity to manage them effectively. You need to think about how much it will cost to do that. But you also need to think about the people, team, and training impact.

Decide what type of overseas worker you’ll employ

There are people who are overseas that you bring to Australia. And there are non-Australians who are already in the country, too. Some of those include international students, holiday makers on working visas, refugees, and skilled migrants.

The State of Victoria has a site dedicated to living and working in that state. You can find people with suitable skills, without having to go back to the Skill Select. Remember, Skill Select is for people who are outside of Australia.

As far as we know, Victoria is the only state with such a registry. Check your state departments regularly to find out what helpful resources might be on offer. (And if you find a Queensland skills registry, please let us know!)

Know the financial impact

Employing non-Australian talent is not a way for you to save money. Overseas workers need to be paid at the same, or market, rate, as any other Australian worker. The rules around this are rigorous, and checks are regularly undertaken. So, if you think it’s cheaper – think again. For more information about likely costs in your particular situation, please contact us.

Commit to the approval process’s ongoing requirements

If you want to bring someone to Australia on an a temporary skilled (457) basis, consider whether you can complete all the requirements. Your business must be an approved employer before you attempt to employ someone.

You have to: