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Visas, Immigration and Refugees

Sponsoring a Temporary Overseas Employee

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Detailed information on the requirements and procedures for sponsoring a temporary employee is available in booklet 11, Sponsoring a temporary overseas employee to Australia. The booklet is for:

  • Australian businesses needing to recruit staff from overseas for temporary entry for up to four years
  • those wanting to come to Australia under these sponsorship arrangements.

Note: the documents listed below are in PDF format to make printing easier - they require the Adobe Reader on your computer.
See: Using PDF files.

Get this booklet and forms:

  • free from this website, by saving them onto your computer, and printing yourself a copy
    or
  • subject to available stocks, a printed copy of the booklet, with forms included, can be obtained from a migration office in Australia or overseas, at a cost of AUD20.
    See: Contact us

Booklet 11 and associated forms

Background visa information

Visas are available under these arrangements for:

  • sponsorship by an Australian or overseas business - if your business is unable to meet its skill needs from within the Australian labour force, you may be able to sponsor personnel from overseas on a temporary basis, to work in Australia for up to four years.
    See: Sponsorship by business.
  • labour agreements - this is a formal agreement negotiated between the Australian Government, employers (including industry or employer associations) and other interested parties (for example, unions or professional associations) for permanent or temporary staff.
    See: Labour agreements
  • service sellers - this is for representatives of overseas suppliers of services negotiating, or entering into, agreements to supply their services in Australia.

Online applications

Most Temporary Business (Long Stay) sponsorship, nomination and visa applications can be lodged online.

This service is available to subclass 457 visa applicants, nominated by an Australian business under a Business Sponsorship, a Labour Agreement, or a Regional Headquarters Agreement.

This service is not available to subclass 457 visa applicants who are nominated by an Overseas business, or applying as a Service Seller or Independent Executive.

Decision-ready online applications will receive priority over paper-based applications.

If you are applying for a visa where you are seeking to work for a company operating in Australia, or under a Labour Agreement, or under a Regional Headquarters agreement, you must submit the application via the Internet or in hard-copy form to a departmental office in Australia: you do not need to be in Australia to submit your application: you cannot submit your application to an Australian overseas mission.

If an application is, sent in hard-copy you must send the application to the Business Centre in Australia which processed (or is processing) the sponsorship and nomination applications from your employer.
See:
Online Applications - Employer Sponsored Worker
Temporary Business (Long Stay) - Standard Business Sponsorship (Subclass 457)