The Tricky Decision: Hiring the Best People for the Job

When it comes to hiring foreign workers, the task can be even more complicated given the amount of admin and legislation involved, especially in Australia.

You can expect a world of admin. Between eligible occupations lists, permanent vs temporary stay conditions, and applying for a sponsorship licence, undergoing the process alone can be time-consuming and costly.

No need to worry though. There are ways to do this simply and successfully.

With the pandemic seemingly behind us and Australia’s quick recovery and growing market opportunities, there is no better time to start preparing to explore the market.

 

Understanding the Australian Market

Potentially contemplating expanding to Australia for your next project or venture?

Whatever your motivations, the arguably most popular expansion approach is to begin with an employee who currently works for your company. This person would already understand your business, clients, projects, and mission.

This could be a General Manager, Country Manager, Sales & Marketing Manager, Business Development Manager, or a technical worker, for example.

Their aim may be to conduct research on the business landscape, perhaps carry out some marketing, sales, and networking activities, or deliver on won contracts/sales.

Should the project and secondment prove successful, this may eventually kick-start your operations in a new market.

The complication with this is that, assumedly, this worker will not have the entitlement to work in Australia, and will require a visa (ergo the need to be sponsored)..

 

Sponsoring an Employee: the DIY Approach

The first approach is to sponsor your employees for a visa directly. Importantly, to meet this criterion, you will need to prove your business is both legally established and operational. This can apply to a business operation which is within or outside of Australia.

The type and extent of the evidence required to prove that a business is established and operating vary depending on the specific circumstances of the applicant.

Between eligible occupations lists, permanent vs temporary stay conditions, and applying for a sponsorship licence, undergoing the visa application process alone can be time-consuming and costly.

Migration agents will assist greatly with obtaining required documentation and understanding the processes set by the Department of Immigration.

Sound a little too complicated or time consuming for your business? No need to worry, there’s another option.

 

Employer Sponsored Visa: Using an Approved Local Sponsor

An effective alternative to the complexity of sponsoring employees directly is leveraging an existing company (like us!) authorised by the Australian Government to act on your behalf.

This authorisation is known as the On-Hire Labour Agreement; a specialised form of labour agreement. Labour agreements are negotiated and formalised between the Australian Government and an employer directly.

The On-Hire Labour Agreement enables visas to be granted under Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa (subclass 482).

Put simply, an existing company with this official agreement can source, employ, and sponsor non-Australian workers within all eligible occupations requiring a TSS (482) visa for you. Under the On-Hire Labour Agreement, the processing times are usually much faster.

You will be able to avoid going through the complex and time-consuming processes of sponsoring the employee yourself. If you have a project that is about to kick off shortly, or if you do not meet some of the requirements to sponsor an employee directly, this could be the hassle-free and stress-free solution.

This service is often used in conjunction with an Employer of Record solution, wherein the local partner that you choose will take care of the legal, payroll, HR, and administrative side of things, whilst you manage the day-to-day duties of your employee. Here’s a resource to better understand EOR and its benefits for simple, compliant setup in Australia.

This is a completely compliant method of engaging staff to work for your company whilst keeping them on your employment partner’s books (payroll).

 

If your company is interested in expanding to Australia in the near future, why not get a local partner on board to skip over the hurdles that may hold you back? Get in touch with our HR experts today!

About the Author:

With over 15 years’ experience in advisory and leadership positions, William is an accomplished and pragmatic leader. Having helped countless international businesses grow and expand, William has an innate cross-cultural understanding. Passionate about his work, William loves mentoring and sharing with others.
Read more about William Gaguin.